The Franciscan Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of Humility has inaugurated this Thursday in Salamanca one of the most ambitious photographic exhibitions of its recent career: “The Guardians of the Tomb of Christ”. This event takes on special relevance as it coincides with the tenth founding anniversary of the brotherhood and the events of the Franciscan Jubilee Year, which celebrates the eight centuries of the transit of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The exhibition, which has the support of the Custody of the Holy Land and the Salamanca Holy Week Meetingoffers a deep and human look at the work of Franciscan monks in the Holy Places.
Six years of coexistence behind the camera
The exhibition is composed of 30 images from the renowned photojournalist Thomas Coexdirector of photography at the AFP agency. Far from being a superficial report, this work is the result of more than six years of coexistence between the author and the Franciscan community. Between 2018 and 2019, Coex documented both public ceremonies and moments of strict privacy, managing to demystify the figure of the monk to show the man behind the habit.
The snapshots capture the full cycle of life in the convent: from the energy of the novices beginning their training to the fragility of the oldest brothers in the infirmary.
Beyond the liturgy: a network of hope
Through its objective, Coex puts a face to a mission that goes far beyond the spiritual in a region marked by conflict. The photographs show the network of social infrastructures managed by the Franciscans, including schools, cultural centers and the music institute in Jerusalem, in addition to the daily care of pilgrims and the protection of vulnerable children.
The author himself has highlighted during the itinerancy of this project the impact of living rituals such as Good Friday at the tomb of Christbut insists that his priority was to make the social commitment of the friars visible as a message of peace and hope.
After passing through cities such as Jerusalem, Paris, Madrid and Toledo, the exhibition lands in Salamanca to offer citizens a direct and moving window into the daily reality of those who guard the heart of Christianity.
