Nazareno devotees more behaved this year – Quiapo Church official

By Ferdinand Patinio, Philippine News Agency

FILE: A sea of Jesus Nazareno devotees, clad in mostly maroon and yellow shirts, show their devotion to the religious image by climbing the andas (carriage), throwing their white towels to have them wiped onto the statue’s glass case, or getting hold of the rope. (PNA photo by Yancy Lim)

MANILA – Devotees of Jesus Nazareno are “much more behaved” this year as they followed rules during the start of the annual Traslacion, a Quiapo Church official said Thursday.

“This is our prayer that every year we expect a change. When it comes to maturity of devotees, this is a good sign that we are growing in faith,” Quiapo Church spokesperson Fr. Robert Arellano said in an interview. “We see better what is important and what is not.”

This year’s Traslacion, or the procession of the Nazareno image from the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta to the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno along Quezon Boulevard, began at 4:41 a.m. on Thursday.

Arellano said when the “andas,” or the carriage carrying the image, started to move, devotees were “much more behaved, unlike during pre-pandemic, they were very aggressive, they were shouting.”

Estimated crowd

Meanwhile, as of noon, the crowd at the Traslacion has reached 133,500, according to the estimate of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Both the NCRPO and Arellano said the situation has been peaceful so far and no untoward incident has been reported.

“Generally, things are going well at the Quirino Grandstand. Noticeably, it was quiet and peaceful. There was no report received of commotion or trouble or anything that interfered with the celebration of the Mass, the vigil because these are the most important activities here,” Arellano said.

“And if you notice, people are quiet when they come out of the stairs and everyone cooperates. Let’s just hope it continues until we arrive at Quiapo Church.”

Security

Manila Police District (MPD) Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, meanwhile, urged devotees to look out for suspicious individuals to maintain peace and order during the Traslacion.

“Ang safety at security ay hindi lang po responsibilidad ng kapulisan lamang. Kaya po sa ating mga kababayan, kung sakali po meron tayong mapansin na kahina-hinala na galaw ng mga tao o bagay, lapitan po agad kami kasi nakita niyo naman, naka-deploy kami nang maayos (Safety and security are not only the responsibility of the police. To our fellow citizens, if you notice any suspicious movement or individuals, please approach us immediately. As you can see, we are well-deployed),” Ibay told reporters during a chance interview at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno.

“This is for the safety of everybody,” he added.

Ibay said about 14,500 personnel from the NCRPO, police regional offices in Central Luzon and Calabarzon, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology have been deployed to secure the Traslacion.

The Traslacion is a reenactment of the transfer of the more-than-400-year-old image of the Jesus Nazareno from Bagumbayan (Luneta Park) to Quiapo Church and is one of the major events at the Quirino Grandstand related to the Feast of the Jesus Nazareno this year.

Aside from the Traslacion, the other three events are the traditional “pahalik” (kissing of the Nazareno image), the vigil Mass, and the Misa Mayor, which was officiated by Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula.

In his homily, Advincula urged devotees to remember two things: to hope in Jesus and to follow Him.

“The people should follow Him and not money, bad people, vices, or other material things. There is only one thing we can rely on; only one thing that gives hope that does not disappoint – Jesus Nazareno. So, we should follow Him. We should live by His instructions; His teachings we should put in our hearts; and His example we should follow,” the cardinal said.

Bishop Teodoro Bacani concelebrated the Fiesta Mass with Bishop Antonio Tobias and Quiapo Rector Bishop-elect Rufino Sescon Jr.

This year marks the first time that the Feast Day of Jesus Nazareno is celebrated nationwide after it was declared a national liturgical feast last year. (with Lloyd Caliwan, PNA)