Last Tuesday, starting midnight, up to Thursday early morning, I observed and marginally participated in the Traslacion activities. I will not claim to have participated fully as a devotee but more from the sidelines, using both eyes of science and faith to make sense of the experience of this commemoration of the transfer from Intramuros to Quiapo of the image of the Black Nazarene.
As Wikipedia describes it, “The Black Nazarene is a life-sized image of a dark-skinned, kneeling Jesus Christ carrying the Cross enshrined in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in the Quiapo district of the City of Manila, Philippines. The Black Nazarene was carved by an unknown Mexican from a dark wood in the 16th century in Mexico and then transported to the Philippines in 1606. It depicts Jesus en route to his crucifixion. Pope Innocent X granted recognition to the lay Confraternity of Santo Cristo Jesús Nazareno in 1650 for the promotion of the devotion to Jesus through the icon. It was housed in several churches near Manila in the early decades, arriving in Quiapo Church in 1787 where it has been enshrined ever since.”
January 9 is actually not the Feast of the Black Nazarene but it is the day in 1787 the image was transferred (thus the procession is called the Traslacion) from Intramuros to Quiapo. In a way, the Traslacions in other places, like my home city Cagayan de Oro, is not historically based. But people probably do not mind this. My understanding is that Quiapo Church has been kind enough to provide other parishes replicas of the image.
I attended the midnight mass in Rizal Park presided over by Monsignor Hernando “Ding” Coronel, currently Rector of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (popularly known as Quiapo Church) and concelebrated by dozens of priests. I listened to the homily of Cardinal Chito Tagle where he exhorted devotees to make Jesus, the Nazarene, “our way, truth, and life,” the center of their Traslacion. He meant not just the procession that was about to happen but everyone’s life journey which is full of Traslacions. That resonated with me as I am currently in transition from the Ateneo de Manila and the Manila Observatory where I had just retired to a new destination and mission that is not yet clear to me.
I lined up for the “pahalik” and kissed the feet of the image of the Black Nazarene displayed in the Quirino Grandstand. I also got to approach and touch the Andas, the carriage where the Black Nazarene would be mounted. During the actual procession, I would not dream of trying to go near the Andas. So I took the opportunity to approach it before the midnight mass. I knew that a few hours later, and for the next 20-30 hours after that, the Andas would be carrying the image of the Black Nazarene that would be the object of devotion of millions and it would be difficult to approach it. Someday, I might dare but not this year.
I did all of these, offering prayers, with intentions engraved in my heart.
I also used scientific eyes to observe and learn from what I was seeing.
Upon invitation of Monsignor Ding, my Ateneo de Manila college classmate and PHD student/advisee at the Ateneo School of Government, I joined him, Monsignor Clem Ignacio, currently Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Manila and former Rector of Quiapo Church, and many others at the command center.
Throughout those days, I mingled with devotees, observed their behavior, and listened to their conversations.
I thank Monsignor Ding for giving me access to the activities and to the command center. I told him I wanted to understand how they were approaching this annual event from a disaster risk reduction and management point of view but the truth is I also wanted to experience the Traslacion from the point of view of a Catholic, a fellow believer of the devotees.
I also thank Monsignor Clem for his role in propagating this devotion, in helping believers see the Traslacion as above all a spiritual experience. To prepare for my own participation, I read and benefited from the writing and interviews of Monsignor Clem, who was also my contemporary in Ateneo de Manila.
Using my perspective as a leadership and governance expert, I have to say I was very impressed with the coordination between government (local and national agencies), Church, and civil society (represented by the hijos who are of course the main heroes here). The police especially were very helpful. General Joel Coronel, Manila Police Chief, should be congratulated for the good work that his men did to secure the devotees and ensure the Traslacion.
Someone once said that there is a method to the madness in the Traslacion. For sure, there is a lot of up to date science behind the scenes to ensure the safety of devotees. Monsignor Ding’s dissertation PHD topic, with me as adviser, is disaster risk reduction and management and so he is able to tap into the latest knowledge to do this well. In the command center were all the government agencies and citizen organizations that are ready to respond to any emergency. I was impressed by their holistic and comprehensive approach to safety.
By midnight, in Rizal Park, there were already hundreds of thousands in Rizal Park participating in the mass, joining in the pahalik, and waiting for the procession to begin. At the height of the procession, there were millions of devotees, including those who actually joined as well as those who lined the streets. There are many people with disabilities and illnesses and quite a lot of seniors and children. There were families, too.
Inside and outside Quiapo Church, during the day, there were also hundreds of thousands, maybe a million people, already at by noon. Quiapo Church was full the whole day. I found myself asking: How will the hundreds of thousands walking with the Nazarene squeeze in? They will. They are always able to. Like many, I felt not just excitement but something more intense.
Many devotees came barefoot. Renee Fopalan explains why: “One of the key characteristics of the procession is that people attend barefoot. Most people, at least. There’s more than one reason people attend barefoot. They say it shows humility, as in being barefoot, everyone becomes equal. Also, it’s a way to make sure that people don’t get hurt when they step on each other. Stepping on each other is inevitable. People step on each other in the crush of the crowd, while some step on the sea of people going to and from the actual image.”
Cardinal Tagle once said about the Traslacion that “To understand the devotee, you have to be a devotee yourself.” I think I get that now. What amazed me most in this experience was to see people from all walks of life, majority poor but not exclusively, more men but quite a lot of women, old and young, join the Traslacion. The prevailing feelings I saw in these people were twofold: an overwhelming sense of gratitude and a deep and unconditional love for The Nazarene. People of course came with petitions and to experience mercy and forgiveness but these seemed secondary to the attitude of praise that I saw reflected in their actions.
So for me, definitely, I can’t be a skeptic anymore. I, too was filled with thanksgiving and love for the Nazarene, and can sing this song of praise with zeal: “Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, Dinarangal Ka namin! Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, Nilul’walhati Ka namin! (Our Father Jesus Nazarene, We honor Thee! Our Father Jesus Nazarene,
We glorify Thee!”)
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