The priest of the church of San Antonio de Padua, in the municipality of El Tanque - with 2,600 inhabitants - in Tenerife, has provoked the anger of his neighbors after it was learned that he has damaged some frescoes that are more than 300 years old after authorizing some works rehabilitation, as reported by the newspaper
El Día
.
The Canary Islands media have not hesitated to highlight the similarities with the Ecce Homo by Borja (Zaragoza), a fresco that rose to world fame after the restoration attempt by the octogenarian Cecilia Giménez.
The parish was built in the 18th century.
Between 1999 and 2007 it underwent several renovations, during which paintings were discovered on the walls of the chancel.
Of them, only a part was restored.
The rest was covered with a protective paint that could be easily removed.
On Friday, parish priest Héctor Lunar Guevara made the decision to withdraw this protection and ordered non-specialized workers to cover the frescoes with a layer of conventional white paint not suitable for this use.
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Sources from the Cabildo of Tenerife have explained to Efe that the Historical Heritage area has opened an investigation to determine what has happened and that this Monday staff from the insular corporation went to the church to carry out a study and to assess whether caused some type of damage.
"I'm sorry.
I have apologized to all the authorities,” Héctor Lunar Guevara declared to the Tenerife newspaper.
“I didn't know that behind that layer of paint were those frescoes.
Nobody told me.
My only intention in adding another layer of paint in that area of the church was to prepare the church for the Holy Week events,” he clarified.
“If they have to sanction me, let them sanction me.
My mistake was not informing myself of these riches that the church of San Antonio de Padua had,” highlights Lunar.
The parish priest, of Venezuelan origin, left Caracas four years ago.
The City Council denies that there was no information.
“The Councilor for Works and Services told her that a company specialized in the matter had to act and, of course, have the relevant permits,” the mayor of the municipality, Esther Morales, explained to Spanish Television.
🔴 TODAY A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED IN OUR PARISH 🔴 AT 6:00 PM WE WILL SEE YOU IN THE PARISH, TO DECIDE...
Published by Brotherhood of Our Lady of Good Voyage - El Tanque on Wednesday, March 6, 2024
The Brotherhood has reluctantly accepted these apologies.
He does not hide, however, his deep discomfort with Lunar.
“Since she arrived at El Tanque,” the organization explained on social networks, “she has done nothing but what she wants.
She does and undoes as she pleases and defends herself by saying 'because I am the priest'.
A person who should set an example of faith, respect for others, and humility is the opposite.
“We are already tired.”
According to the report of Assets of Cultural Interest of Tenerife, in 1540 the first temple was erected in honor of San Antonio de Padua in El Tanque.
This construction was devastated in 1706 by the Trevejo volcano, so the parish had to be rebuilt in 1728 and profoundly renovated in the 20th century, where the tower was built on the south side.
This parish preserved in its interior “interesting works of art such as the image of its owner, San Miguel or San Alejo from the 17th century,” indicates the catalog of the Cabildo of Tenerife.