Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 5, 2022 / 16:28 pm
Philippine authorities are canceling the country’s “Black Nazarene” procession — an annual event where millions of Catholics accompany a revered statue of Jesus through the streets of Manila —for a second year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government’s coronavirus task force called off the Jan. 9 procession, or “Traslacion,” before related celebrations were scheduled to begin on Friday, Reuters reported.
For centuries, the Black Nazarene — a statue of a dark life-size Jesus carrying his cross — has symbolized passion, struggle, and faith for Filipino Catholics. The faithful usually carry a replica of the statue through Manila on Jan. 9, the feast of the Black Nazarene. You can learn about the fascinating history of this centuries-old tradition here.
A minor basilica in Manila, known as Quiapo Church, houses the miraculous statue that has survived fires that destroyed the church twice, as well as earthquakes, typhoon flooding, and bombings during World War II.
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