Lesson 18: Popular Devotions of the Philippine Catholic Church

Learning Targets: At the end of this lesson, I can:

Doctrine: Explain the different devotions of the Philippine Church especially the
devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Morals: Show respect to the different devotions
Prayer: Compose a prayer of petition for the different intentions.

The Santo Niño

It all began when an image of the Holy Child, called the Santo Niño, was given as
a baptismal gift to the local chief’s wife by Spanish explorers led by Portguese-
born Ferdinand Magellan. When Magellan arrived in Cebu, he was received positively
by the local chief, Rajah Humabon. They were baptized to Catholicism together with his
800 subjects.
Rajah Humabon earned a new name,
Carlos, after the grandfather of the reigning
monarch, King Philip II (from where the name
Philippines comes), and his wife was
baptized as Juana, after King Philip’s
grandmother, Queen Juana of Castille.
When Magellan died and the
remaining crew returned to Spain, the natives
returned to their old beliefs and made the
image into a pagan idol. Under Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi, the Spaniards successfully Source:
colonized the Philippines in 1565. While https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/how-a-
baby-jesus-converted-the-philippines-to-catholicism/
raiding the villages, they saw the image
again underneath the fires. Legazpi ordered
that a shrine be built for the Santo Niño.
The oldest religious icon in the
Philippines
The Santo Niño is as old as the
Catholic faith in the country. Made by Flemish artisans, the statue, now known as the
Santo Niño de Cebu, is enshrined in a chapel within Basilica Minoredel Santo Niño de
Cebu, or simply Santo Niño Basilica. The statue may be a diminutive figure, but it
stands regal with its left hand holding a cross-bearing orb (a symbol of Christian
authority), while its other hand is in a priestly blessing gesture. It has a red cape with
intricate embroidery and on top of its head is a crown.
 Venerating the child Jesus was widespread in Spain during Magellan’s time with
European wood sculptors having the child god as their subject in the 1300s. Thus, it’s
not surprising that they gave it as a gift during the baptism rites of Rajah Humabon. (A
similar Infant Jesus icon is the Holy Child of Prague.)
The original statue brought by Magellan is still found in Cebu. Devotees can see
it encased in bullet-proof glass. Santo Niño is highly revered in Cebu and in other
places in the country and its popularity resulted in other versions of a Holy Child
dressed in ways people can relate to, from a policeman to a wandering child.
From Cebu, Santo Niño is venerated all over the country with festivals celebrated
every third Sunday of January. Cebu holds the annual Sinulog festival, the Philippines’
main religious festival in the child god’s honor, attracting millions of devotees and
tourists annually for decades.

The Devotion to Black Nazarene

Many periodicals and magazines give vivid and unique accounts of events or
happenings associated with the devotion to the Black Nazarene. Newspapers as well as
magazines commentators and writers
strikingly present a common
observation regarding the phenomenon
created by the image of the Black
Christ of Quiapo, especially during its
annual procession on January 1st and
9th and on Monday of Holy Week. A
huge crowd of devotees participate in
the procession an awe inspiring sight to
behold!
The spectacular sight caused by
the Black Nazarene of Quiapo during
its procession is eye-catching both for
tourists and observers. It makes one think that
Source: https://philippines.xaverians.org/philosophy/174-the-brief-
perhaps it is an odd blending of superstition, description-of-the-devotion-to-the-black-nazarene
religiosity and tradition. The procession which is
held sacred and a manifestation of piety at its
height would make a long time devotee silent rather than make a comment or
observation on it. It is a fact that the “Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno” procession held
every January 9th, the climax of the feastday of the most revered image of Quiapo,
draws thousands of faithful devotees, not only from within Manila and suburbs, but also
form the outlying provinces. People come from all walks of life, young and old, rich and
poor, sick and healthy, learned and unlearned.
The feast of the Nazarene is ushered in by daily novena services which start
from the first day of January. In the morning of January 9, the festivity is accented by
brass bands numbering from 76 to 100 members. This morning’s musical parade
marches through all the streets of Quiapo winding about the market to Quiapo Church
itself. Entertainment programs follow. These activities are sponsored by wealthy
residents, commercial establishments and well-to-do devotees from Quiapo. This
musical tradition according to Quiapo old-timers started about two decades or more ago
when the “comite de festijos” decided to have this morning parade to enliven the
annual “fiesta.” The feastday celebration is climaxed with a big afternoon procession
bearing the centuries-old image of the Black Nazarene throughout the main streets of
the populous district. The Black Christ, an image of the Suffering God-Man bent in pain
with the heavy cross on his shoulders, is the object of the devotion of the devotees
especially among the male penitents. As part of their vows or “panata,” they participate
annually in the long and passionate procession. As soon as the Black Nazarene has
inched its way through the Church aisle, a free-for-all affair ensures. The strongest
among the participant devotees get the privilege, if they can hold on till the end, to stay
closest to the Nazarene.
The life-sized image of Christ is carried and pulled through the procession by
barefooted, sweating men-devotees. These men purposely barefoot and wearing T-
shirts initialed with NPJN (for Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno), with towels tied around
the head or slung on shoulders, aim to touch the Black Christ. Many climb and walk
literally on heads and shoulders just to reach and kiss or touch the image. The long
rope that pull the Nazareno’s “carroza” (carriage) is tugged sidewards - towards the
right then left – by the devotees. Doing this they believe their vows will be ultimately
realized. They believe that they can serve as the Nazarene’s bearer, no matter how
short they are. Bruises and inconveniences are sustained for favors and blessings
received. Women devotees, on the other hand, wear heavy maroon robes and a wreath
for a crown. They bear the heat of the sun as they edge close to the Black Nazarene
during the procession. As the procession moves inches its way through the main streets
of Quiapo, the SeñorNazareno sways, dips, swerves, lunges. The sensitive shoulders of
those who bear Him brace up to check the balance, careful to avoid a leftward tilt, which
for them is a bad omen. Wild scenes like pushing or pulling each other occur, quite
beyond control as excited men-devotees pull the carriage bearing the statue through a
milling mass of humanity. Such occurrences are due to their eagerness to keep close to
the image.
A “view” of the devotions to the Black Nazarene during the ordinary Friday
happenings is worth seeing. Even on regular Fridays there is much to see and to
observe in Quiapo Church. Outside the Church, are vendors selling candles. A devotee
may choose to buy a candle together with a small wax-image of a human body or a part
there of such as the head, the arm or the leg. This devotee desiring to pray for a certain
intention like a cure for an illness may buy the same type of candle and leave it burning
outside the Church as the goes inside to pray. A person my buy a medallion which, with
the appropriate verbal formula, supposedly conveys or possesses specific powers such
as protection from bullets or bladed weapons. Anything touched to the image or when a
person has helped pull the Nazareno’s “carroza” is regarded as certain immunity
against any accident or physical harm.
Let us learn more:

1. Are the devotions to the Sto.Niño and the Black Nazarene, a sign of fanaticism or of
religiosity? Why?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

2. Compare and contrast the devotions to Sto. Niño and the Black Nazarene.

Devotions

Sto. Niño

Black Nazarene
 Write a prayer of commitment for a particular religious devotion.

References

Caulin, V. (2017). How the Baby Jesus Doll converted the Philippines to Catholicism.
Retrieved fromhttps://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/how-a-baby-
jesus-converted-the-philippines-to-catholicism/.
Jacoc, W. (1975). Toward a Theology of the Devotion to the Black Nazarene in Quiapo.
A Brief Description of the Devotion to the Black Nazarene. Retrieved December
16, 2020 from https://philippines.xaverians.org/philosophy/174-the-brief-
description-of-the-devotion-to-the-black-nazarene.