Basilica of Guadalupe Converted into Bunker for McCain's Visit

In the Basilica of Guadalupe yesterday morning, there were more federal police, Secret Service agents and reporters than faithful because the Republican candidate for the Presidency of the United States, John McCain, visited the Guadalupan precinct. For a moment, the house of God was converted into the house of McCain, as both the faithful and the Mexican reporters were prevented from entering once the candidate stepped onto the Basilica’s principal esplanade. An agent even evicted an old man on crutches who was begging at the doors of the Basilica.

“I like this one, but I think the black man will win,” was one of the commentaries inspired by John McCain in his visit to the Basilica, where the candidate of Protestant religion entrusted himself to the Little Brown Virgin of Tepeyac, for whom he left a written message and a bouquet of white roses. Wearing a navy blue suit, McCain arrived at the Guadalupan precinct at precisely 7:55 in the morning, accompanied by his wife, Cindy McCain, the American Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, and Jeb Bush, the ex-Governor of Florida and brother of President George W. Bush.

With strong security forces both within and outside the area, the Senator was welcomed by the Rector of the Basilica of Guadalupe, Diego Monroy, who took McCain in front of the Virgin of Guadalupe, saying, “This is the Mother of God.” While the Republican listened with interest to the translation of Monroy’s explanation of the Little Brown Virgin of Tepeyac, the Rector put his hands around the head of the war veteran to give him a benediction, which he also later gave to the candidate’s wife, Cindy McCain.

Afterward, in an interview, Diego Monroy stated that McCain was very moved to see the Virgin of Guadalupe, and even said that “he almost wept when I prayed for him… his wife prayed for those in the army, not only the Americans but the Mexicans.”

After presenting McCain to the Virgin of Guadalupe, Diego Monroy asked for a photo to remember it by. With urgent signals he called on the Basilica’s social communication photographer to capture the moment, while he invited John McCain, his wife, and Tony Garza to pose.

The candidate’s visit did not interrupt the 7:30 mass, but there were very few faithful. The Rector recognized that the authorities of the Basilica were overpowered on the security issue by the federal agents and the Secret Service, who, with long weapons and bulletproof vests, carefully monitored the candidate’s every step from the time of his arrival in a black station wagon with dark windows.

The morning trip through the Basilica’s esplanade was interrupted by a boy, who from a fence about ten meters from the candidate and in a powerful and swaggering voice shouted at McCain–“The faith of the people should not be played with,… imperialist pig.”