Filipino Catholics are getting ready for another religious festival this week with the blessing of replicas of the image of the “Black Nazarene” on Dec. 27, 2022.
The “Black Nazarene” is a life-sized image of a dark-skinned, kneeling Jesus Christ carrying the Cross enshrined in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Manila’s Quiapo district.
The icon is renowned in the Philippines and is considered by many Filipino Catholics to be miraculous; its mere touch is reputed to cure illness. It attracts homage from numerous devotees, who bear it in mass processions during the annual reenactment of its transfer (traslacion) every 9th of January. (Photos by Angie de Silva)
