Holy Week In Guatemala: Jesus Nazarene `Christ The King”, The First Procession In The History Of The Central American Nation Editorial Photo

The procession of Jesus Nazarene `Christ The King`, from the Church of La Candelaria, is carried by the brotherhood of the Secular Clergy every Holy Thursday. Created in 1563 by Juan de Aguirre, it is one of the oldest images of Holy Week, with 450 years of Catholic tradition. It is considered the first procession in the history of Guatemala. After the earthquake of 1773, with the transfer of the city, the images were also moved, and the procession of “Christ The King” was organized again until 1820. Ten years later, Pope Pius XI declared the Feast of Christ the King as universal, naming Jesus of Candelaria in Guatemala under that title, so the image has been identified with that name for 90 years. The image of Jesus Nazarene of Candelaria is also known as the Nazarene of the Serene Look due to his dark complexion, his parted lips, his green eyes, and his gaze downwards and forwards, contrary to other images that gaze to their sides. Holy Week in Guatemala is the celebration of the passion and death of Christ, through the processions carried by the brotherhoods of all parishes nationwide, during the period between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, usually at the end of March and beginning of April annually. Processions are characterized by colorful sawdust carpets that adorn the streets, and religious images carried on shoulders by large congregations, for periods of up to eighteen hours in large carriers. The Covid-19 Pandemic forced the suspension of processions for two years.