MANILA, Philippines — The image of the Black Nazarene has been placed on the balcony of Quiapo Church in Manila ahead of its feast day on Jan. 9 to give Catholic devotees more time to venerate and view the life-sized sculpture of Jesus Christ believed to be miraculous.
Fr. Douglas Badong, assistant parish priest of the Minor Basilica, said the Black Nazarene was put on display over the weekend for the “pagpupugay” or “pagtanaw.”
Badong said the pagtanaw replaced the “pahalik” or the kissing of the Black Nazarene image.
The pahalik is usually held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila prior to the feast day.
Quiapo Church officials have decided to forgo the traditional traslacion or the procession of the Black Nazarene to avoid the transmission of COVID-19.
Badong said they canceled the pahalik and traslacion in compliance with the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which prohibits mass gatherings.
Traslacion is one of the country’s biggest religious processions. Millions of devotees attend the yearly procession, with people passing on their panata to younger members of the families.
Nine Catholic bishops will preside over a nine-day novena that will start next week in preparation for the feast of the Black Nazarene.
Filipinos have kept their devotion to the Black Nazarene because they believed that their prayers and wishes were granted.
The dark-colored, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ was brought to Manila by Augustinian priests in 1607.