MEXICO CITY: More than half a million young people have participated in the annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Christ the King, located on Mount Guillette, eight thousand feet above sea level in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. In a statement, the organizers of the Witness and Hope Movement said on Saturday, January 25, the pilgrimage was a demonstration of Mexican youth’s desire to be a defender of faith. The number of pilgrims has increased tremendously this year compared to previous years.
‘Christ the King’ was erected on Mount Quillette in 1950 to honor martyrs in the Battle of Cristero (1926-1929). It is 65 feet tall and weighs 80 tonnes. It is the largest bronze Christ figure in the world. The chapel beneath the shape is a pantheon of tens of thousands. The new version of Christ was destroyed in 1928 by Mexican President Plutarcho Elias Calles. The monument was visited by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
The young people took part in the Pilgrimage of Christ this year in memory of the revered Anacletto Gonzalez Flores, who was declared the mediator of the Almanians in Mexico last year. Blessed Anaclato Gonzalez Flores is the man who sacrificed his life for his faith and his country. In 1927, he was assassinated by government forces. The organizers said the pilgrimage would be dedicated to Guadalupe Mother, the mother of the Mexican people and their mother.
