in the summer of 2012, when many of spain's politicians attended religious services invoking mary under various titles, for help with the country's deepening economic crisis, mayor of bilbao, inaki azkuna, prayed to our lady of begona. "“those of us who are believers continue to believe that we could be given some help and that we need it. all of society, and not only politicians, is going to have to make a tremendous effort,” he added."