As has become traditional, after the arrival of autumn, “El Conjuro” or Blessing of Nature took place yesterday afternoon. The rector of the Vera Cruz basilica, Emilio Sánchez, officiated the secular ritual of the blessing of the crops with the Sacred Relic from the chapel of the Conjuration. Present at the event was the older brother of the Vera Cruz Brotherhood, Luis Melgarejo, who was accompanied by the Representative Board of this religious institution; councilors Isabel López, Laura Sánchez and Juan Carlos Castillo; a representation of the different festive groups and a small group of brother brothers.
The ceremony began inside the church with the blessing of light. Next, from the main altar and with the soft tinkling of the bell announcing the presence of the Holy Relic, the ascent began to the chapel of the Conjuration, at the highest point of the basilica. The priest made the four customary blessings directed to the cardinal points and later went to the narrow corridor that surrounds, on the outside of the temple, the dome of the church transept, from there to bless Nature with the Vera Cruz. After the ritual, the entourage returned to the interior of the temple and after the adoration of the Sacred Relic it was deposited again in the tabernacle of its chapel.
mediaeval rite
There are documents that refer to this ritual from the end of the Middle Ages, since it was common to perform protective spells or rituals against the storms that ruined the crops and destroyed the trees. In the spring and summer months, the Vera Cruz used to be permanently in the Conjuring chapel to officiate the rituals when the clouds threatened a storm, while in autumn and winter it remained inside the presbytery.
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