President Rodrigo Duterte urged Catholics nationwide to offer prayers on Jan. 9 to the Philippines’ most revered object of devotion — the Black Nazarene — for everyone infected by Covid-19 after the country recorded its highest daily tally yet.
On Jan. 9, the Philippines registered a record day tally of 28,707 new infections, taking the total number of cases to 2,965,447, according to the health department.
The new record came on the day Filipinos would have marked the feast of the Black Nazarene, the festivities for which were canceled for the second year in a row to avoid further transmission of the virus.
The Black Nazarene is a centuries-old dark figure of a kneeling Jesus Christ carrying the cross which is thought to have first arrived in the Philippines in 1606.
Every year a day-long procession usually attended by millions of devotees carries the image to Quiapo Church in Manila.
With this year’s procession canceled again, Duterte urged Filipinos to understand the value of suffering amid the pandemic.
May we remain united in spirit and in truth as we continue to build a future that is truly blessed with peace, prosperity, love and goodwill to all
“This venerated religious tradition, which commemorates the transfer of the image of Jesus Christ from its original place in Intramuros to its current shrine in Quiapo, is also a precious time for every devotee to understand the value of suffering and its saving grace,” Duterte said in a message on Jan. 9.
He said faith was a gift every Filipino Catholic possessed.
“Faith is the conviction of things that we hope for, even if unseen. Although we may not be able to take part in the usual … activities that have marked the celebration for centuries, let us keep demonstrating our faith by praying for our country’s recovery and for humanity’s complete healing, especially the ill effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
The president also called on the country to show unity as its medical and health professionals battle the surge of the Omicron variant which has left virtually no hospital bed spare in the country.
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“May we remain united in spirit and in truth as we continue to build a future that is truly blessed with peace, prosperity, love and goodwill to all,” Duterte said.
Manila archbishop Cardinal Jose Advincula said that although devotees could not be with the Black Nazarene physically, faith teaches them that Christ enters every home.
“He is the one who journeys with us now, especially as we continue to fight the coronavirus. He is the one who is holding the rope and unties the knots in our lives. He has paved the way for us to repent and to change our lives,” Cardinal Advincula said on Jan. 9.
Cardinal Advincula said devotees may not have joined the image in its procession but it is Christ who knocks on each person’s heart waiting to enter.
“The Black Nazarene is the one who joins and accompanies us. It is not we who are accompanying him,” he said.
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