Pilgrims flock to Mexico City basilica to celebrate the Virgin of Guadalupe

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There is no figure more central to Mexican religious, cultural and national identity than the Virgin of Guadalupe.

In December, about 10 million people visit the basilica where her image is displayed.

The image of the brown-skinned Madonna resonates resonates deeply with Mexico’s Indigenous identity.

MEXICO CITY — Edivaldo Hernández Villar crawled on his knees toward the Basilica of Guadalupe, wincing and whispering prayers.

It was the final stretch of a punishing four-day pilgrimage to Mexico’s most venerated shrine, where Catholics believe the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared nearly 500 years ago.

Hernández, his wife and their teen son had trekked 100 miles from their rural