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
Devotees pull ropes connected to the carriage of the Black Nazarene. AFP/Ted Ajilbe
People raise their hands as the andas carrying the Black Nazarene makes it way to its home at Quiapo Church in Manila. AFP/Noel Celis