The Cathedral of Valencia (Spain) will soon host the representation of the Mystery of the Assumption of the Virgina sacramental car that has not been represented in the temple for 400 years.
The scheduled date for the re-release is next August 13 within the framework of the festive events of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin which is celebrated on August 15. It will take place in the presbytery of the cathedral and admission will be free until capacity is reached.
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According to the Archdiocese of Valencia, this mystery was offered in the Valencian cathedral since the beginning of the 15th century, but it stopped being performed in 1631 after the celebration of a diocesan synod convened by Archbishop Fray Isidoro de Aliaga, which prohibited “the reading of texts poetics and dramatic representations in temples.
He Mystery of the Assumption of the Virgin It is made up of six scenes in which 14 actors representing the Angel, the Virgin Mary and the 12 apostles will take part. The auto sacramental will be performed in Valencian and with musical accompaniment.
The Virgin of the Assumption is the owner of the Cathedral of Valencia because King James I of Aragon (1213-1276) was very devoted to this Marian dedication.
During the presentation of this work, the canon of the cathedral Álvaro Almenar pointed out that the objective is to recover “with great humility, but with great enthusiasm, the Valencian heritage and gradually return its splendor so that people can visualize what this means. dogma”.
In this sense, he has indicated that the intention is for the representation to be “like a small catechesis for those of us who celebrate in the liturgy, which wants to help us understand this mystery of the Virgin’s transit to Heaven.”
Of the original text of the auto sacramental, only a few verses of some characters were preserved. For this reason, research and reconstruction work has been necessary. Mystery of the Assumption of the Virginwhich is the one presented now.
What are the mysteries?
A type of religious theatrical representation from the European Middle Ages is known as mysteries, usually referring to evangelical passages and especially about the Passion. These dramatic works were intended to contribute to the evangelization of the popular classes.
The Cathedral of Valencia served as the setting for these performances between the 13th and 16th centuries.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.