The Jubilee Light was lit this Sunday shortly after twelve noon in one of the towers of the Castle of Caravaca, while inside the basilica the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by the archbishop of Granada, José María Gil Tamayo, began. , and 'Gloria' was sung by the El Salvador parish choir. The light will not stop shining until the closing of the Jubilee of the True Cross on January 12 of next year. With this gesture the Jubilee Year was inaugurated, the fourth to be celebrated since the 'In perpetuum' concession by Saint John Paul II, which recognized the custom of pilgrimage to Caravaca since the second half of the 14th century, in the Middle Ages.
Before starting the mass, after the official reception of the authorities and guests in the Plaza del Arco, the tour took place along the Castle slope to the basilica. In the delegation, along with the mayor, José Francisco García, and the older brother of the Brotherhood of Vera Cruz, Luis Melgarejo, was the president of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, López Miras. On the esplanade of the basilica they greeted Gil Tamayo, who arrived accompanied by the bishop of the Cartagena Diocese, Lorca Planes.
An institutional event took place in the Town Hall Hall with the opening of a guest book in which the visits that take place throughout the Jubilee Year to the basilica will be recorded. The eldest brother gave the two prelates, Gil Tamayo and Lorca Planes, President López Miras and Mayor Caravaca, four replicas of the Caravaca Cross that Saint Teresa of Jesus wore in her habit since it was given to her by the barefoot Carmelite nuns of the Caravaca convent, which was the direct foundation of the saint from Avila.
Everyone appreciated the gift and printed their impressions in the book. Gil Tamayo thanked the invitation and wrote: “At the beginning of the Jubilee Year of 2024 I ask the Lord to shower abundant blessings on the good people of Caravaca and fill the noble Region of Murcia with prosperity.” Lorca Planes recalled that he is living “his third jubilee year in Caravaca and I give thanks for this wonderful opportunity to pray again before the True Cross.” López Miras reflected in his words that “this land will always be a land of faith, house of God, guardian of the True Cross, protector of the afflicted and helpless.” The Caravaca councilor noted that “Caravaca is prepared, as it has always done throughout history, to welcome all the people who come here attracted by the light of grace of the True Cross”; and Melgarejo: “Today we begin to share with the world the experience and message of hope that the Cross of Caravaca radiates to us.”
Among the authorities who traveled to Caravaca to attend the mass was Miguel Pascual de Riquelme, president of the Superior Court of Justice of the Region of Murcia; Mariola Guevara, Government delegate in the Region of Murcia; Visitación Martínez, president of the Regional Assembly of Murcia; José Ángel Antelo, vice president of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia; the counselors Carmen Conesa and Marcos Ortuño; the deputies and senators Miriam Guardiola, Isabel Borrego, Caridad Rives, Joaquín Martínez and José Ramón Díez de Revenga; and the regional deputies Víctor Martínez-Carrasco and Josefa Carreño.
Among the military authorities, Alberto José Lens, chief colonel of the Alcantarilla Air Base and Director of the Méndez Parada Military Parachuting School, attended; Vicente Gonzalvo, colonel of the Naval Special Warfare Force; Enrique Richard, colonel CINET – Economic Management Unit; Gustavo Gutiérrez de Rubalcava, Defense delegate in the Region of Murcia; Carlos Quijano, head of RAAA 73 – Military Commander of Murcia; Victoriano Gilabert, admiral chief of Maritime Action; Pascual Soria, colonel director of the General Air Academy; Julián Alcázar, commander of the Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment; Enrique García, colonel chief of Zaragoza Regiment 5 – Santa Bárbara Barracks; Ignacio del Olmo, senior police chief of the Region of Murcia; Diego Mercader, acting lieutenant colonel of the 5th Zone of the Civil Guard; Antonio Corbalán, captain-chief of the Third Company of the Civil Guard; and José Alfonso Toral, commissioner of the Caravaca Local Police.
The ceremony began with the initial procession, which opened the tintinabulum and canopy, the symbols of the minor basilica; then, after the seminarians, about thirty priests and the bishops who were going to concelebrate the Eucharist, Gil Hellín, archbishop emeritus of Burgos; Gómez Cantero, from Almería; Chico Martínez, from Jaén; Orozco Mengíbar, from Guádix; Fernando Valera, from Zamora and closing the procession Lorca Planes and Gil Tamayo.
Already at the altar, after the reception of the Sacred Relic and the incensation, the bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena addressed a few words to the entire assembly in which he encouraged everyone to live intensely this new Jubilee Year, and thanked them for their work. of public and private institutions as well as the Brotherhood of the Vera Cruz to have everything 'ready' to welcome the pilgrims.
Next, the archbishop asked that the decree granting the Jubilee Year 'In Perpetuum' by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See be read; The reading was carried out by the episcopal delegate for the Jubilee Year and parish priest of El Salvador, David Martínez. Gil Tamayo then pronounced the formula with which the Jubilee Year opens, while a couple (Jesús López and Felisa Sandoval) offered a candle decorated with the liturgical signs that was lit by the archbishop and placed on a pedestal while the candle was lit. Jubilee light on the outer wall of the castle.
The celebration continued with the liturgy of the word. During the homily, Gil Tamayo stated that “Caravaca would not be understood without the Cross” and everyone was urged to give more visibility to the Cross as a sign of the Christian; “This will be the first Jubilee after the pandemic that has made us discover that we are all dependent on God and others.” And for all those who come to earn indulgences, he hoped that “they all leave wanting to be better, to do good and to revitalize their lives.” He also asked that “the Cross not be something decorative, that it be an interior experience that allows us to take up our daily cross, illness, pain, misunderstanding and poverty. He had words to wish for peace where it is threatened and where there is permanent conflict. “May faith lead us to social commitment,” he expressed.
At the end of the homily, the creed was recited and the jubilee prayers were read. The Eucharistic liturgy began with the procession of the offerings, preceded by a presentation in which the meaning of each of them was explained. Along with the bread, wine and water, the traditional offerings of the great solemnities of the Most Holy and True Cross were brought to the altar: the flowers, a sign of the beauty and truth of the mystery of faith that we celebrate, and the tray of purifiers that was carried to the altar by López Miras. This last offering recalls the one that takes place every May 2nd before the ritual of blessing the wine, when the mayor of the city offers the True Cross the Tray of Flowers, which originally carried purifiers or body purifiers and was decorated with flowers. .
The celebration continued with the Eucharistic prayer and communion. After a moment of silence, the older brother went up to the altar lectern to read a prayer of thanksgiving. Melgarejo referred to “the beneficial presence of the True Cross in Caravaca, through which we and those who have preceded us in devotion to the Most Holy Relic have received great abundance of graces for almost eight centuries.” He recalled that “during this time, beautiful rituals have been generated that are a sign of our affection and devotion for their presence among us, for the protection of this land and its people, as well as towards those who have made pilgrimages to this temple over hundreds of years.” of years”. Finally, he stated that “today we begin a new Jubilee Year, in which we will renew our gratitude and share with thousands of people the devotion to the Sacred Wood from which redemption, mercy and consolation come to us.”
With the solemn blessing with the Sacred Relic and the adoration, the celebration ended and all the participants went out to the parade ground of the fortress where an exhibition of the Acrobatic Parachuting Patrol of the Air Force took place. Corporal 1st Miguel Antonio Gómez Rivas was in charge of it, carrying a large 54-square-meter Spanish flag. Gómez Rivas is a member of the Military Parachuting School (EMP) and has been stationed at PAPEA since 2012; This Asturian skydiver has more than 6,000 skydiving experience and is the current Spanish Champion in the Precision Landing discipline.
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