Priest asks devotees of Black Nazarene to respect holy mass before procession

MANILA — The organizers of the Feast of the Black Nazarene are appealing to devotees to refrain from getting near the image of the dark-skinned Jesus Christ while the Eucharistic celebration is ongoing.

The day of the feast traditionally commences with a celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the Quirino Grandstand. The long procession commemorating translacion, or the arrival of the Black Nazarene to Quiapo, immediately follows.

Quiapo Church Rector Monsignor Clemente Ignacio called on the devotees to allow the Holy Mass to end before getting near the image and the “andas” or carriage.

“To the volunteers tasked with guarding the statue and those who will join the activities at the Luneta, please wait for the mass to be over before approaching the image. Please do not step onto the stage of the Quirino Grandstand because the stage would serve as the altar and that is a sacred place),” Ignacio said in Filipino.

“Let us respect the sacredness of our sacrament. Let’s not make any noise during the mass and let’s seriously take part in the mass. Let’s not go near the image before the mass is over and before the Nazarene is placed on its stretcher,” he added.

In previous years, the Mass was often disrupted when people jostled each other in an attempt to climb up on or get near the carriage bearing the image of the Black Nazarene even before the final blessing concluding the Mass was given by the presiding priest.

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will be the main celebrant at the 6 a.m. Mass today.

Ignacio said more devotees praying for healing and recovery would likely gather for the annual event, given the series of calamities that struck the country in 2013.