Barefoot through Manila
Millions of Catholics pay homage to Jesus statue
Millions of Catholics in the Philippines have paid homage to one of their greatest shrines in a gigantic procession - the Black Nazarene, a life-size statue of Jesus. Since the early morning, a crowd of people, mostly barefoot, have marched through the capital Manila to accompany the statue on its way through the mega-metropolis.
Many Filipinos believe that the 400-year-old figure can perform miracles. The mega event traditionally takes place on January 9.
More than 15,000 security personnel were deployed to ensure order during the event, which lasted many hours. The Southeast Asian island state is the only country in Asia, apart from tiny East Timor, where Catholics are in the majority. More than 80 percent are of the Catholic faith.
Two days before the Traslacion, as the procession is called in the Philippines, the Black Nazarene was displayed on a grandstand so that the faithful could pay their respects and kiss it. The statue is then transported back to its original location in the Quiapo Church on Plaza Miranda in a huge procession over a 6.5-kilometer route.
Participant: "Thanks to 'Senor Nazareno' I am alive"
Jovita De Jesus had traveled with her family and friends from the city of Malolos in the province of Bulacan north of Manila. The 61-year-old told the German Press Agency that she owes her life to the Black Nazarene and continues to pray for the health of her family and herself. "I have had five operations - I lost a kidney, my appendix burst, I no longer have ovaries, and I had surgery on my intestines and eyes. But thanks to 'Senor Nazareno' I am still alive," she emphasized.
Last year, the procession lasted around 15 hours. More than six million people took part in the procession as well as masses and vigils in honor of the Black Nazarene. The authorities are expecting a similar number of participants this year.
According to legend, the wooden figure was brought from Mexico to Manila by Spanish missionaries in 1606 and survived a ship fire. It was then given the name Black Nazarene because of its dark coloring. The procession commemorates how the figure was brought to the church in the Quiapo district in the 18th century.
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