The main highlight of the
Feast of the Black Nazarene is the
Traslación,
taken from the Spanish term for
"passage" or "movement".
The Feast of the Black Nazarene (Filipino: Pista ng Itím na Nazareno), officially and liturgically as Feast of Jesus Nazareno (Filipino: Pista ng Jesus Nazareno) is a religious festival held in Manila, Philippines. It is also known as the Traslación after the mass procession associated with the feast. It is centered around the Black Nazarene, an image of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated annually on January 9.
History
The Feast of the Black Nazarene commemorates the anniversary of the translation or the transfer of the image from its original location at a church in modern-day Luneta Park, to Quiapo. The image was brought to the Church of San Juan Bautista in Bagumbayan, now Luneta, until May 31, 1606, by Augustinian Recollect priests. In 1608, the icon was enshrined at the Recollect church of San Nicolás de Tolentino in Intramuros. It was moved to the Saint John the Baptist Church, which is now commonly referred to as the Quiapo Church, on January 9, 1787. The "solemn transfer" eventually became the date of the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
Names and characterization
There are opposing views on whether to consider the Feast of the Black Nazarene as a proper fiesta due to the fact that the January 9 observance celebrates the transfer of the image and not the liturgical "feast day" of the image. The proper liturgical commemoration of the Black Nazarene is on Good Friday. In 2021, the Basilica's former parochial vicar Douglas Badong explained that the Feast of the Black Nazarene is 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 colloquially referred to as "Nazareno" after the image itself, or the Traslación after the January 9 procession. The word “Traslación” is often corrupted to the incorrect "translacion".
Pahalík
The Black Nazarene image at the Quirino Grandstand during the traditional Pahalík. The Pahalík ("kissing") is usually done a day or a few days before the actual start of the procession at the Quirino Grandstand. Devotees form long lines outside the Grandstand, waiting for hours to be able to touch the image of the Nazareno.
The wiping of cloth on the image, which is also done during the actual procession itself, follows the folk belief that cloth can absorb the powers of a holy object, usually and specifically its curative abilities. This sanctity-through-contact descends from the ancient custom of ex brandea, cloth wiped on the bodies or tombs of the Twelve Apostles, itself part of the wider category of third-class relics.
Traslación
The main highlight of the Feast of the Black Nazarene is the Traslación, taken from the Spanish term for "passage" or "movement".
Every January 9, the Traslación of the Black Nazarene, commemorating the "solemn transfer" of the image's copy from San Nicolás de Tolentino in Intramuros to Quiapo, makes its way along the streets of Quiapo, with attendees reaching up to 6.5 million devotees. In recent years a persistent misconception has the Traslación being repeatedly referred to, by the media as well as unscrupulous politicians, as mostly the "Feast of the Black Nazarene" (Pistá ng Itím na Nazareno), and sometimes the "Feast of Quiapo" (Pistá ng Quiapo), which despite the chaotic yet festive atmosphere are far from correct: the Nazareno's liturgical commemoration is on Good Friday (the second date of the year on which the image is processed). The basilica's parochial feast day, meanwhile, is on June 24 (concurrent with Manila Day) – the birthday of its titular, John the Baptist.
As per custom, the Nazareno leaves the Minor Basilica a day or two before the annual procession, either in a public fashion or clandestinely. Since 2016, the procession begins at around 05:30 AM PST (GMT+8) after a solemn midnight High Mass (Filipino: Misa Mayor) at the Quirino Grandstand presided by the Archbishop of Manila, followed hours later by the Morning Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. It ends in Quiapo in late night of the same day or early the following morning, depending on how long the image has travelled. Some participants choose to wait for the image inside the Minor Basilica to greet it, while most devotees walk throughout the whole processional route.
All devotees wear maroon and yellow like the image, and they walk barefoot as a form of penance and in emulation of Christ's walk to Golgotha. Authorities estimate that over 500,000 devotees strode barefoot in the 2013 procession, which whole almost week long event was attended by 9 million people. Attendees include families of devotees, tourists, and members of devotees' associations throughout the country and overseas, all carrying their long estandartes (religious gonfalon) usually coloured maroon or white and embroidered in gold and emblazoned with the image and the association name.
Devotees around the "Ándas" of the Black Nazarene
The Black Nazarene is processed upon the Ándas, and traditionally only men were permitted to be mamámasán ("bearers"), the devotees pulling the wheeled ándas by its two large ropes. In recent years, female mamámasán have been allowed to participate, with pregnant women barred for safety reasons. There is also the custom of vying to touch the Kanang Balikat, or the rope to the side of the image's right shoulder. Folk belief holds it to possesses great sanctity, as it is closer to imitating the image bearing the Cross.
Marshals from the Minor Basilica, known as the Hijos del Nazareno ("Sons of the Nazarene"), form an honor guard around the image, and are the only people permitted to ride the ándas for the duration of the Traslación. The Hijos – distinguishes from maroon-clad devotees by their yellow and white shirts – have the primary task of protecting the icon from damage and directing the mamámasán in front and behind using hand gestures, voice commands (sometimes through a megaphone), and whistle signals. In addition, they help devotees clamber up onto the ándas to briefly touch the icon's cross, and wipe the image with cloths tossed at them.
La Mirata or the Dungaw Rite
The traditional Dungaw, a Tagalog calque of the rite's Spanish name Mirata, "to see" or "to view", involves the Black Nazarene, coming from Hidalgo Street, being made to stop briefly at Plaza del Carmen, a square along the southwest flank of the neo-Gothic Basílica Menor de San Sebastián, before proceeding towards Bilibid Viejo Street. The rite, which was discontinued in the early 1900s for still-unknown reasons, was revived and reincorporated into the Traslación on January 9, 2014, after the discovery of old documents attesting to its practice.
The presiding priests then shout "¡Viva Jesús Nazareno!" to which the crowd replies "¡Viva!" and "¡Viva Virgen del Carmen!" to which the customary reply is "¡Guapa!"; this cheer is done thrice. Shortly thereafter, the priests slowly turn the Virgin's image so that it "watches" the Black Nazarene and its procession depart the vicinity of Plaza del Carmen. The image of the Virgin is then returned to the high altar, or the replica returned to its proper place, while the choir sings the devotional hymn Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno.[25]
Theologically, the Dungaw rite reflects the fourth Traditional Station of the Cross, where Christ meets his Mother, the Virgin Mary, en route to Golgotha, and reflects the closeness of Christ and his Mother. The rite is also seen as a "courtesy" of the Virgin's image towards the Black Nazarene, as the former's shrine is along the processional route.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Black_Nazarene
Published:
January 09, 2025, 6:08 AM