Philippines’ Quiapo Church drops word ‘black’ in official parish name

The Quiapo Church in Manila, Philippines, home to the miraculous image of the Black Nazarene, has decided to drop the word “black” in its official title.

In an official decree of Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula dated October 3, he announced that the church be officially named “Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno - Saint John the Baptist Parish.”

According to the decree, this move “is meant to further focus the people on the holy name of our Lord than a color or attribute.”

“As a national shrine, we intend to be more inclusive, i.e., the devotion also includes images of the cross-bearing Christ which may not be black,” the archbishop wrote.

The Black Nazarene is a life-sized image of Jesus Christ carrying the cross and famously bears dark skin because of its usage of mesquite wood.

It arrived from Mexico to the Philippines through Galleon in 1606.

Moreover, Father Rufino Sescon, Quiapo Church’s parish priest and shrine rector, pointed out that the devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus in their parish existed way before the devotion to the Black Nazarene began.

“When Quiapo Church was established as a parish in 1588, although the patron is St. John the Baptist, it was dedicated by the Franciscans to the Sweetest Name of Jesus. Long before the Nazareno found its home in this church, it already bore His mighty name,” wrote Father Sescon in an article on Quiapo Church’s website.

The Black Nazarene is famously brought out for a procession every January 9, called the Traslacion, which draws millions of devotees to Manila.

“Veteran devotees of Quiapo recall that the January 9 celebration is actually the octave conclusion of January 1, the eighth day of Christmas, which is the former feast of the Holy Name of Jesus,” Father Sescon explained.

“Yes, the cross is prominent because it is what the image of the Lord shows and it became the means to our salvation. But we must not fail to focus on the person of Jesus Christ Himself,” he further said.

Furthermore, the parish priest shared that promoting devotion and catechesis to Jesus’ Holy Name has been one of the pastoral priorities of Quiapo Church, which was recently elevated to a national shrine on January 29.

“Quiapo Church is an epicenter of devotion and miracles which draws millions of devotees because, in this holy ground, the name and mission of our Lord is proclaimed and encountered,” said Father Sescon.