Pool Report of McCain's Tour of the Basilica

McCain Pool Report #1
7/3/08

Mexico City

From Bret Hovell, with reporting from Adam-Aigner Treworgy

No news, good color.

John McCain visited the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe north of Mexico City. It was one of the holiest sites in the Roman Catholicism that Mexicans practice.

The Basilica was built in the 1970s after the original (which took more than a century to construct and was completed in the early 1700s) had foundation problems. The original still stands, and was reopened to the public some years later.

After a 16 minute motorcade ride with roads closed (and angry drivers honking in an unappreciative tone as we went by), McCain arrived at the Basilica and was greeted by Monsignor Monroy. They shook hands and shared introductions.

They walked into the church together and a few minutes later, Monroy and McCain walked up to the altar. McCain laid a wreath of white roses – traditional in the legend of the Virgin of Guadalupe – near the base of the painting.

He then received a description of the painting for several minutes.

Finally, he was blessed by Monsignor Monroy. For several minutes, according to reporters who were closer to the action (your pool was a football field away and had an obstructed view), the Monsignor had one hand on McCain's forehead and another on his shoulder as he offered the blessing. Cindy McCain stood next to the Senator with her head bowed and her eyes closed.

After that, McCain moved to the “papal balcony” so named because John Paul II visited there (at least once, it looks like, and it seems to have occurred in 1999).

He looked out over the piazza which was very Italian in nature. The old basilica was to his left and in front was a huge  square. Several people filled it, but most of them appeared to be professional photographers. He gave a wave or two and continued hearing from the Monsignor about the balcony and the church itself.

Back behind closed doors for candidate while the campaign decided that McCain would also do a little tour of the old basilica. Pool reassembled in front of it of the old basilica. McCain came in and stood just inside the doorway, continuing to hear from the Monsignor. (the pool could not hear any of this conversation) The inside of the old basilica was difficult to see as scaffolding filled almost all of it.

While McCain was still in the old Basilica a few reporters caught up with former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida, in Mexico City on business. He joined McCain for all parts of his tour.

"I think he's going to win," Bush said about McCain. "He just needs to be himself and not let senator Obama redefine himself."

I did not hear anything else of the conversation.

The legend of the Virgin of Guadalupe needs a little bit more research than I have given it if you are going to use it. But basically (with great thanks to Beth Fouhy) an Indian peasant in the 1400s – right as the Spanish were converting everyone to Christianity – saw the Virgin Mary, that she had come and spoken to him. Back at his village nobody believed him. He went back and saw Mary and she gave him a bed of roses (which were out of season - and hence McCain's wreath of white roses at the church today) to make others believe, but they did not. On a third visit, she produced a garment that finally convinced his villagers of what he had seen. That garment is still held in the Basilica today. This is an enduring legend for Mexican Catholics, and it is near where this all is to have happened that the church stands today.