Ceremonia de Reseña o Vísperas

By John Howison

The Ceremonia de Reseña o Vísperas in Quito’s Catedral is one of the oldest and rarest ceremonies in the Catholic Church. The centuries-old procession happens the Wednesday before Easter, Miércoles Santo, in only three churches in the world: in Sevilla, Spain, Lima, Peru and Quito, Ecuador. The procession, consisting of 6 priests and the Archbishop, represents the life, death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Way back in the days of colonization, La Catedral in Lima, operated beneath Sevilla. Quito, in turn, operated under Lima. Given the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Ceremonia de Reseña o Vísperas is only allowed to be practiced in churches given permission from Sevilla. Witnessing the Quito ceremony is a chance to see a religious service driven by centuries of history, and one that takes place in only three places once a year.

The procession begins with the six priests, outfitted in elaborate black robes, filing into the front of the La Catedral. Their black robes represent the collective darkening of humanity due to sinning. They are followed by the Archbishop, who wears a purple robe. Initially, the six priests walk a loop around the outside edge of the Santuary, flanked by two alter boy bearing lit candles. The Archbishop follows last, surrounded by alter boys. The alter boys carry a small, square tent which represents protection of the church from evil. The Archbishop carries a small cross, said to be a relic from the original cross on which Jesus died.

After completing a full lap around the outside of the sanctuary, the six priests arrive at the front of the church and go down on their knees with their faces to the floor. This represents the death of Christ. Thus begins the second part of the ceremony. It is thought that the inspiration for this part of the ceremony was derived from the funeral traditions of the Roman Army.

A major feature of the ceremony is the solid black flag with a red cross on it. The flag plays a large role in the second half of the ceremony. The congregation sings a hymn as the Archbishop waves the flag over the alter. The altar represents the body of Christ and the waving of the flag is intended to pick up the merits of Christ. The Archbishop then turns around to face the kneeling priests (and the congregation) and waves the flag over the priests.

The six priests kneel; covered by their black robes, they resemble a large black space. This blackness is meant to symbolize mankind kneeling for their sins. At the end, while singing the final verse of the hymn, the Archbishop hits the flag three times on the floor and the six priests rise to their feet, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ.