Catholic devotees jostle with each other as they try to touch a glass-covered carriage carrying the so-called Black Nazarene during an annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. | Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP
Millions of Catholic faithful swarmed a historic statue of Jesus Christ as it was pulled through the streets of the Philippine capital on Tuesday, in one of the world’s biggest displays of religious devotion.
Many Filipinos believe the icon has miraculous healing powers and that touching it, or the ropes attached to its float, can heal previously incurable ailments and bring good fortune to them and their loved ones.
“I believe that the Nazarene will give what we are all praying for — we just have to wait, but he will give everything,” Renelinda de Leon, 64, told AFP at the start of the procession.
As a light rain fell over the massive crowd, some barefoot devotees risked injury to reach the float by clambering over others and clinging to the clothes of guards protecting the icon, causing some to fall.
Catholic devotees hold the rope attached to a glass-covered carriage carrying the Black Nazarene statue during an annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. | AFP
Other guards on the float pushed unruly devotees to the ground to keep them away from the icon enclosed in a glass case and allow the parade to continue on its journey of several kilometres.
Traslacion held since pandemic
It is the first time the Traslacion or the traditional parade featuring the life-sized statue has been held since 2020, after Covid-19 forced officials to drastically downsize the event.
The original wooden statue was brought to the Philippines in the early 1600s when the nation was a Spanish colony.
Many Filipinos believe it got its dark color after surviving a fire aboard a ship en route from Mexico.
Here are some images of the Traslacion during the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene in the streets of Manila.
Catholic devotees ask other devotees for water as they jostle with each other during the annual religious procession of the Black Nazarene or the Traslacion in Manila on January 9, 2024. | AFP
A catholic devotee kisses the glass cover of the Black Nazarene during the annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. |AFP
Catholic devotees touch the end of the cross of the Black Nazarene during the annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. | AFP
Catholic devotees pray as the glass-covered carriage of the Black Nazarene stop in front of the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the traditional “dungaw” during the annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. | AFP
Catholic devotees jostle with each other as the glass-covered carriage carrying the so-called Black Nazarene approaches the Quiapo Church during an annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. |AFP
The Black Nazarene goes back to Quiapo Church after the procession from Quirino Grandstand that took 15 hours on Tuesday, January 9, 2023. (Picture from ZEUS LEGASPI | Inquirer.net)
ALSO READ
6.5 million join Black Nazarene procession
Black Nazarene returns to Quiapo Church