interior

Calm returns to Veraguas town

Security remains heavy at the Basílica of Atalaya after chaos broke out over the church’s icon Friday.

Critics of the statue’s restoration demand that Bishop Oscar Brown return the original on Jan. 16.

víctor eliseo roadríguez/la prensa

keeping watch: Townspeople of Atalaya, Veraguas, gathered on the steps of the Basílica Menor San Miguel Arcángel yesterday to ensure that the replica of the Jesus of Nazarene statue was not disturbed.1146216

Police officers and security guards remained posted around the basilica and priest’s quarters in Atalaya, Veraguas, yesterday morning as local authorities feared that unrest would continue over the botched restoration of the town’s Jesus of Nazarene statuette.

On Friday night, hundreds of angry villagers marched into the cathedral, taking captive Bishop of Veraguas Oscar Mario Brown for nearly two hours in protest of the religious leader’s decision to have the icon retouched without the community’s input.

Dayli Pinzón, president of the Committee for the Nazarene’s Rescue, said that the march planned for yesterday afternoon was canceled so that group members could observe activities at the basilica.

“Now more than ever we expect them to return our original Nazarene,” she added, referring to the replica that has stood in the original statuette’s place at the altar since the restoration order was given.

Parishioners and supporters of the committee spent the day clustered in the entrance to the basilica, keeping vigil in the event that authorities took any kind of action involving the prized image without their consent. Pinzón confirmed that they have agreed to give Bishop Brown until Jan. 16 to return the original statuette to the basilica as he pledged last week. She added that townspeople are prepared to stage another march to ensure that Brown fulfills his word.

Bishop Brown, who earlier on made contradictory statements concerning the work done to the original image of Jesus of Nazarene, admitted that mistakes were made during the restoration but that they would be corrected before the 40-day period of Lent begins on Feb. 25.

Since Friday, however, neither the bishop nor Church leaders in the Veraguas province have commented on the issue.

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