Thousands of Peruvian and Latin American devotees belonging to the 40 brotherhoods of the Lord of Miracles from various countries will accompany the image of the “Purple Christ” to San Pedro Square this Sunday, in one of the most special demonstrations of popular faith of this Holy Year.
“We want our Lord of Miracles to be internationalized, for the whole world to know him,” said the butler of the Brotherhood of the Lord of Miracles in Rome, Wilmer Oblitas, in an interview with EWTN News within the framework of the official presentation of the Great Procession of Miracles at the headquarters of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication.
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Excited to talk about a tradition that has transcended borders, Oblitas pointed out that this devotion “does not belong only to Peru” but to all those who have found in the Purple Christ “a sign of hope and faith in the midst of difficulties.”
A procession of faith that will cross Rome
According to the butler, the participation of around 2,500 pilgrims from abroad is expected, in addition to the faithful residing in Italy.
“We will be about 4,000 in total with those from Rome,” he noted. Only among bearers, smokers and singers, more than 700 people will accompany the walk of the also called Cristo de Pachacamilla along a route of more than three kilometers through the Roman streets.
“I am going right behind the parade, along with the authorities, our chaplain and the porters,” Oblitas said, describing the order and solemnity that characterize the procession. “We accompany the entire journey in prayer, with deep emotion, because we know that the Lord walks with us,” he stated.
The smoke that purifies and unites
Among the most characteristic symbols of the procession are the sahumadoras, women dressed in white and purple who spread incense smoke as the walker passes by. For Oblitas, this gesture is an expression of spirituality and humility: “The smoke is purified, it not only cleans the environment, but also spiritually. It is a form of humility – as the smokers sisters say -, at the moment of smoking, of arriving with purity. It is an act of surrender and reverence to the Lord.”
For his part, the charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Peru to the Holy See, Minister Manuel Carrasco, highlighted the deep historical and spiritual meaning of this devotion. It is a devotion with origins in 1651, when an Angolan slave, in Pachacamilla, in what was then the outskirts of Lima, the Peruvian capital, “drew an image of Christ on the cross as an expression of his faith and beliefs,” he explained.
Years later, a very strong earthquake occurred in 1655, which destroyed a good part of the city, but “nothing happens to the wall,” he explained. Precisely that earthquake marked the beginning of devotion.
Little by little, people learned about the existence of this wall that was not destroyed and “they observed and noticed that there was something special.”
“In such a way that one of the gentlemen of that time decided to buy all the land (…) and felt that he had a mission to fulfill in life, which is to protect that image,” he explained. Then a second earthquake occurred that coincided with the first procession of the Lord of Miracles.
The diplomat emphasized that this manifestation of faith “is gradually increasing, even at times when it was attempted to be suppressed. What some considered a strange expression ended up showing that there was something special. The events took place and began to attract attention.”
From Lima to the whole world
Over the centuries, the devotion spread from Lima to the entire world “and the brotherhoods of the Lord of Miracles multiplied. Wherever there are Peruvians, the memory of this faith that has accompanied us since childhood emerges,” said Carrasco.
Regarding this year’s procession in Rome, the minister stressed its spiritual and symbolic value: “We feel tremendously grateful and happy. This Jubilee is an opportunity to express how Peruvians unite and manifest our faith, not only in our territory but wherever we are. It is a time to renew hope, to help each other and know how to accompany those who need it, because that is the essence of this devotion.”
During the presentation, in addition to delving into the history of the devotion, its meaning and expanding technical data, a video was projected that recalled the devotion of the then Mons. Robert Francis Prevost, today Pope Leo XIV, when he was Bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo.
A video message from Cardinal Pedro Barreto, Archbishop Emeritus of Huancayo, in central Peru, was also broadcast.
“Today the Lord of Miracles invites us to look with love at those who suffer.”
The cardinal recalled that devotion to the Purple Christ “was born from the gesture of faith of an African slave who, in his poverty, painted the image of Jesus crucified on a mud wall, and that image resisted the earthquakes in Lima as a sign of hope.”
In this sense, he stated that this devotion has its roots “in the experience of the migrant and the poor.” “Today the Lord of Miracles invites us to look with love at those who suffer, at those who are far from their land, and to remember that Jesus himself was a migrant and slave for love,” he emphasized.
The cardinal also highlighted the social dimension of this faith: “The Lord of Miracles does not belong only to Peru. It is a message for the entire Church. It reminds us that, in the midst of difficulties, Christ is with us and that love must be translated into service, into concrete charity, into commitment to the most vulnerable.”
Victoria Cardiel
Victoria Cardiel is a journalist specialized in social and religious information issues. Since 2013, he has covered all Vatican news for various media, such as the Spanish news agency Europa Press, or the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Madrid, Alfa y Omega.