‘Homeless Jesus’ sculpture to be unveiled at Manila Cathedral  

MANILA, Philippines — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula will unveil and bless the three-dimensional sculpture of the “Homeless Jesus” near the facade of the Manila Cathedral on Palm Sunday.

In a statement yesterday, the Manila Cathedral said the bronze sculpture depicts Jesus, identifiable by the wounds on the feet, sleeping on a park bench and wrapped in a blanket.

The artwork, done by Canadian artist Timothy Schmalz, went viral because it portrayed Jesus in a relatable human context, allowing people to feel a greater closeness with and accessibility to Christ.

Schmalz said the sculpture is like a visual sermon 24 hours a day.

Replicas of the sculpture are found outside churches and cathedrals as well as in other prominent urban locations such as Buenos Aires, Capernaum, Madrid, Melbourne, New York, Rome, Singapore and the Vatican.

The Manila Cathedral hopes that the artwork will inspire Filipinos to care for the poor and homeless in the community.

The sculpture challenges what Pope Francis calls the “throwaway culture that ignores and abuses the poor and the voiceless ones.”

“May this sculpture not only become a place for visits or pictures, but a space to deepen our prayer and to convert and change our hearts. As we look at the homeless Jesus, may we also see the poor who, according to Pope Francis, ‘pay the price of corruption,’ and lead us to choose competent and honest leaders this coming elections,” the Manila Cathedral said.

The unveiling of the sculpture will coincide with the celebration of “Alay Kapwa” Sunday when special collections are done for the Church’s charitable programs for the poor.

The Cathedral expressed its gratitude to Schmalz for choosing the church as the site for his sculpture.