Quiapo Church suspends ‘kissing’ of Black Nazarene image

FILE: Main altar of Quiapo Church with the image of the Black Nazarene (Photo by Ramon FVelasquez/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, or the Quiapo Church, advised on Thursday the faithful that the “pahalik” or the kissing of the image of the Black Jesus Christ has been temporarily stopped.

“[PAUMANHIN] Sa lahat ng mga Deboto, Mananampalataya sa Poong Hesus Nazareno. Ang PAHALIK ay pansamantalang isinara sa publiko bilang pag-iingat sa paglaganap ng (coronavirus disease 2019) Covid-19 (APOLOGY To all faithful and devotees of the Black Nazarene. The PAHALIK is temporarily stopped as part of measures against the spread of Covid-19),” it said on a Facebook post.

However, it urged the faithful to continue praying inside the church.

“Anuman pong idinulog na mga panalangin ay makakaasa po na makakarating sa Poong Nazareno (Anything that we will pray for will surely reach the Black Nazarene),” it added, urging devotees to continue to pray for the country and each other.

It has been the tradition of devotees to kiss the image of the Black Nazarene at the altar.

Millions of faithful join the annual feast of the image every January 9 and flock to the church especially during Fridays.