Myths and miracles of the Nazareno de Quiapo
The first myth to be cleared about the famous icon of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, Manila, whose feast falls tomorrow (Jan. 9), is that it’s the biggest Catholic devotion
The first myth to be cleared about the famous icon of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo, Manila, whose feast falls tomorrow (Jan. 9), is that it’s the biggest Catholic devotion
Filipinos celebrate two great feasts at the start of the year: the Traslacion of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9; and the Feast of the Santo Niño on the third Sunday of January, which is today. These two events cause much fervor. Some criticize it as fanatical.
Quiapense. It means a person from Quiapo. That term I learned from Chona Trinidad who once served as our guide during one Fiesta of the Black Nazarene (every Jan. 9) when we dared to go through this fabled Manila section before the millions could descend on the place for the annual religious procession.
YOUR mantra for the week: “My new choices create a new life.”
It was in the mid-’90s that I began writing about the yearly procession honoring the image of the Miraculous Black Nazarene in Quiapo. I was in my teens when the family decided to move to the ancestral house of my maternal grandmother after my father passed away.
Several days before the Fiesta ng Quiapo, social media highlighted the grand preparations being made for the Feast of the Black Nazarene, the highlight of which is the traditional Translacion from Quiapo Church to the Quirino Grandstand. Rigid safety and security regulations are imposed to protect the millions of devotees from all over who are expected to attend the religious ritual.
After the frenzy of the Black Nazarene procession, the attention of Filipino Catholics shifted to the Holy Child. All over the country, from Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan to Cebu’s Sinulog and Iloilo’s Dinagyang, Filipino Catholics dedicated the third Sunday of January to revering the Holy Child, more popularly known as the Santo Niño.
“San Pedro Calungsod: Ang Batang Martir,” starring Rocco Nacino, will run in 50 theaters in the country during the 39th Metro Manila Film Festival starting Dec. 25.
I identify fully with the concept of folk Catholicism. It’s an idea expressed by Pope Benedict XVI in defining the robust religiosity of Filipinos. I must admit, I’m one folk Catholic. My faith grew in the ways of folk Catholicism. I thrive on it because I am able to relate to Jesus Christ my Savior in a tactile way.
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