Chapel of the Christ, San Pablo del Monte

The Chapel of the Christ (Spanish: Capilla del Cristo) was a Roman Catholic chapel located in San Pablo del Monte, Tlaxcala (formerly Villa Vincente Guerrero), which was built in the 18th century. It was demolished the night of July 25, 2015, by order of the barrio (neighborhood) where the chapel was located.[1] Despite having been declared a Historical Landmark of Tlaxcala by the INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia), it would still be demolished, which meant violating one of the historic landmark protection laws.[2]

Chapel of the Christ
Capilla del Cristo (Spanish)
The chapel in 2013 (two years before its demolition)[1]
Religion
AffiliationRoman Catholic Church
DistrictDiocese of Tlaxcala
StatusDemolished[1]
Location
LocationXicohtencatl, San Pablo del Monte, Tlaxcala
Geographic coordinates19°07′48″N 98°09′32″W / 19.130005°N 98.158891°W / 19.130005; -98.158891
Architecture
TypeChapel
StyleNeoclassical
Groundbreaking18th century
Completed18th century

It was demolished to give a better view of the current Chapel of Christ the King, which was on one side with a view forward, which covered the old Chapel.[3]

Destruction

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The destruction of the Chapel of the Christ was carried out according to the first investigations with heavy machinery on July 25 and 26, 2015; and the fact was publicly denounced by the authorities of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia on July 28,[4][5] describing it as a "barbaric act"[6] and demanding the punishment of those responsible.[7][8]

On July 28 the Bishop of Tlaxcala, Francisco Moreno Barrón, distanced himself from the destruction, assuring that the parish priest had no knowledge of the event.[9] The investigations of the complaint were initially carried out by the Tlaxcala authorities,[10] however the Attorney General's Office announced on the 29th that it was attracting the complaint of the destruction because it was a federal crime.[11]

Although initially it was considered that the chapel had been destroyed by unknown persons,[12] the first investigations indicate that those responsible would be the so-called "majordomos" of the neighborhood—traditional authorities in charge of organizing public worship and patronal festival—who would have made the decision before the alleged deterioration of the chapel, which, according to statements by the residents, had been repeatedly denounced without the authorities doing anything to restore the building; considering therefore that it was a collective decision, supported by the majority of the inhabitants of the neighborhood.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Cumple cuatro años demolición de capilla de El Cristo, en San Pablo del Monte" (in Spanish). El Sol de Tlaxcala. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Historia. "Si nos van a detener, que nos lleven a todos"" (in Spanish). El Universal. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Derriban capilla histórica en Tlaxcala para "liberar" la vista de un nuevo templo" (in Spanish). CBS News. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  4. ^ Sánchez Medel, Leticia (28 July 2015). "INAH denuncia atentado al patrimonio en Tlaxcala" (in Spanish). Milenio Diario. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  5. ^ Hernández, Gabriela (28 July 2015). "Presenta INAH denuncia por demolición ilegal de capilla en Tlaxcala" (in Spanish). Proceso. Archived from the original on 31 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Un "acto de barbarie" la demolición de la Capilla del Santo Cristo" (in Spanish). Siempre!. 29 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  7. ^ "INAH demanda a pobladores por destruir capilla en Tlaxcala" (in Spanish). La Jornada. 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 3 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  8. ^ Sánchez, Luis Carlos (28 July 2015). "Condenan demolición de la capilla del Santo Cristo" (in Spanish). Excelsior. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  9. ^ Gómez Mena, Carolina (29 July 2015). "Lamenta obispo destrucción de capilla en Tlaxcala" (in Spanish). La Jornada. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  10. ^ Cruz, Elvia (29 July 2015). "Tlaxcala investiga la demolición de una capilla histórica" (in Spanish). CNN México. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  11. ^ "PGR atrae caso de destrucción de Capilla del Santo Cristo" (in Spanish). El Universal. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  12. ^ Calderón, Verónica (29 July 2015). "Unos desconocidos destruyen una capilla del siglo XVIII en México" (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 30 July 2015.