After three years of restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic the traditional procession in the Filipino capital resumes this year drawing hundreds of thousands of devotees.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — An estimated two million people swarmed the annual Black Nazarene procession in Manila Tuesday, one of the biggest displays of Catholic religious devotion in the Philippines.
Every year, on 9 January the life-sized statue representing Jesus bent under the weight of the Cross, is transferred in a parade though the Filipino capital from the original site, the church of St. Nicola da Tolentino, to the parish of Quiapo, concluding a novena started on 31 December.
This is the first time the traditional procession has been held since 2020 after Covid-19 forced officials to drastically downsize the event.
The Filipino devotion to the Black Nazarene
The statue was brought to Manila by a Spanish Augustinian priest in 1607 aboard a ship from Mexico. Tradition says the boat caught fire during the voyage, but the icon miraculously escaped the fire by turning black.
The procession commemorates its first transfer, which took place on 9 January 1767. During the 7-kilometres march, which lasts several hours, the faithful flock to touch or kiss the statue believed to have miraculous healing powers and to bring good fortune to them and their loved ones.
Uca News agency, reported that this year, the icon has been placed in a glass case for the first time and participants were banned from getting on the float, though some ignored the directive.
Fr Hans Magdurulang, spokesperson for the 2024 edition of the Black Nazarene, told AsiaNews agency that since the early hours of the morning there were already over 1.3 million faithful, most of them “barefoot”.
Security measures
Authorities, did not report any specific threat to the procession, but took the precaution of blocking mobile phone signals to prevent the remote detonation of explosive devices, and imposed a no-fly and no-sail zone near the route.
First-aid stations lined the streets on Tuesday to treat people suffering from heat stroke, abrasions or other medical problems during the procession, which in previous years has taken up to 22 hours to finish due to the huge crowds.
Dori Hael Marquez, mother of two young children, said she has been a “devotee” of the Black Nazarene “for decades”. Luzviminda Parada, a private sector employee, added: “Amidst a vibrant sea of devotees, the Feast of the Black Nazarene unfolds as a powerful celebration of faith, unity and the enduring spirit that binds us on this sacred journey.”
