“This physical sacrifice is a core expression of their penitence and devotion”
THE centuries-old Traslacion in Manila on Friday, Jan 9, which attracts millions every year, remains symbolic in modern times, the so-called digital age.
It represents hope, resilience, and a deep personal connection to a suffering Christ that resonates deeply with the daily struggles of ordinary Filipinos and has evolved into a powerful expression of collective faith and cultural identity.
Women, men, young and old devotees walk barefoot the nearly 6.5-km route – based on last year’s journey – in a symbolic gesture that emulates Christ’s suffering as he carried the cross to Golgotha.
This physical sacrifice is a core expression of their penitence and devotion, which translates to hope, blessedness and connection to the suffering Jesus Christ.
The image is widely believed to be miraculous, with its touch, or even the touch of a cloth wiped on it, thought to bring blessings, healing, and answered prayers, a belief that provides a tangible source of hope in face of life’s challenges, like illness, poverty, and other crises like the newly discovered widespread corruption in various rungs in and out of government offices.
For many, participating is a “panata” (vow or in Ilokano “napasnek a pammati”) made as a plea to God or in thanksgiving for granted wishes.
This highlights the intense, personal nature of their faith, which often defies logic and sophisticated theological explanations.
Despite the massive, visibly chaotic crowds, the event fosters what believers say is a powerful sense of national unity and shared purpose among millions of people from all walks of life.
Observers say this is a collective act of faith that strengthens community bonds and showcases the resilience of the Filipino people, who received the cross in the 16th century after the arrival of Portuguese navigator Fernando Magallanes who sailed under the flag of Spain.
The physical nature of the procession and the ability to get close to the image has allowed devotees what religion observers call a direct, material experience of the sacred.
This makes God feel more accessible and relatable to the common person, who sees in the dark-skinned, cross-bearing image a reflection of their own struggles.
Past its religious roots, the Traslación has become a significant cultural event, reflecting a unique fusion of Catholic and indigenous Filipino beliefs and practices that continue to shape the nation’s spiritual landscape.
The modern Traslación demonstrates how an ancient tradition remains highly relevant, providing a powerful, communal space for Filipinos to express their faith, seek divine intervention, and find strength and hope in their everyday lives.
The Black Nazarene, carved by an unknown Mexican artist from dark wood and brought to the Philippines by the Augustinian Recollects on a Galleon ship in 1606, enshrined at the Church of San Juan Bautista in Bagumbayan until May 31, 1606, depicts Jesus en route to his crucifixion.
The Feast of the Black Nazarene commemorates the anniversary of the transfer or movement of the ebony image from its original location at a church in Bagumbayan, now known as the Luneta fronting Manila Bay, to Quiapo, often referred to as the heart of the country’s capital.
In 1608, the icon was enshrined at the Recollect church of San Nicolás de Tolentino in the city’s old walled Intramuros and was moved to the Saint John the Baptist Church, now commonly referred to as the Quiapo Church on Jan. 9, 1787.
Church officials say the “solemn transfer” or Tarslacion eventually became the date of the Feast of the Black Nazarene, which marks the image’s transfer for the past 239 years.
Police have been mobilized, and road closures will be implemented around the route in the country’s national capital city of nearly two million.
There are opposing views on whether to consider the Feast of the Black Nazarene as a proper fiesta due to the fact that the Jan. 9 observance celebrates the transfer of the image and not the liturgical “feast day” of the image.
Some theologians say the proper liturgical commemoration of the Black Nazarene is on Good Friday.
But in 2021, the Basilica’s parochial vicar Fr. Douglas Badong explained the Feast of the Black Nazarene was a proper term for the religious event, and could be called a fiesta as the event is similar to the typical Filipino festival.
The event is also colloquially referred to as “Nazareno” after the image itself, or the Traslación after the Jan. 9 procession.
In recent years a persistent misconception has the Traslación being repeatedly referred to (by the media as well as exploitative politicians) as mostly the “Feast of the Black Nazarene” (Pistá ng Itím na Nazareno), and sometimes the “Feast of Quiapo” (Pistá ng Quiapo), which, many religionists say, despite the haywire yet festive atmosphere, are far from correct.
The Black Nazarene’s liturgical commemoration is on Good Friday, the second date of the year on which the image is processed, with the basilica’s parochial feast day scheduled on June 24, which coincides with Manila Day, the birthday of its titular head John the Baptist.
