Black Nazarene

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.

“I have been saying all these years that the ‘devotion’ to the Santo Niño will go the way of all misguided ‘popular devotions’ that border more on the fanatical and the ridiculous,” notes Salesian priest, Fr. Chito Dimaranan.

"So I always tell them, we will serve without expecting anything in return because Jesus the Black Nazarene has been very generous to us," Bernal added.

According to the Quiapo Church Command Center, the image’s home in the capital city of Manila, this year’s Traslacion welcomed a total of 6,532,501 devotees.

“Whether in their homes, their workplaces, in the church, or out in the streets, devotees must carry in their heart… the loving gaze of Jesus,” Cardinal Advincula said.

The biggest change that the officials emphasized is that the devotees will no longer be
allowed to climb up the caroza also called “andas” of Jesus the Black Nazarene.

Cardinal Jose F. Advincula of Manila Archdiocese urges the Catholics to strive for truth, justice, and peace in the world, during the Black Nazarene Feast day Mass on January 9. On January 8, the six kilometres “Walk of Faith” began at 1 AM at the Quirino Grandstand and ended at 4 AM at the Quiapo Church to commemorate the Feast of the Black Nazarene.

"All the activities of the festivity will resume except the traditional procession, or the traslacion," Father Valdez said.

Despite health warnings, hundreds of thousands of Filipino Catholics went out of their homes in Manila on Jan. 9, to venerate a centuries-old wooden statue of the Black Nazarene.