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Created page with "The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, venerates the Virgin of Charity, Cuba’s patroness, whose 1612 statue discovery is tied to Afro-Cuban syncretism. Designated a basilica in 1927, it draws pilgrims for its cultural and spiritual significance in a nation of 60% nominal Catholics (7 million). Visited by Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, it symbolizes resilience amid Cuba’s complex religious landscape."