1:) Every January 9 is the feast day of The Black Nazarene or also known as Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno de Quiapo ("Our Father Jesus Nazarene of Quiapo") which is known to be miraculous by many Filipino devotees. This is the 404th year of celebration and expecting a millions of devotees will be joining the procession as way of strengthening their faith and fulfilling their vows to the Lord.
2:) The Black Nazarene is a life-sized statue of Christ that a priest bought in Mexico, carved by an Aztec carpenter. The image was brought to the Philippines by the Augustinian Recollect Missionaries on May 31, 1606. The statue has an original fair tone, and was blackened by a shipboard fire, on the journey from Acapulco to Manila, and has since been called the Black Nazarene.
3:) Indeed, since its arrival from Mexico in 1606, the Black Nazarene has survived the great fires that destroyed the Quiapo Church in 1791 and 1929, the bombing of Manila during World War II, and several strong earthquakes.
4:) The devotees of the Filipino people towards the Black Nazarene stems from the overall importance of the Filipino culture symbolizes the Passion of Jesus. They identify themselves in their daily struggles particularly in their poverty by having carrying their crosses just like the experienced of Jesus as represented by the image of the Black Nazarene.
5:) This is a Filipino tradition practice particularly among the Filipino Catholics. Their faith through the Black Nazarene, they believe that there will be harmony, long life, prosperity and good health among themselves and their families, peace, hope and love among nations and deliverance from all disasters and calamities in the world.
6:) A 16-hour procession spanning three and a half miles. A sea of mostly barefoot people – cheering, praying, shoving - all wanting to get as near as possible to a sacrificing image of Jesus Christ. The annual Feast of the Black Nazarene in the Philippines is one for the books.
7:) Catholic bishops admit that there is some degree of fanaticism, but they say that Filipinos identify with the Black Nazarene so well because just like the image and Jesus Christ Himself, they have suffered a great deal but remain steadfast and hopeful. People who join in the procession will walk barefooted as a sign of humility.
8:) Devotees of the Black Nazarene believe that it can work wonders.
Hope, faith and the belief in miracles - in this country that has seen its share of political and economic turmoil – are why devotees would do anything to get close to the image of the Black Nazarene.
9:) The sea of people and devotees in bare feet pulling and tugging at the rope that goes before the carriage [called Carroza in the local Hispanized vernacular], and the motion that seems to explode in all directions as people try to hang on to the rope while moving the procession forward as some attempt to climb and touch the wooden image of Christ.
10:) But no one seemed to mind. In fact, the crowd got larger and larger. And not even the 1,000-strong security forces deployed by the Philippine National Police, nor the priests could stop them from trying to touch the Black Nazarene. The last 50-meters to the church took almost an hour. The Philippines is the only country in Asia that majority of the population are Roman Catholics.
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