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The Black Nazarene, known to devotees in Spanish as Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (abbreviated as NPJN, Filipino: Mahal na Itim na Nazareno, English: Our Father Jesus Nazarene) is a life-sized, dark-coloured, wooden sculpture of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, believed to be miraculous by many Filipino Catholics. Originally fair or light-complexioned, it turned dark after it was exposed to fire on its arrival from Mexico. The image is currently in the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines, where it is venerated with the weekly Friday Novena Masses and several annual processions. The most famous of these is on January 9, celebrating its transfer (Traslación) and enshrinement in the Basilica, and is attended by several million devotees.

The statue's original carver is an anonymous Mexican carpenter, and the image arrived in the Islands via galleon from Acapulco, Mexico. Folk tradition attributes the colour of the Black Nazarene to a fire on the ship carrying it, charring the image from its original fair tone into its present dark complexion.

There were actually two identical images of Black Nazarene brought to Manila. The first and more famous one was kept at the old church of San Nicolas de Tolentino in Bagumbayan and later transferred to Intramuros when the old edifice was demolished. This Black Nazarene was part of the celebrated Palm Sunday procession in intramuros, and was destroyed in the bombing during the Battle of Manila in February 1945.

The other statue was given by the Recollect Priests to the Quiapo church, and it has been often mistaken for the image lost during the war.

To protect the centuries-old image from the wear and stress during processions, the priests of the Quiapo Basilica commissioned a replica. The head and hands of the original are now placed on the copy of the body while the old torso holds the new head and hands. Both images are used for processions, alternating every other year save for the 400th anniversary in 2007, when the original was used as a whole.

The religious veneration of the Black Nazarene is rooted among Filipinos for the Passion of Jesus Christ. Many devotees of the Black Nazarene identify their poverty and daily struggles to the wounds and tribulations experienced by Jesus, as represented by the image. Although the patron saint of the basilica itself is Saint John the Baptist, the Black Nazarene ranks first in popularity due to its mass appeal.

Commonly known as its original Spanish title Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, the statue has merited the canonical sanction of Pope Pius VII who gave his Apostolic Blessing in the 19th century thereby granting plenary indulgence to those who piously pray before the statue.

Another Papal sanction came from Pope Innocent X, who approved the Confraternity of the Most Holy Jesus Nazarene (Cofradia de Nuestro Santo Jesus Nazareno) which traditionally only accepted male members.

Devotees also pay homage to the Black Nazarene by clapping their hands in praise at the end of Mass offered at the shrine.

Every Friday of the year is dedicated to the Black Nazarene, with the novena being held not only in the basilica but in other churches nationwide. This has led to the colloquial expression "Quiapo Day" for Fridays, especially when referring to the traffic jams that occur around the area due to the influx of devotees attending Masses that start in the early morning and end in the late hours of the night.

Two major and two minor processions are held annually to honour the Black Nazarene, namely one on the feast day itself and another on Good Friday. The procession during the January 9 feast commemorates the Traslación, the transfer of the image to its present shrine in Quiapo. 

The Black Nazarene is carried into the streets for procession in a shoulder-bourne carriage known to devotees as the andas. The estimated number of devotees wear the colour maroon, associated with the image, and go barefoot in imitation of Jesus on his way to Mount Calvary. Traditionally, only men are permitted to hold the ropes pulling the image's carriage, but in recent years female devotees have also participated in the procession. These rope pullers are traditionally called namámasán. People who have touched the Black Nazarene are reported to have been cured of their diseases, and Catholics come from all over Manila to touch the image in the hopes of a miracle. Towels or handkerchiefs are hurled to the marshals and escorts guarding the Black Nazarene with requests to wipe these on the statue in hopes of the miraculous powers attributed to it "rubbing off" on the cloth articles.

The procession held on the feast day is notorious for the annual casualties that result from the jostling and congestion of the crowds engaged in pulling the carriage. The injuries and even deaths of devotees are brought upon by one or a combination of heat, fatigue, or being trampled upon by other devotees.

The image is also brought out on two other occasions, namely New Year's Day and Good Friday, the latter being markedly more sombre and silent in contrast to the loud celebration found during the 9 January procession.

Below are the lyrics of the National Hymn composed by Lucio San Pedro, which is used by the Quiapo church as the main hymn to the Black Nazarene.

Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, (Our Father Jesus Nazarene,)

Sinasamba Ka namin (We worship Thee)

Pinipintuho Ka namin (We admire Thee)

Aral Mo ang aming buhay (For Thy teachings are our life)

at Kaligtasan. (and Salvation.)

Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno (Our Father Jesus Nazarene,)

Iligtas Mo kami sa Kasalanan (Deliver us from Sin)

Ang Krus Mong Kinamatayan ay (For the Cross Thou died on is)

Sagisag ng aming Kaligtasan. (The Emblem of our Salvation)

Chorus:

Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, (Our Father Jesus Nazarene,)

Dinarangal Ka namin! (We honour Thee!)

Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, (Our Father Jesus Nazarene,)

Nilul'walhati Ka namin! (We glorify Thee!)

Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, (Our Father Jesus Nazarene,)

Dinarangal Ka namin! (We honour Thee!)

Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, (Our Father Jesus Nazarene,)

Nilul'walhati Ka namin! (We glorify Thee!)

Each year, the procession of the Black Nazarene makes its way along the streets of the Quiapo district, with attendees reaching up to 6 to 8 million. In recent years, the processional route was altered due to a rise in vehicular and stampede accidents, and to afford other neighborhoods a chance to participate in the festivities. Classes are also suspended in all levels.

As is custom, the statue of the Nazarene leaves the Quiapo church (publicly or secretly the night before) and returns to the church on the same day. Many participants either follow the route, or simply wait inside the church to greet the statue. The task of pulling the ropes of the andas is traditionally exclusive to male devotees and is now participated also by female devotees too, while all devotees present wear the image's colour of maroon. Noli de Castro, a renowned television journalist and former Vice-President, is known to be a life-long devotee of the image, and is always seen among the throng of men pulling the andas.

Source: Wikipedia

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