A moment of pride for San Pedro de Cajas in Tarma and Peru, will be recorded in history! Rubén Tinoco Velarde and his wife Yolanda Rodríguez Quispe recalled that February 7, 2024 when the Sampedrana family traveled to Rome, to give Pope Francis a beautiful “Mullo Poncho”, symbol of the culture of San Pedro de Cajas.
Expression of faith
From the top of the Sierra Tarmeña, where the threads are intertwined with the soul, a hand -failed poncho left in San Pedro de Cajas, a garment loaded with history, tradition and faith, elaborated with patience by artisans who understand that each stitch is a work of art. And that poncho, born in the humble hands of an Andean people, crossed the ocean to reach the heart of the Vatican and cover the shoulders of Pope Francis.
Rubén and Yolanda, moved by faith, asked to visit Rome and touch the heart of their church. They wanted to perform a health mass of their family, and although that desire did not materialize, life had an even bigger surprise. They were invited to the papal audience, among thousands of faithful who came from all over the world.
According to Rubén Tinoco, they didn’t know what to wear. First they thought about carrying a tapestry, but they finally decided on a poncho. With the soul full of illusion, the family decided to carry with them the Sampedrano Poncho, a fabric especially for the occasion with sheep wool of their land.
When Pope Francis appeared, his voices rose strongly: “Peru, Peru!”And as if destiny wove his own history, the Pope turned to look at them.
“The day we met him, when he heard that we were from Peru, he looked at us with a light in the eyes that he does not forget. He held the poncho like who recognizes something sacred. He did not say much, but what I felt at that moment marked me forever,” Rubén Tinoco points out. The emotion was immense
Then, on April 10 of this year, shortly before death, the Supreme Pontiff appeared in the San Pedro square dressing the poncho. The heart of the family overflowed!
Today, that joy intermingles with sadness before the news of the death of the Holy Father. But there is an immense comfort, having touched and presented with something that was born from his land and his faith.
Emotion
In conversation with mail, Rubén Tinoco points out that it was an honor to deliver a poncho to Pope Francis. “A little piece of my land in the heart of the Vatican”, He says proud.
“Today I find the words to find, because my heart speaks to me stronger than the voice. It hurts the departure of Pope Francis, as millions hurts around the world. But I also feel deeply grateful, because I had the honor of being in front of him, of giving him a piece says.
He also says that when his daughter invited him to Europe, he did not think twice what he wanted: “I want to meet the Pope (I told myself) I do not know how to explain it, but it was like a need of the soul. I had been admiring him for some time, not only as a spiritual guide, but as a human being. A Pope who walked among the people, who hugged the poor He recounts nostalgia.
There is the pride that a woven garment in San Pedro de Cajas came to hug the man who hugged the world.
