The Church of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo, Manila, a very special and old Chuch

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photographed and written byphotographed and written by:: Fergus DucharmeFergus Ducharme,, assisted by:assisted by: JoemarieJoemarie AcallarAcallar andand NiloNilo JimenoJimeno..
proudly present:proudly present:
Our visit to the historic, oldOur visit to the historic, old
BasilicaBasilica MinoreMinore ofof ““The Black NazareneThe Black Nazarene””
The Quiapo Church, ManilaThe Quiapo Church, Manila
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The distance from our jumping off
point at the SM City parking lot in Iloilo
to Manila’s Quiapo Church is about
600 kilometres. Which translates into
about 3½ hours by air (including
ground transfers).

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The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (canonically known as Saint John the
Baptist Parish and colloquially known as Quiapo Church) is a prominent Roman
Catholic Basilica located in the District of Quiapo in the City of Manila.
The basilica is the home of the shrine of the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus
which many of the faithfully claim is miraculous. The parish is under guidance of its
current rector is Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio.
Before visiting the Church itself, let’s explore the history and the Veneration of the
“Black Nazarene”.

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What is it?
The Black Nazarene (Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno; Tagalog: Poóng Itím na
Nazareno) is a holy life-sized iconic statue of Jesus carrying the cross to Calvary. It
displays one of the stations of the way of the cross during the journey to His
crucifixion.
It is one of two statues sculpted from pure ivory which were burnt aboard a ship during
the Manila Galleon expedition from Mexico. One of the two statues was completely
destroyed in the on-board fire. The descriptive name of the sculpture results from the
black soot that covered the statue as a result of the fire.
The older and more popular copy of the statue which belonged to the Recollect
Fathers was destroyed at the end of the Second World War during the Liberation of
Manila in 1945.
The Black Nazarene is made of ivory. It is pictured in the kneeling position and
measures about 5'5” along with the halo and the cross itself is 6'0 in length.

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The statue is dressed in a heavy velvet maroon coloured tunic, embroidered with
floral or plant emblems in gold thread with lace trimmings on the collar and cuffs.
Around its waist, is a gold-plated metal belt inscribed with the word "NAZARENO"
while a golden chain and ball loops around the neck and is held in its left hand,
representing the flagellation.
The barefooted statue is in a genuflecting position, symbolizing the agony and the
weight of the cross with the pain Jesus suffered during His crucifixion.
The statue's original body has lost several fingers over the years, and the original
head has since been transferred several times onto a full-scale replica body by
renowned Filipino sculptor Gener Manlaqui as commissioned by the Archdiocese
of Manila. The statue carries a large wooden cross with gilded brass caps on its
ends. The head of the statue is covered with a braided wig made of dyed abaca
and a golden crown of thorns.

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MSGR. JOSE CLEMENTE F. IGNACIO
Rector/Parish Priest

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On January 9th each year, the Traslación of the Black Nazarene makes its way along
the streets of the Quiapo District, with attendees reaching up to 12 million. In recent
years, the processional route was altered due to a rise in vehicular and stampede
accidents, to afford other neighbourhoods off the traditional route a chance to
participate, and because of structural deficiencies in bridges along the route.
It is normally only a school holiday for all levels, but in 2014 the Mayor of Manila and
former President Joseph Estrada, for the first time in the city's history, declared it a
special non-working holiday due to the impassability of some thoroughfares and
projected congestion in others.
As per custom, the statue of the Nazarene leaves the Minor Basilica a day or two
before, either in a public fashion or clandestinely. Since 2007 and 2009, the
procession begins at around 08:00 after mass at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal
Park, near where the image was first enshrined and ends in Quiapo early the
following morning.

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photos by: www.solarnews.com and www.lugaluda.com

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Some participants choose to wait for the arrive on the grounds of the Minor Basilica
to greet it, while most devotees walk throughout the whole processional route.
All devotees wear maroon and yellow shirts similar the statue's ‘colours’, and they
walk barefoot as a form of penance and in remembrance of Jesus’ way to Golgotha.
Municipal Authorities estimate that over 500,000 devotees walked barefoot in the
2013 procession, which was attended by 9 million people. Attendees include
families of devotees, tourists, and members of devotees' associations throughout
the country (marked by their long vertical standards coloured in maroon or white or
other colors) and overseas visitors and participants.
The Black Nazarene is carried in procession on its carriage, the Ándas, which by
tradition can only be carried by men who are called namámasán ("bearers", i.e.
devotees pulling the Ándas by its two large ropes), but in recent years female
devotees have been allowed to participate. It is believed that the Kanang Balikat, or
right shoulder-side of the rope, is the most sacred side since it is believed to have
been where Jesus bore the cross.

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Marshals from the Minor Basilica form an honour guard for the Black Nazarene,
and are the only people allowed to ride with it on theÁndas for the duration of
the Traslación.
These marshalls are distinguishable from other devotees by the yellow shirts they
wear. Their primary job is to protect the statue from possible damage as well as to
direct the namámasán from the front of the procession and the crowds following
behind through hand gestures, voice commands and whistles.
They also help believers to climb the Ándas so that they might briefly touch the
statue or its cross, wipe towels or handkerchiefs tossed at them on parts of the
statue. The wiping of cloth on the statue, which is also done during the Pahalik
(kissing) vigil that precedes the Traslación. The Pahalik, is based on the belief that
the miraculous object's powers (its curative abilities) "rubs off" on cloth or the lips of
the believer. This transfer of sanctity through contact descends from the custom
of ex brandea (cloth wiped on the bodies or tombs of the Twelve Apostles).

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The Traslación is also notorious for the casualties that result from the jostling and
congestion of the crowds pulling the Ándas. The injuries and even deaths of
devotees are brought upon by one or a combination of heat, fatigue, or being
trampled upon by other devotees.
The 2012 Traslación is the longest in the procession's recorded history it ended on
arrival at Plaza Miranda around 05:15 on 10 January a full 22 hours after setting
out. The procession took longer than usual because the wheels of the Ándas broke
early on at a point near The Manila Hotel and the rope broke near Liwasang
Bonifacio.
There were additional reports of groups diverting the procession from its previously
agreed upon route in order to pass by business establishments outside of the
traditional route. This was done to allow homes and businesses off the planned
route to receive the good luck and blessings of the image.

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Religious veneration of the Black Nazarene is rooted among Filipinos who identify
themselves with the passion and suffering of Christ which the statue represents.
Many followers of the Black Nazarene relate their poverty and daily struggles to
the Passion of Christ as represented by the image.
While the actual patron saint of the Minor Basilica is Sainjt John the Baptist (the
church's actual feast day on 24 June), the Black Nazarene is more popular.
At the end of each Mass offered in the Minor Basilica, devotees pay homage to
the image by clapping their hands.

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The hymn Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno was composed by Lucio San Pedro to honour
the Black Nazarene. It is used by the Minor Basilica as the official anthem of the
devotion and its associated rites.
Tagalog lyrics
Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno,
Sinasambá Ka namin,
Pinipintuhò Ka namin
Aral Mo ang aming buhay
at Kaligtasan.
Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno,
Iligtás Mo kami sa Kasalanan.
Ang Krus Mong kinamatayán ay
Sagisag ng aming Kaligtasan.

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Tagalog lyrics
KORO:
Nuestro Padre Jesús
Nazareno,Dinarangál Ka namin
Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno
Nilul'walhatì Ka namin!
The hymn Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno was composed by Lucio San Pedro to honour
the Black Nazarene. It is used by the Minor Basilica as the official anthem of the
devotion and its associated rites.

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Filipinos overseas have brought the tradition of a procession and Mass
honouring of the Black Nazarene statue to countries such as Australia and
the United States.
As in Quiapo, a copy of the image is paraded through the streets or within the
parish bounds, with devotees reciting prayers in its wake.
In September 2012, a replica of the Black Nazarene was canonically enshrined
at Saint Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Parish in Reseda, California.

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As with most major churches in Manila, (this is something that doesn’t happen
here “in the Provinces”) for some reason it is strictly forbidden to photograph
within the precincts of the church itself.
Rommel Legaspi tried without success to speak with someone in charge at the
Church to obtain the necessary permissions. Unfortunately they were all
otherwise occupied with Parish business in the Community and were not able
to speak with him directly.

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On 29 August 1586, Governor-General Santiago de Vera founded the District of
Quiapo as a suburb of Spanish Manila.
Santiago de Vera was a native of Alacal de Henares, Spain and was the sixth
Spanish Governor of the Philippines, from May 16, 1584 until May 1590. Prior to his
arrival in the Philippines, the ‘current’ Governor, Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa
and Domingo de Salazar, the first Bishop of Manila had requested that the King
establish a Supreme Court in the Philippines, then called an “Audiencia” to settle
disputes between the Church and the Civil Authorities.
In 1584 three judges arrived from Mexico and started the Court of Justice with
Santiago de Vera as the First Chief Justice.
Following the sudden death of Governor Peñalosa, Diego Ronquillo, his nephew,
became the interim governor. He was later charged for defalcation in the trust of
Peñalosa's estate and was sent back to Spain as a prisoner.
As the chief justice of the court, Santiago de Vera succeeded as the governor of the
islands on May 16, 1584.

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Following the great fire of Manila on March 19, 1583, which started during the
wake of Governor Gonzalo R. de Peñalosa which started in San Augustine
Church. Santiago de Vera ordered that all future construction in Manila should be
of stone. It was found that stone could be easily cut near the banks of the Pasig in
Guadalupe (now Guadalupe Viejo in Makati) and brought to Manila in boats.
Peñalosa also built the first stone fort of Manila called Nuestra Señora de
Guia (Our Lady of Guidance) in 1587 located at the present location of San Diego
Bastion (Baluarte de San Diego) at the south western corner of Intramuros with
plans by a Jesuit named Sedeño. The artillery for this fort was cast by Panday
Pira.
De Vera also began to dig the moat which surrounded the city. He also built the
stone breastwork along the Pasig riverfront. The great wall was not begun until
Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas became Governor following De Vera’s death.

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The Franciscan Missionaries built the first church on the site, using bamboo for the
frame and nipa as thatching. Saint Pedro Bautista, a Franciscan missionary and
martyr, was one of the founders of the Quiapo Church and several other churches in
what is now Metro Manila and Laguna. The original church burned down in 1639 and
was replaced by a stronger edifice, which was partially destroyed by
an earthquake in 1863.
Under the supervision of Rev. Eusebio de León and Rev. Manuel Roxas, the third
church was completed in 1899. Roxas had raised the unprecedented amount of Php
40,000.00 from donations and lay contributions.
On 30 October 1928, the church again caught fire and was almost completely
destroyed. Doña Encarnación Nakpíl de Orense, then the head of the Parish
Committee, raised funds for the reconstruction. Filipino National Artist, architect Juan
Nakpil (the son of composer Julio Nakpil) added the dome and a second belfry to the
church.

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We want to thank the following for the contributions to this article:
1. Photos provided by:
Architect Rommel Legaspi, www.solarnews.com and www.lugalude.com
2. www.wikipedia.org

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If you have suggestions or recommendations on how we can improve
this service for you please send your ideas along to:
info@historicphilippines.com

The Church of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo, Manila, a very special and old Chuch

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The Church of the Black Nazarene, Quiapo, Manila, a very special and old Chuch