Mang Ben Pineda (not his real name) and his wife had traveled almost 5-6 hours in the early morning of January 9 arriving in Manila just in time to
catch the gathering multitudes of people now almost numbering millions.
By the time the procession had started, Mang Ben and his wife had braved the intense heat and occasional rains that had descended on that day… the
much-awaited procession of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo .
And like millions of Filipinos, known devotees of the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno (Jesus of Nazareth), they came from far and wide even from abroad for many and varying reasons.
Mang Ben, like others, will not leave without rubbing or touching a piece of his towel or cloth on the image of the Black Nazarene. And that would be enough. To do that, he will have to fight tooth and nail and with much physical effort to just get near the statue of the most venerated religious
figure in the Philippines. Not all will be successful, some will be trampled or
violently boxed out by much stronger devotees .
This year 2011, a total of some 700 persons were injured in a throng of some estimated 7 million people who attended the annual procession that took some 7 hours from Luneta park to its resting place at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, a distance of only about five kilometers !.
But if Mang Ben were successful in rubbing his towel on the Black Nazarene, it would mean as he and many others believe that his wife will be cured of her many illness.
For since its arrival from Mexico in May 31,1606, the Black Nazarene had according to historical accounts, emanated miraculous powers .
It was said that when the Galleon (trade ship)docked in Manila, it caught fire and among the casualties was the statue of Jesus Christ. Because of its burnt condition, it came to be known as the Black Nazarene.
But others dispute this saying the statue was really made out of brown wood
hence its black-color. But whatever the story behind it, tales abound of its healing and other powers that had made it famous and deeply revered.
Its popularity peaked in 1787, when the Recollect friars decided to transfer the statue to its permanent residence in St.John the Baptist church, now known popularly as the Quiapo Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene.
That transfer, known as “translacion “ in Spanish, took place in January 9,1787 with devotees plodding along the statue as it is being moved to its new place.
Thus, as the procession progresses devotees touch the status with either their hands or a piece of cloth and many “miraculous things “ have happened to those who did it according to stories.
Today, the Black Nazarene has become the cure-all the be-all and the solutions to almost all problems known to men.
Daily , the Basilica is the scene of people from all walks of life asking for intercessions, cures, even lotto winnings through prayers.
They go there for absolution, penance, for reconciliation and even for a future wife or husband.
A daily sight at the Basilica are people walking through their knees towards the altar or what we call “ lumalakad ng paluhod “ a sort of sacrifice for any indulgence that was to be asked from the Black Nazarene.
Boxing champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao always makes it a point to hear mass and say his thanksgiving prayers at the Basilica each time he comes homes from abroad after every fight.
Tourists who witness the annual January 9 procession are amazed at the intense devotion shown by the crowd jostling against each other “just so to touch “ the statue , how they endure the long wait (as long as 24 hours)and vigils culminating to the procession.
“It seems every Filipino is a fan of the Black Nazarene “: said one foreign visitor pointing out to the mass of T-shirts and colors of Maroon and Black
worn by devotees majority of who are barefoot, towel and rosary
hanging by the necks.
I corrected him by saying, they are devotees, believers in Christ and God
with a deep faith and loyalty.
I also told him many of them, the poorest of the poor believe in the Black Nazarene as their only salvation and they cling to him as their only hope.
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And I said to him : I am also a believer. I am named Nazareno…and I was born on January 9 .
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