At the altar of Saint Nonnatus in Mexico city’s Metropolitan Cathedral is a display of hundreds (so it seems anyway) of padlocks all intertwined and locked together.
My instinctive reaction when I saw I thought was what is this all about? Actually it was a lot more colourful than that.
Well, it turns out that the said Saint Nonnutus is the patron saint of childbirth, midwives, children, pregnant women, and priests who want to protect the secrecy of confession. And the locks are placed at his altar to stop gossip, rumours, false testimonies and bad talk. They are also used to keep secrets, stop cursing or lying and to guard priests who want to protect the secrecy of confession. After placing a lock the person takes a seat in the main bench, for all to see.
How fascinating is that?
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Locks in Saint Nonnatus’s Altar in Mexico City’s catedral metropolitana

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