Two images of the Lord of the Side, patron of Santa Cruz in northern Peru, visited the Vatican on Wednesday, led by a Peruvian delegation, a few weeks after Pope Francis granted a Jubilee Year for the 350 years of his appearance .
On October 16, during the General Audience, the Pope blessed the two replicas of the image of the Lord of the Side, urging its bearers to continue their work of evangelization.
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“The emotion is great, it is unique, a wonderful moment, happy to have it so close to the Holy Father,” Father Wiber Cubas Bustamante, parish vicar of “La Inmaculada” of Santa Cruz, where the figure is preserved, told EWTN News. in the Cajamarca region.
The Peruvian delegation, composed of the vicars of Santa Cruz, a representative of the community and the Bishop of Chiclayo, Mons. Edinson Farfán, expressed their deep desire that this meeting with the Holy Father serve as an impetus for the dissemination of this devotion .
Manuel Calderón Guerrero, one of the bearers of the image, shared his emotion with EWTN News: “We had dreamed of being in these moments, reaching the Holy Father so that he could bless the image of our Lord of the Side, represented by an image now 60 centimeters”.
“It is a unique image in the world,” he highlighted, and pointed out that its side “opens,” which is why it was used in past centuries “as a tabernacle.”
The image, he continued, has its “side open, its right hand blessing its people,” while “on the left it carries the cross, which is the symbol of the redemption of every Christian.”
Father Cubas explained that the image “has that open side” because it is the representation of having been “pierced by the soldier’s spear.” “From there the sacraments emanate, the Church emanates,” he added.
This devotion has its roots in a story from the colonial period, according to which a group of Spaniards encountered a mule carrying a mysterious box. After a year of waiting, the authorities opened the drawer and discovered the image of Christ. The delegation trusts that the papal blessing will help expand this devotion in Peru and the world.
The Jubilee Year granted by the Pope for the parish “La Inmaculada” began on September 28, 2024 and will end on September 28, 2025. During this time, those who visit the parish will be able to gain plenary indulgence by meeting the confession requirements, communion and prayer for the Holy Father.
“It is a beautiful gift that the Lord has given us, to earn indulgences. It is a year of joy, of jubilation, of grace, of blessing, a year of conversion, of repentance,” shared Father Cubas.
Diego Lopez Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I have worked as a digital journalist. I started my career at the Peruvian newspaper El Comercio. In 2016, I started as an editor at ACI Prensa and I have worked as a web editor since 2018. Starting in 2024, I write the newsletter for social media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.