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In photos: Millions of Filipinos celebrate transfer of the sacred Black Nazarene

January 10, 2019 | 11:57am

In photos: Millions of Filipinos celebrate transfer of the sacred Black Nazarene

Devotees kiss the life-sized image of Jesus Christ during the annual procession held on the ninth of every year.

Philstar.com / Efigenio Toledo IV

MANILA, Philippines — On the ninth of January, millions of Catholic faithful—from all walks of life and various ages—walk alongside the life-sized image of a suffering Jesus Christ as it makes its way to its home in Quiapo.

The procession—dubbed as “traslacion”—celebrates the transfer of the Black Nazarene from Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park to Quiapo Church in Manila.

This year’s procession attracted four million individuals, figures from the police showed. The devotees—many of them barefoot—endured the heat and battled exhaustion during the journey that lasted for 21 hours.

Many of them attempted to touch and kiss the venerated image as the carriage steered along the major roads in the nation’s capital in hopes that it would grant prayers and even cure diseases.

Debates on whether the event is a devotion or fanaticism are always being raised. But Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said that it is love that differentiates a devotee from a fanatic.

“A real devotee loves. The essence of devotion is love,” Tagle said in his homily for the midnight mass for the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

Here’s a look at this year’s commemoration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene

A man sells towels during the Feast of the Black Nazarene. Devotees attempt to wipe their towels to the venerated image of Jesus Christ in hopes that doing so would grant their prayers. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Devotees wave their towels as the andas or the carriage carrying the Black Nazarene moves along the roads in Manila. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Hijos del Señor protect the image and the carriage or “andas” during the procession. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

A female devotee faints during the procession in honor of the Black Nazarene. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Believers fling attempt to get closer to the historic statue of Jesus Christ. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Onlookers watch and take photos of the procession from a window. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

A Catholic faithful reaches the carriage and kisses the statue, which is believed to be miraculous. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Throngs of people—many of them barefoot—attempt to get close to the suffering image of Jesus Christ during the annual procession. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

A military man protects himself from heat by using a carton. Millions of devotees endured the heat and battled exhaustion during the journey that lasted for 21 hours. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

The andas passes through one of the streets in Binondo, Manila. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Devotees also bring mini replicas of the Black Nazarene during the procession. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Devotees crowd around to try to touch the Black Nazarene statue during the annual religious procession. Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Street sweepers clean the trash left behind along the traslacion route by Black Nazarene devotees. Environmental advocacy group EcoWaste laments what it calls “Trash-lacion.” Philstar.com/Efigenio Toledo IV

Catholic devotees jostle with each other as they try to touch the Black Nazarene statue on a carriage. AFP/Ted Ajilbe

Catholic devotees react as they push amongt themselves as the carriage of the Black Nazarene statue moves through the streets of Manila. AFP/Ted Ajilbe