INTERNACIONAL
El prodigio de la Virgen Dolorosa que marcó la historia religiosa de Ecuador
El 20 de abril de 1906, un grupo de estudiantes del entonces internado del Colegio San Gabriel, dirigido por la Compañía de Jesús en el centro histórico de Quito, fue testigo de un evento que cambiaría para siempre la historia religiosa del Ecuador. Según los testimonios recogidos, mientras cenaban en el refectorio, uno de los jóvenes notó que la imagen de la Virgen Dolorosa colgada en una de las paredes abría y cerraba los ojos. “Fue algo que conmocionó profundamente a la comunidad educativa de entonces. No es natural que una imagen tenga movimiento”, explicó a Infobae el padre Jorge Lasso S.J., rector actual de la Unidad Educativa San Gabriel.
Lo que comenzó como una observación curiosa de un estudiante pronto reunió a los 35 alumnos presentes, así como a varios sacerdotes y hermanos jesuitas que confirmaron el fenómeno. Muchos cayeron de rodillas, rezaron el rosario y contemplaron, entre el asombro y la devoción, cómo los párpados de la imagen se abrían y cerraban repetidamente durante aproximadamente quince minutos.
La Iglesia actuó con cautela. “Frente a este tipo de manifestaciones, la institución siempre ha sido muy rigurosa. Se abre un proceso de investigación que incluye entrevistas, exámenes científicos e incluso psicológicos, para descartar cualquier otra causa”, explicó el padre Lasso. En efecto, la autoridad eclesiástica de la época —encabezada por el entonces Vicario Capitular de Quito, Monseñor Ulpiano López Quiñónez— ordenó entrevistar a cada uno de los testigos, analizar la imagen y el espacio físico, e incluso evaluar si se trataba de una posible histeria colectiva.
Los resultados fueron concluyentes: las versiones coincidían, no existían alteraciones físicas en la imagen ni mecanismos ocultos, y todos los estudiantes fueron evaluados como emocionalmente estables. A la luz de estas evidencias, el 31 de mayo de ese mismo año, la Iglesia declaró que el hecho había sido “materialmente cierto y no atribuible a causas naturales”. Se autorizó entonces el culto a la Virgen Dolorosa en su advocación del Colegio.
El reconocimiento a esta devoción llegó incluso al más alto nivel de la Iglesia universal. En 2015, durante su visita apostólica a Ecuador, el Papa Francisco –primer Pontífice jesuita de la historia– rindió un especial homenaje a la Virgen Dolorosa en Quito. El Papa Francisco quiso detenerse a orar unos minutos ante la imagen milagrosa, que para entonces se encontraba en el altar de la iglesia jesuita de La Compañía de Jesús (en el centro de la ciudad).
Visiblemente conmovido, el Papa dejó a los pies de la Virgen un arreglo floral y rezó en silencio, para luego celebrar allí mismo la Eucaristía. Días más tarde, aquella querida pintura mariana presidió la multitudinaria misa campal ofrecida por el Santo Padre en el Parque Bicentenario de Quito, habiendo sido llevada en procesión hasta el altar como “invitada de honor”. La imagen de la Dolorosa, que una vez parpadeó ante unos pocos niños asombrados, fue entonces venerada por cientos de miles de personas, incluyendo al propio Sucesor de Pedro –un momento cumbre que subrayó el profundo arraigo de esta devoción en la fe ecuatoriana.
Para el Colegio San Gabriel, el milagro de 1906 no es solo un recuerdo histórico, sino un pilar vivo de su identidad institucional. Lejos de ser una anécdota del pasado, la presencia de María Dolorosa inspira cotidianamente el quehacer educativo y espiritual en el campus. “Yo creo que resulta natural en un colegio católico promover la devoción a la Virgen María”, afirma el padre Lasso.
Para el sacerdote, el significado de ese suceso no solo fue espiritual, también fue simbólico, pues ocurrió en un momento histórico en que se debatía intensamente el rol de la religión en la educación. Para el sacerdote la mirada de la Virgen fue una forma de recordar que la fe sigue acompañando el camino de la juventud, incluso en los momentos de mayor tensión social o política: “Por eso es la patrona de la educación católica en Ecuador”, aseguró.
A 119 años del prodigio, la imagen original se conserva en una capilla del colegio, hoy ubicado en el norte de la capital ecuatoriana. Aunque el suceso no es el centro del proyecto pedagógico, sigue siendo una referencia espiritual importante. La fecha del 20 de abril se conmemora cada año con actos litúrgicos y actividades formativas.
Para el rector del San Gabriel, el impacto del prodigio no se comprende plenamente sin considerar su relación con la misión educativa de la Compañía de Jesús. “San Ignacio nos enseñó que debemos buscar la mayor gloria de Dios en todo lo que hacemos. Por eso, la educación que promovemos aquí no solo se enfoca en lo académico. También busca formar en la fe, en la justicia, en la reconciliación y en el compromiso social”, señala.
Actualmente, el colegio apuesta por una pedagogía integral que incluye proyectos interdisciplinarios, actividades artísticas, deporte competitivo y formación espiritual. La presencia de la Virgen Dolorosa en la vida escolar es constante y permanece arraigada la devoción incluso en los ex alumnos de la institución.
“No queremos formar personas solo con un alto rendimiento intelectual. Queremos que nuestros estudiantes tengan también capacidad de discernir, de servir, de mirar al otro con compasión. Y en eso, la figura de María es una guía”, dice Lasso. La historia de la institución lo comprueba, al menos cuatro presidentes del Ecuador realizaron sus estudios secundarios en el Colegio San Gabriel, entre ellos Jamil Mahuad, quien dolarizó Ecuador y firmó la paz con el Perú, terminando así un conflicto armado limítrofe de décadas.
El suceso de 1906 permanece, entonces, como una referencia histórica y espiritual que ha acompañado generaciones. No es solo un hecho extraordinario conservado en la memoria religiosa del país; es también un símbolo de cómo la espiritualidad puede convivir con la razón y enriquecer uno de los proyectos educativos más reconocidos del país.
corresponsal:Desde Quito
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3 gunmen open fire outside Israeli consulate in Istanbul, dubbed ‘terrorists’ by Turkish official
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A gunfight with police outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, left one attacker dead, two others injured and two police officers sustaining minor injuries.
The armed attackers had ties to an activist group that «exploits religion,» according to Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci on X.
«The identities of the terrorists have been identified,» he wrote in a post translated by X. «It has been determined that the individuals, who arrived in Istanbul by a rental vehicle from Izmit, include one with ties to an organization that exploits religion; and it has also been established that one of the two terrorists, who are brothers, has a drug record.»
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A plainclothes police officer holds a gun after gunfire was reported near the building housing the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 7, 2026. (Murad Sezer/Reuters)
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack condemned the attack and praised Turkish authorities.
«The United States condemns in the strongest terms today’s attack on the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul,» Barrack wrote on X. «Attacks on diplomatic missions are attacks on the international order — and an assault on the principles that bind nations together. We commend Türkiye and Turkish security forces for their swift and decisive response.»
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Police officers pulled out guns and took cover as shots rang out for at least 10 minutes near a permanent security checkpoint near the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul. One person was seen covered in blood amid the glass towers in the heart of the city’s main financial district.
Footage obtained by Reuters showed an apparent attacker, in a dark top and carrying a backpack, moving among parked white police and security buses and firing with an automatic rifle and a handgun.
Two bodies lay on nearby streets and parking areas, near grassy areas.
Turkish Police special forces stand guard near the Israeli Consulate building in Istanbul, Turkey, after gunfire was reported on April 7, 2026. (Umit Bektas/Reuters)
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Two police officers were lightly wounded in the attack, Istanbul Governor Davut Gul told reporters at the scene.
He said there had been no Israeli diplomatic staff at the consulate for 2-1/2 years, since the Hamas-Israel war began in 2023, leading to a deep chill in Turkish-Israeli diplomatic ties.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed there were no staff at the consulate at the time of the shootings.
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The incident occurred next to a major motorway just after midday, immediately outside the tower where the Israeli Consulate is located. The gunfire echoed inside nearby bank headquarters, where thousands of workers were breaking for lunch.
Turkey, a fierce critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, had recalled its ambassador from Israel in November 2023 and diplomatic relations have been effectively frozen since then.
Turkish Police special forces walk near the building housing the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, after gunfire was heard on April 7, 2026. (Murad Sezer/Reuters)
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At the same time that year, Israeli diplomats left Turkey due to security concerns after pro-Palestinian protests erupted across the country and in front of the consulate. Since then, a heavily armed police presence has been maintained in the area near the consulate.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
turkey, counter terrorism, terrorism, israel, hamas
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Artemis II astronaut tells Trump what communication blackout was like: ‘I said a little prayer’
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The Artemis II cew literally went where no man, or woman, had gone before on a historic trek around the dark side of the moon on Monday, and the crew did it with pilot Victor Glover making a quick request for divine assistance.
«I’d like to ask, what was your feeling when you had no communication?» President Donald Trump asked in a call arranged by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman from Houston mission control to «Integrity,» the crew’s chosen name for the Orion capsule. «Zero communication all of a sudden: It was cut off by obviously your very special location; what was your feeling when you had no communication? A little bit different, perhaps.»
«Yes, Mr. President, it was,» Glover replied. «I said a little prayer, but then I had to keep rolling.»
The prayer was quick, because when things went dark, the crew had to get to work during the 45-minute communications outage.
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The moon is seen from a camera outside the Orion spacecraft after Artemis II astronauts surpassed the farthest distance ever traveled by humans from Earth on April 6, 2026. (NASA)
«I was actually recording scientific observations of the far side of the moon,» Glover continued. «You know, that is actually the time when we were the farthest and the closest to the moon.
«And so we were really able to make some of our most detailed observations of the far side of the moon up close. And so we were busy up here working really hard. And I must say it was actually quite nice.»
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Before going to sleep on flight day 5, the Artemis II crew snapped one more photo of the Moon, as it drew closer through the window of the Orion spacecraft. (NASA)
Trump drilled down on the observations.
«Did you see a difference, a big difference between the far side of the moon and the near side of the moon?» Trump asked. «Was there a difference in feel or difference in look, what did you see?»
The lack of light «certainly did» change the perspective, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said, noting the far side looked strikingly different from the near side, with far fewer of the dark plains visible from Earth.
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«The gravitational pull of the Earth has had a profound effect on the near side of the moon, changing all those dark mares, those dark patches of the moon you see from Earth. It’s very different on the far side.
«While you see some small patches of those mare and deep craters, it’s very much absent on that side. So that’s really neat.»
Hansen also took a moment to thank Trump on behalf of Canada, a country that has had at-times testy dealings with Trump.
This image from video provided by NASA shows the Artemis II crew, from left, Canadian astronaut and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch and pilot Victor Glover as they speak with NASA Mission Control in a video conference while en route to the moon, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (NASA)
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«And while I have the microphone, sir, I just want to thank you on behalf of Canada: The space leadership you spoke of from America truly is extraordinary,» Hansen said. «I’ve said this many times before, a nation that leads like that and creates and sets big goals for humanity, that brings other countries along with it, is truly incredible.
«And I know that’s a very intentional, not a necessary decision, intentional decision to lead by example and to allow other countries like Canada to share our gifts and help you achieve these mutually beneficial goals, like establishing a presence on the moon and eventually going to Mars.
«And Canadians are so proud to be a part of this program.»
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Trump referenced Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky and said the country is proud of Hansen’s bravery.
«They are so proud of you, and you have a lot of courage,» Trump said. «I’m not sure if they’d want to do that. I’m not even sure if The Great One would want to do that, to be honest with you. But you have a lot of courage doing what you’re doing, a lot of bravery and a lot of of genius. But they’re very, very proud of you.»
ASTRONAUT VICTOR GLOVER PRAISED FOR SAYING MOON MISSION IS ‘HUMAN HISTORY,’ NOT ‘BLACK HISTORY’
Split of President Donald Trump and Jared Isaacman. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Mission specialist Christina Koch spoke about regaining sight of Earth after the blackout and the importance of U.S. leadership in deep-space exploration.
«One of the biggest highlights was coming back from the far side of the moon and having the first glimpses of planet Earth again, after being out of communication for about 45 minutes,» said Koch, the first woman to the moon, who already holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman (328 days) and was part of the first all-female spacewalk.
«It really just reminds you what a special place we have and how important it is for our nation to work, to lead and not follow in exploring deep space.»
Commander Reid Wiseman told Trump the crew had witnessed views that were first sights for humanity, including a solar corona during an eclipse and planets lining up beyond the moon.
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«We saw sights hat no human has ever seen before, not even in Apollo, and that was amazing for us,» Wiseman said. «And then the surprise of the day, we just came out of an eclipse where the sun, moon — the entire dark moon about that big right out the window that we were watching — we could see the corona of the sun, and then we could see the planet train line up, and Mars.
«And all of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation, and this planet become a two-planet species.»
spaceflight, mars, solar eclipse, moon, nasa
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