Cristos Negros of Central America and Mexico

The Cristo Negro of Esquipulas remains an important symbol for Central America, with its sanctuary the most visited site in the region.

On January 11, 2021, a replica of Christ of Esquipulas and his accompanying statues (Sorrowful Virgin, Mary Magdalene, and St. John Apostle) were donated to Saint Joseph Cathedral of Antigua Guatemala (a city formerly known as Santiago knights of Guatemala and declared Humanity's Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO in 1979) eliciting an uncontainable and renewed veneration for Black Christ of Esquipulas among his followers.

There are hundreds of other such images with at least local importance with Christ of Chalma attracting millions of visitors, second only to that of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico.

This has its origins in the practices of Catholic Europe at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, themselves derived from medieval traditions.

One other indication of the spread from Guatemala include ranches with the suffix “de Esquipulas” found in Central America, Chiapas and Tabasco .

[2] However, most of the black Christ images have origin stories that do not relate to Esquipulas, rather than they were found or otherwise appeared in small communities in rural locations from the 17th to 18th century.

The original Esquipulas shrine has been managed by Benedictine monks since 1959, who work to support its prominence, lately made easier by the more tranquil political situation in the region, allowing for more pilgrimages.

[2] With Central American and Mexican migration to the United States and Canada, the image of the Cristo Negro, especially that directly associated with Esquipulas, has received new importance in new areas.

[5] New sanctuaries have been established in U.S. and Canadian cities and even a replica of the Esquipulas image was brought from Guatemala to Los Angeles (using illegal immigration routes) and has been dubbed the “Cristo Mojado” (lit.

[2] The fest day of this Christ image, January 15, brings pilgrims from much of Central America into southern Mexico, especially Chiapas.

Visitors leave offerings at the foot of the images, an extension of the tradition of doing the same to the earth gods to assure the well-being of loved ones.

[3] Cristo negro images can be found in sanctuaries and shrines primarily in Central American and Mexico, with a few in the United States.

[2] The Sanctuary of Chalma is one of the most-visited pilgrimage site in Mexico, only second behind the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, with over two million visitors each year.

[12] The Cristo Negro in this sanctuary is said to have come from a nearby cave, which had been the center for worship of a god called Ostoc Teotl.

[13] The Cristo Negro of El Sauce, León Department, Nicaragua, also known as Our Lord of Miracles, commemorated 290 years of existence in 2013.

[14] The Cristo Negro shrine in Arena Blanco, El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras is a major pilgrimage site January 15, attracting up to 10,000 people, as the image here is recognized as a replica of the one in Esquipulas.

[18] Another story says that the image was found on the Day of the Cross by an indigenous person at the foot of a tree in the village of Puctlanzingo, which was then claimed by the Mazatecos of the region.

The story is that the residents of San Cristobal de las Casas came to sack the town, so the image “ran” and hid in a cave.

The sanctuary gained fame in the colonial period and has remained an important regional pilgrimage since, attracting visitors from as far as Tabasco and Campeche .

[3] The mostly Huichol community of Huaynamota in El Nayar municipality of Nayarit has a Cristo Negro which is venerated with a mix of Catholic and pre Hispanic rites.

The origin of the image is unknown but there are various stories from appearing from thin air to being brought by the Jesuits in the 18th century, possibly from Guatemala.

The image took on significance in Mixtec lore which tells of various indigenous deities in conflict and the role of the Cristo Negro as an intermediary.

In addition, the image is central to festivals related to the various main segments of Mérida society on different days, as it is considered the unofficial patron of the city.