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Article: With the Mayans; in Guatemala. (Editorial)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- December 15, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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ON ONE SIDE of the cobblestone square of Guatemala's colonial capital of Antigua stands the Cathedral of Santiago, which gleams white in the autumn sun. Behind this majestic facade the church lies in ruins, the victim of an earthquake one of three quakes that have devastated this area since 1773. A small modern chapel has been constructed to the right of what was once the cathedral nave, and it is here that services are held. But the space that draws my attention is a windowless cave dug beneath the cathedral's original altar. Stone steps lead down into a dark space lit only by votive candles. Statues of saints surround a Christ figure on a stone altar. My companion, a ...