MANILA, Philippines — Hundreds of thousands of devotees showed up at Quiapo Church in Manila for the first major celebration of the Black Nazarene since the start of the pandemic.
According to the Manila City government, some 514,000 people visited the church home to the venerated image of the Black Nazarene from midnight to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
It added, citing the Quiapo Church Operation Center, that around 122,000 people visited the Quirino Grandstand to pay respects to the image, which ended at around 7 p.m.
Compared to the last Black Nazarene feast in Quiapo before the COVID-19 pandemic wherein millions gather in the procession of the image called Traslacion, the celebration was much more muted this time as this was canceled for the third year in a row despite the loosening of restrictions and replaced with a Walk of Faith.
Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula acknowledged that devotees of the Black Nazarene might be saddened that the Traslacion still did not push through, but reminded them that their faith’s journey is not just about the yearly procession.
“Let us hope to experience the Lord who guides us through the procession of life, the Traslacion of life. The Traslacion is not just yearly, but a daily experience because the Black Nazarene guides us,” Advincula said in Filipino in his homily. — Xave Gregorio