Portal de Caravaca de la Cruz
www.portaldecaravaca.com
[Letter to Caravaca de la Cruz.
We will continue dreaming of a new May] | José Francisco García Fernández, mayor |
There are times when what seemed important to us becomes secondary.
This one we are going through is one of them.
I know that right now your concerns - like mine - are first of all in matters of vital importance that affect health;
to the life of ours, of our family, of our friends, of our neighbors.
But despite the circumstances, and although it may be a secondary issue at the moment, we must face another reality that touches the bottom of our hearts and that identifies us as a people;
the celebrations around our patron saint, the Santísima and Vera Cruz in the month of May.
When we are facing the figure of more than 4,000 dead and almost 60,000 people infected in our country alone, talking about parties may seem like a minor matter and it certainly is.
But - for the amount of resources they mobilize, for their strong organizational gear, for the high participation of festivities and visitors, for their historical relevance and also for what they mean for the hearts of the men and women of Caravaca - it is a matter that he needed an official pronouncement.
And this statement has been agreed between the Most Excellent City Council of Caravaca de la Cruz and the Royal and Illustrious Brotherhood of Vera Cruz, with the support of the Celebration Commission and the Moro, Cristiano and de los Caballos el Vino sides, in person of its three presidents, and as endorsed by the Bishopric itself, through its vicar general.
The seriousness, the exceptional nature of the events and the obligation to comply with the recommendations have made the decision unanimous and reflected in an institutional declaration.
Spain faces the most important health and social crisis of its Democracy.
A situation that we will certainly get out of, as we have done so many times throughout history, but for that, it will take more time and effort than we would like.
After seeing how this global pandemic has prevented the celebration of so many other events of national and international relevance - such as the Fallas in Valencia, Easter, the Seville Fair, El Rocío or the Tokyo Olympics themselves - we could all imagine that the celebration, in a few weeks, of our patron saint festivities was going to be impossible.
Some restrictions that we have been obliged to comply with for two weeks and which will be gradually reduced or softened in the coming months.
Otherwise, we would start again and the collective effort and immense damage that our country is receiving would be of no use, the first of all in the number of lives.
It is not, therefore, a choice, it is not simply a decision subject to the judgment of the local authorities and festive estates, it is an obligation and also a responsibility.
And although it hurts in the heart, the fact of not being able to celebrate our patron saint festivities is a reality that we hope and hope for the future.
We have no similar historical precedent for a situation like this with holiday suspension caused by illness.
The 1918 flu epidemic that our grandparents suffered was during the summer and fall.
Other epidemics of the late 19th century also had their temporary manifestation in times that did not affect the festivities of our beloved Patron at all.
Only the physical absence of Vera Cruz in the period 1934-1941 caused this consequence.
The festivities of the Holy Cross are a collective feeling, they are much more than entertainment, they mean more than that.
They are the expression of our identity and our history, which find their foundation in ancestral rites that have remained unchanged in recent centuries and that Caravaqueños must safeguard and preserve from anything that involves distorting its shape and meaning, such as the we have inherited.
If we have achieved declarations such as those of International Tourist Interest, or perhaps we are about to obtain the declaration of Intangible Heritage of Humanity, it was not only for the beauty of the celebration, but for the weight of a tradition that our elders bequeathed to us and we must pass on to the generations that replace us.
There is no doubt that the situation that forces the suspension of the parties, in addition to the emotional component, also has a negative impact on the local economy.
The activity that they generate supposes an important support for the hospitality industry and for other sectors related by the quantity of human and technical resources that they mobilize.
Although the Moors, Christians and Wine Horses festivities this year cannot be celebrated due to the circumstances imposed, we will work, if the circumstances allow it at the time, to enhance the celebration of the Exaltation of the Vera Cruz that is celebrated on the 14th of September, the second most important in our city.
Our patron saint will not be left without receiving the warmth of her people and this is another aspect approached in full consensus and in tune with the Royal and Illustrious Brotherhood of Vera Cruz.
All Caravaqueños feel a deep passion for our parties.
We are proud, we respect them and we are ambassadors for them wherever we go. Personally, I have had that feeling since I had the use of reason and surely most of you do, too.
Believe me if I tell you that I am not going to have greater honor in this life than being the mayor of Caravaca de la Cruz.
You can imagine that having to announce this to me is also difficult.
I have not been able to avoid imagining in my head during the last months - since I am your mayor - how it would be the privilege of offering the Blessed Cross the Tray of Flowers on behalf of all the people, how Caravaca would shine on May 2 with the Wine Horses in the year of their candidacy for World Heritage or how I would contain my emotion accompanying the Cross next to the imposing and majestic passage of Moors and Christians.
Throughout history, our city, under the custody of the Holy Cross, has witnessed numerous wars and pandemics.
And it has always expired, now we will too.
In a little over twelve months the miracle will work again and we will celebrate life again, to celebrate the triumph of the Cross.
Because this battle for life, which concerns us so much today, will be won.
Thanks for your attention and above all, for your understanding.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Caravaca de la Cruz
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