Cuban Catholics honour saint for virus protection

The annual ritual that brings thousands of Cubans to the shrine of San Lazaro had a special resonance this year due to the pandemic.

The economic hardship brought upon the island by the closing of its borders for almost nine months has crushed the much-needed tourism industry.

Heavier sanctions from the US administration, designed to further cripple the economy, have also taken their toll.

Believers wearing face masks walked and crawled on their knees for miles to reach the shrine on the outskirts of Havana.

San Lazaro is considered a Catholic saint but has been embraced by many practitioners of Santeria, the Afro-Caribbean religion that is widely followed on the island.

The saint is known as the disciple of healing and the sick in the Orisha tradition of Santeria, and is a major Catholic icon of Cuba as well.

The faithful come to give thanks for what they consider saintly intervention during 2020 and to ask for support and good health in the coming year.