Black Nazarene procession draws millions of Catholic devotees to Philippine capital

CNN —

Millions of Catholic devotees flooded the streets of the Philippine capital Tuesday to honor the Black Nazarene, a centuries-old religious tradition that has returned after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 6 million people jostled along the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route as the black wooden statue of Jesus Christ was carried from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church in Manila, according to church officials.

The procession started before dawn ataround 4 a.m. and lasted 15 hours, church officials said.

The turnout is comparable to pre-pandemic years but the longest procession on record was in 2012 when the Black Nazarene took 22 hours to arrive at the church.

The Philippines is Asia’s largest Catholic-majority country. About 80% of its 110 million people identify as Roman Catholic, a legacy of more than 400 years under Spain’s former colonial rule.

The Black Nazarene statue is paraded through downtown Manila.

The procession pays homage to the statue, which many Filipinos believe has miraculous healing powers and that touching it, or the ropes attached to the main float, can bring blessings to them or their loved ones.

It is also called the Traslacion, or “transfer,” referring to the relocation of the Black Nazarene to Quiapo Church.

“I was super overwhelmed. Earlier, I didn’t know I shed a tear, maybe because of too much joy, too much excitement that the image of the Black Nazarene was let out for the Traslacion,” Rizza Batarina, 35, told CNN affiliate CNN Philippines.

A sea of devotees dressed in maroon and red floods central Manila to venerate the centuries-old statue of Jesus. A young devotee hugs the statue of the Black Nazarene. The faithful believe the dark wood sculpture of