Pope Leo on Sunday entrusted the situation to Our Lady of Africa. She is the patroness of the small Spanish enclave reaching out of Morocco.
Ceuta is hardly a world famous spot and most people would struggle to put it on the map. But last week, the small peninsula of just over seven square miles, jutting into the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea from the Moroccan mainland, and almost a stone's throw (less than 20 miles) from Gibraltar and mainland Europe (see map below), caught the world's eye.
For reasons not entirely clear, though likely motivated by political issues, perhaps Spain's networking with neighboring Algeria for natural gas, several thousand people crossed into Ceuta on July 30, after hearing on social media and from friends that the normally policed border was unusually open.
Some swam around the border; others looked for a foot crossing; several dozen died in the commotion.
But in the midst of the "alarming situation" calling out for "peace, stability, and justice," Pope Leo directed the attention of the faithful to the patroness of the peninsula: Our Lady of Africa.
Devotion to Our Lady of Africa dates back to the Portuguese conquest of the region in the early 1400s. The image was sent by the Portuguese king and depicts Our Lady sitting down with the dead Christ across her lap. Her right hand cradles his body, while her left hand sustains an olive branch.
Our Lady of Africa is celebrated in Ceuta on August 5, and today, August 4, is an extra day after the conclusion of her novena and before her feast day, where she is presented with thousands of flowers. The plaza in her honor will be filled with festivities, including dances and hundreds of people bringing her bouquets.
Processions in her honor will cross the peninsula on August 5.
A small hermitage to her was constructed in 1425, and grew over the years to the present sanctuary.
Our Lady's protection and care is revered by the Ceuta residents, and she is credited with many miracles, such as protection from a plague in 1651.
Despite the tensions of these days, the festivities are carrying on as normal.
