The via crucis of Cristo Moreno ends with the parenthesis of two years without processions
The streets of the historic center of Cartagena were the scene in the early hours of Friday of Sorrows of the first Holy Week procession since 2019: the rigorous penitential way of the cross of the Santísimo and Real Cristo del Socorro. As expected after the parenthesis forced by the pandemic, the processionists came out en masse to meet this different procession, characterized by austerity, silence and the recitation of the prayers introduced by the priests who accompanied the chaplain of the brotherhood, Lázaro Gomariz , during the little more than four hours that the thrones of Cristo Moreno and the Virgen de la Soledad del Consuelo were in the street.
The prelude to the procession, which began at 3:30 a.m., left emotional moments for the reunion of brothers who had not seen each other for a long time. Penitents and portapasos of both images greeted each other effusively before the older brother, Manuel Martínez Guillén, once the authorities that accompanied the Cristo Moreno had been completed, gave instructions to get going to the rhythm set by a few muted drums.
The massive public presence in the streets contributed to the weather improvement of the last few hours. The dawn was less cool than the previous ones and that encouraged the processionists to follow in the footsteps of both thrones through the streets of Cartagena. These made the traditional penance stations before the images of the old patron saint of the city, the Virgen del Rosell, and the current one, the Virgen de la Caridad. The departure was as crowded as the collection, which took place with the first light of day in the Plaza de San Ginés. There, the popular salute was prayed to the Virgin before her throne was taken to Santa María de Gracia and the throne of Christ climbed, once again, the steep slope of Calle Concepción to return to the vicinity of the old Cathedral.
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