Corpus Christi

Since 90% of Peru is Roman Catholic and the
percentage in Cusco is probably higher than
that, Corpus Christi (or Ascension Thursday)
is a pretty big deal here. Tens of thousands
of people packed the Plaza de Armas and it´s
surrounding environs today to watch the local
cathedral host this big event in the Latin
American Catholic world. At times, watching
the processions became claustrophobic. Once,
when there were literally no people within 5
feet of me in any direction, Liz joked that I
could almost feel like I was back in Colorado
with all that wide open space! The people
here though are very devout and it was
definitely interesting to see how Catholicism
has mixed with the local Quechua Indigenous
customs to make a very different form of the
Catholic religion. It seems to work here
though as witness to the throngs of the devoted.