The Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba shared a prayer to Saint Emigdio, the patron saint against earthquakes, with its followers on social media this Sunday, in response to the current seismic situation affecting the eastern region of Cuba.
The Diocese of Santiago de Cuba highlighted the figure of Saint Emidius of Ascoli on its Facebook profile, stating: “In the midst of the unexpected reaction of nature, where earthquakes erupt with uncontrollable force and surprising intensity, the figure of Saint Emidius of Ascoli emerges, a saint venerated for his special connection to protection against these seismic events.”
In its publication, the ecclesiastical headquarters explained that Saint Emigdius of Ascoli, the first bishop of Ascoli Piceno, is credited with protecting that Italian city, which suffered no damage following an earthquake in the region in 1703. Since then, he has been venerated as the patron saint against earthquakes.
The prayer to Saint Emigdio of Ascoli, which was highly recommended by Pope Benedict XVI, is invoked as a spiritual protection for those seeking refuge from the devastating power of earthquakes.
"May God Our Lord bless us / and defend us, grant us assistance and have mercy / on us, turn His merciful face towards us / and give us peace and holiness. / Our Lord bless this house and all who dwell in it / and protect us from the force of the earthquake / by virtue of the sweetest name of Jesus. Amen. / Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal. / Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory."
The diocese accompanied the prayer with an image of Saint Emigdio, venerated in the Holy Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral of Santiago de Cuba.
Faith often serves as a refuge in times of natural disasters, when people cling to their beliefs, whatever they may be, in search of comfort.
In this regard, the Casa del Caribe, based in Santiago de Cuba and an authority on Caribbean culture, popular religiosity, and Afro-Cuban traditions, announced on Facebook that the Yoruba association in the area conducted ceremonies within the Osha-Ifa complex to "counteract negative energies."
According to the cultural institution, these rituals were led by the babalawo Juan Martén Portuondo (Guancho Irete Anza), president of the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba in Santiago de Cuba.
The Casa del Caribe explained that the purpose of these ceremonies is to "counteract the negative energies that may be affecting the country," and mentioned "the weather phenomena and others that, by their nature, impact the normal functioning of daily life for Cubans."
Finally, he noted that the shared photos depicted "a ceremony of nourishment to the earth" and, in addition, due to the earthquakes that have affected eastern Cuba, "a prayer or oriki for Odun Iwori Ogbe," aimed at "countering and calming the fury of storms and disasters."
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