The Archdiocese of Seville hosted this Thursday an event that symbolizes the deep spiritual union between Spain and Latin America: the twinning of the Basilica of la Esperanza Macarena with the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The document was signed by the Archbishop of Seville, Mons. José Ángel Saiz Meneses, the Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico, Mons. Francisco Javier Acero, and the brother mayor of the Macarena, José Antonio Fernández Cabrero. The rectors of both temples served as witnesses: the priest José María Losada and Mons. Efraín Hernández, representing the two continents united by faith.
Shared Festivals and Marian Symbols in Both Temples
The Hermandad de la Macarena explained that the agreement provides for a liturgical exchange: in Mexico, the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza will be celebrated every December 18, while in Seville, every December 12, homage will be paid to the Virgen de Guadalupe, patroness of America and symbol of the evangelization of the New World.
The two basilicas will host reciprocal images: the Virgen de la Macarena in Mexico, and in Seville a reproduction of the tilma of San Juan Diego, where the Guadalupan image was miraculously imprinted. In addition, both communities will pray for the brother peoples of Mexico and Spain, strengthening a bond that roots in the common history of the Hispanic world.
A Spiritual Bridge Between Spain and America
In the words of the brother mayor Fernández Cabrero, as reported by the Hermandad de la Macarena, this agreement was “a long-pursued aspiration” and means building “a bridge between two of the most well-known Marian devotions in Christendom, both recognized with the Golden Rose granted by the Pope”.
The leader highlighted that this twinning “takes on even greater value in this Catholic Church Jubilee, in which we are called to be pilgrims and bring Christian hope to all corners of the world” —referring to the Jubilee of Hope—.
The gesture is not only local, but projects a message of cultural and spiritual unity: Seville and Mexico, two great Marian capitals, are twinned around the Virgin, showing that the Catholic faith is the true bond of the Hispanic world.