The annual procession to Quiapo Church began before dawn in the capital of the predominantly Catholic Southeast Asian country after an open-air mass. The ecclesiastical authorities are expecting more than two million people, coming from all over the archipelago, for this manifestation of Catholic devotion, one of the most important in the world.
Barefoot men and women, dressed in brown shirts – the color of the dress of the black wooden statue of Jesus – rush to touch the ropes used to tow the chariot on which the statue is perched, protected by a window , thus hoping to obtain good health.
“I had prayed that my mother would recover from her heart attack” during a previous procession, Dong Lapira, 54, told AFP, adding that he had been pushed and bruised.
But he vowed to try again on Thursday, this time hoping to see his wife cured of her gallstones. “The Nazarene is very sacred. He answered many prayers,” he assures.
– At the risk of their lives –
Faithful people frantically throw white towels at those charged with guarding the chariot, hoping to obtain favors. With the tissues, the guardians of the statue wipe the window of the statue before throwing them back into the crowd.
“Even if it’s very hot or if it rains during the procession, I don’t feel it at all,” explains Alvin Olicia, 38, in charge of the float. “I love my role because by grabbing other people’s towels, I feel like I’m connecting them to their faith and to the Nazarene.”
Even though the authorities have banned worshipers from riding the float, some still try their luck, climbing over other participants at the risk of their lives to approach the sacred statue.
-Ester Espiritu, a 76-year-old Filipina, traveled 35 kilometers from Cavite province. She said she would just have to see the statue. “Even though I find it difficult to come here because of my age (…) I feel happy and healthy every time I see the Nazarene,” explains Ms. Espiritu, who prays for the healing of a persistent shoulder injury.
The life-size wooden statue was brought from Mexico to the Philippines in the early 17th century, shortly after the start of the Spanish colonial conquest. Its black color, from which the name “Black Nazarene” comes, is said to have been caused by a fire on board the Spanish galleon in which it was transported.
For Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, this celebration testifies to “the immense power and compassion of God who walks with us and hears our prayers, especially in difficult times,” he said in a statement.
Around 14,500 police and security forces were deployed along the six-kilometer procession route.
The telephone network was blocked to prevent the remote detonation of explosive devices, according to the police.
Emergency response teams are also mobilized. The Philippine Red Cross said it provided treatment to more than 300 participants, 14 of whom required hospitalization.
