One of the most stunning jewels in the crown of European Catholicism is the majestic series of processions which occur each year in Spain.
On the 75th anniversary of its official recognition by the Holy See, Spanish in the city of Seville honoured the patronage of the Virgen de los Reyes.
There are a number of stories regarding the origin of the icon, including a donation to King Ferdinand III of Castile by King Louis IX of France after a dream, and that it played a part in the Reconquista of Seville in 1248.
In 1946, the Vatican officially recognised the long standing devotion with a ceremony that took place involving Pope Pius XII.
In celebration of that event, thousands took to the streets of Seville today, including marching bands, priests and public officials.
The rich beauty of Spanish Catholicism is something that has been attacked in recent months by members of the White Anglo Saxon Catholic American Blogosphere, with attacks on everyone from Saint Junipero Serra to Christopher Columbus to Queen Isabella to even statues of and stained glasses of the Reconquista. Yet the incredible videos of the Seville processions speak for themselves. Perhaps the ailing European continent can love to learn to herself and feel young once more by reengaging with these treasured traditions and the faith that they venerate.
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