Black Nazarene statue draws 800,000 Philippine Catholics to procession in Manila
- Critics say the procession, which usually takes about 20 hours, is a mish-mash of superstition and unnecessary risk for the people who flock to it each year
- But Church officials say the practice is a vibrant expression of faith in nation of 105 million that is overwhelmingly Christian
Throngs of believers flung themselves at a historic statue of Jesus Christ as it inched through Manila on Wednesday for an annual procession that is one of the world’s biggest shows of Catholic zeal.
Many in the heaving crowd of men and women, which police said numbered at least 800,000, believe touching the Black Nazarene or being in its presence can heal the sick or grant good fortune.
Devotees massed before dawn to catch a glimpse of the statue as it was wheeled on a metal float along a 7km route through the Philippine capital’s narrow streets.
“I survived a stroke because of him [God]. I will do this every year until I am 100 years old,” said 70-year-old Joaquin Bordado, who has attended the procession for decades.
“God ordered me to do this and I feel no exhaustion,” he added, wearing an ankle-length robe and crown of barbed wire.
Around him people chanted “Viva Nazareno” (Long live Nazarene), cheered and jostled for a glimpse of, or selfie with, the statue cloaked in a maroon robe that’s topped with a crown of thorns and cross.