Portal:Shrines/Featured/9
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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.