A look at the devotion to the Black Nazarene

A LOOK AT THE DEVOTION TO THE BLACK NAZARENE

Patrick C. Tan
Theology 2

Professor Alvin Jimenez

April 6, 2009

Introduction

The nation seemed to come to a halt. For most of us, we stop to revel on television the spectacle of seeing literally a sea of people, but for some hundreds of thousands of maroon-clad, bare-foot pilgrims, they find themselves at ground zero to revere the life-size statue of a suffering Christ. January 9, 2009 marked the 402^nd anniversary of the Feast of the Black Nazarene, which has drawn around three million devotees[i] and killed two by stampede in 2008. And as its coverage stream through the evening news, one cannot help but be in wonder of the power and influence of this ancient relic as it seemed to dance in this river flow of Nazarene devotees. This paper is written in hopes to accomplish the following objectives: (1) to provide a descriptive account of this four-centrury-old devotion, (2) to understand the belief system of its devotees, (3) to affirm the values embedded in this devotion in the light of Scriptures, and lastly, (4) to glean valuable lessons and develop practical applications from this tradition that may enrich our local evangelical church culture.

Research Methodologies

In order for these objectives to be accomplished, the author has resorted utilize the following methods of research: (1) First-hand observation – the author has visited Quiapo Church, home of the Black Nazarene, on the first Friday of the month—the official day of devotion for its devotees—to experience first-hand the sights and sounds of this celebrated devotion. (2) Interviews – the author conducted several interviews among its devotees that represent a generational cross-section of the Nazarene’s followers in an effort to develop a consolidated understanding of its devotee’s belief system. (3) Supplementary resources – the author has utilized supplementary resources such as books, news clippings and the Internet to provide further understanding of the subject. The author’s primary supplementary resource is the article entitled “Poverty, Religion and Culture in the Devotion to the Black Nazarene: Lessons on Being a Church Among the Poor” by Bina Agong, et al.

Overview

The heart of this religious devotion centers on the life-sized image of Christ. In this image called the Nazarenong Itim or the Black Nazarene, Jesus is portrayed as the suffering Christ. Black-skinned clad in a maroon-robe, wearing a crown of thorns, it is poised in a semi-kneeling position carrying a large wooden cross depicting what could have been the image of Christ when he was walking his death march to Golgotha.

Historical accounts say that the Black Nazarene was made by an unknown Mexican artist and was brought to the Philippines by Augustinian missionaries four-hundred years ago. Its intriguing black skin was attributed to a fire that devastated the Mexican galleon that carried it burning what was originally a mulatto or dark-brown skinned statue. The date January 9 is in fact not the actual feast day of the Black Nazarene but is the day when the Black Nazarene was transferred from its original shrine in Intramuros to its current home in Quiapo Church in Plaza Miranda. The actual date of establishment of the devotion is on April 20, 1621.[ii] Through the centuries the Black Nazarene has proved its surviving credential as it has withstood fires that destroyed Quiapo church in 1791 and 1929, earthquakes in the year 1645 and 1863, and the devastating destruction of the city of Manila during World War II[iii].

Devotees flock to Quiapo Church every Friday which is dubbed as “Quiapo Day” with the first Friday of the month given more significance in devotion. During the author’s visit of the site, the statue was located a little left from the façade of the building, protected from the elements by a large tent. Despite the heat of the day, debotos or devotees would patiently queue just to have a moment with the Black Nazarene in order to touch or kiss the statue for a special request or favor from the divine[iv]. Inside the church, masses are held in specific intervals which at that time the church was always full that an outflow of parishioners worship from outside the church. On the left size of the church is a court where more parishioners are convened, a large LCD screen is hoisted in this area covering the activity of the presiding priest inside and take glimpses of what seemed to be another Black Nazarene statue located inside the church.

During the Feast Day on January 9, pilgrims would sacrificially walk barefoot despite long distances to Quiapo Church. Their goal, to be able to touch the image as it winds through the narrow streets of Quiapo when it is brought in procession by the masses. And if touching the image would be impossible if not life-threatening, throwing a towel and have it wiped on the image by one of its caretakers would suffice. Each devotees would have oaths or panata to fulfill in exchange for relief from physical, financial or even familial crises in life. The last feast (2009) took a different approach as organizers set the start of the procession in Quirino Grandstand, a much larger venue by far, in an effort to minimize the casualties and injuries during procession[v].

Interviews

The author has conducted interviews among five devotees which represent a cross-section of the span of generations that are practicing the devotion to the Black Nazarene. This section will present the result of the interview and provide consolidated observations and interpretations of the collected data.

The following were the pool of questions that were asked by the author to the devotee (though it was not necessary that all questions were asked to the devotee):

How long have you been a devotee of the Black Nazarene?

What circumstances in life that has moved you to become a devotee of the Black Nazarene?

What blessings have you experienced as a devotee of the Black Nazarene?

How many times do you go to church in a month?

What would you say is the driving force or circumstances that lead you to continue in your devotion to the Black Nazarene?

How do you live out your devotion to the Black Nazarene in everyday life?

Give one to three underlying themes or concerns of your prayers to the Black Nazarene.

In your point of view, what is the relationship of the Nazarene to the Sto. Niño, to the Hesus ng Pagkabuhay (Ressurected Christ)? Would you say that they are just divine person or deities that have their own identity?

Do you believe and resort to folk means of problem solving such as hilot (folk therapy), albularyo (medicine men), hula (fortune telling) or tawas (divination)?

How would you relate modern medicine to divine healing?

How would you pass on your devotion to the younger generation?

The following are the account of the author’s interviews.

Constancia Dimaculangan, 76

Nanay Constancia is a 76-year-old sampaguita vendor from Solis, Tondo, Manila. She has been a devotee to the Black Nazarene since time immemorial. The practice was handed down to her by her own mother. Today she sells sampaguita leis to other devotees to offer to the Black Nazarene and then take home as symbol of its presence. She affectionately calls the Black Nazarene Mahal na Anak (Beloved Son).

When asked about the common prayer concerns that she entreats to the Nazarene it is protection from sickness and the good well-being of her family. She would religiously pray to the Nazarene even when in other place. She also showed the author a special rosary which has a silver, double-sided image of the crucifix which she claims to have potent miraculous power.

When asked what blessings she receives from the Nazarene, she passionately boasts of her exploits as one who is trying to win a person over. She thankfully acknowledges the Nazareno as the one who keeps her away from sickness, being an elderly woman well-advanced in years. She also attributes to the Nazareno the protection of her son from the brush with death twice—first from a vehicular accident and second from a violent knife attack.

Her devotion to the Black Nazarene is one that is combined with folk belief, claiming that a certain holy man that roams in low-key amongst the crowds in Plaza Miranda is being possessed by the Mahal na Ina (Beloved Mother) pertaining to Mary the mother of Jesus. She claims that it is through this man that a revelation will be revealed perhaps the end of the world. By her way of account it can be observed that she places more faith on this holy man than the priest of the church but acknowledges both as authorities of faith.

Eduardo Duque, 36

Eduardo Duque is a 36-year-old father and factory worker from Paranaque City. A self-professed former drug addict and pusher three years ago, he acknowledges that he was delivered from drug addiction through the Black Nazarene. He recollects his first encounter with the Black Nazarene back through his father who started the familial tradition. In the eighties, their family has experienced loss of their home because of fire. Coming home to discover that their house had burned down, Eduardo’s father feared that his family might have been lost in the fire. Praying to the Nazarene and establishing an oath of devotion to the Nazarene, he discovers that his family is safe all along. Thus the start of their family devotion began. It was not until three years ago that Eduardo has become serious in following the Nazareno when he was delivered from drug addiction and drug trafficking.

He comes to Quiapo every first Friday of the month only, and he said he did not participate in the procession of the Nazarene last January but just waited for the image to return to the church. He also believes in the supernatural work of the Nazarene but does not believe in hula or fortune telling. When asked how he passes down his devotion to the younger generation he says that he does it by establishing personal relationships with the young people in the community.

Myrna Reyes, 43

Myrna Reyes is a 43-year-old mother of three from Bacoor, Cavite. She and her husband owns a furniture business located in upscale Alabang Town Center in Muntinglupa. Among the people that the author has interviewed, this subject is the most intriguing. She claims that she grew in an evangelical environment, with both her grandmothers pious women, she was immediate exposed to the evangelical church culture at a very young age through weekly Sunday School and Vacation Bible Schools (VBS). Despite growing in this kind of environment, also growing up with non-religious parents has drawn her away from the church by her teen years.

Her devotion came to be through her personal search for spiritual truth. She said that she prayed to God to reveal himself to her and God did answer her prayer. God led her to Quiapo Church where she discovers the devotion she would be doing for the rest of her life—the devotion to the Black Nazarene. In a span of nine years, she has barely made absences during the Friday Quiapo Day and still considers herself a novice devotee compared to others. By one’s conversation with this woman, one can sense her deep emotional attachment to the tradition, sometimes being moved to tears during the interview. She believes that the Nazarene and Jesus Christ are both one and the same. Earlier she caught the second half of the mass, so she goes to the mall to do some shopping. And when the mass has started again, she continued attending the mass until the point where she picked from earlier.

Carlos Tan, 67

Carlos Tan is a single Filipino-Chinese man from Binondo, Manila. It was distinct subject in that the subject is a Chinese and claims that more Chinese people like him are devout followers of the Nazarene. Since he began his devotion at 27, he has since regularly attended the mass every Friday.

Much of the dialogue with the subject revolves around personal healing and during the time of the interview, he was in the midst of a hilot (folk therapy) by a Chinese manghihilot (one who does hilot). He is a fervent believer in search of the more potent supernatural healing, moving from one manghihilot to another who is more powerful when he finds one. Like Nanay Constancia, Mang Carlos belief system is a combination of Roman Catholic faith and folk belief. This was the second of two instances about this holy man who comes from Banahaw who is constantly possessed by Mahal na Ina.

When asked about how does he live the Nazarene devotion from day to day, he gave an interesting remark about the true characteristic of a Nazareno devotee, that ceremonial rituals and practices are not as significant as the personal life change, in habits and attitudes. How the devotee relates with other people, he asserts, is the true measure of the Nazarene devotion.

Lisa Lugue, 18

Lisa Lugue is an 18-year-old incoming first year college student from Bacoor, Cavite. She came to the mass straight from school with her mother, from whom she received the practice of the devotion to the Nazareno. She considers herself a devout since she was a child. Her whole family is devoted to the Black Nazarene (in fact during the interview, they were waiting for their father that will come from Manila so they could attend mass together).

When asked if she could cite an experience of the Nazarene’s supernatural provision, she recounts a time when she was experiencing stress and confusion that she asked “Papa Jesus” to grant her peace of mind and thus it was granted her. She is more convinced that devotion to the Nazarene can be done anywhere through prayer, and that the Nazarene, Jesus Christ and God the Father are one and the same.

Observations

From the following interviews, the author has made the following observations:

Nazareno as an object of devotion and folk Catholicism

One observation the author has seen is though the Nazarene provides the oneness of faith among its devotees, as one examines each person’s devotion to the image, one will find contrasts and a wide-range of the manner of devotions, especially between the older generation and the younger generation. One would observe that compared to the younger and middle-aged devotees, older devotees such as Nanay Constancia and Mang Carlos tend to have a richer, thicker faith experience with the Nazareno molded by years of experience and needs being met. There is a sense that their devotion is strong and the Nazareno devotion has already been proven, thus making their loyalty virtually unshakable. The younger tend to have great respect for those who have lived the devotion longer and learn from them.

But despite of a strong loyalty to the Black Nazarene, older devotees understanding of devotion is mixed with folk traditions. And they accept it as complimentary to their Roman Catholic faith, not opposing, inseparable even to claim that it is part of the whole. Agong observes that this type of belief system is what one would call folk Catholicism wherein “its religious practices or behavior are identified closely with the cultural traditions of the people.”[vi] This type of religious affinity is what most Filipinos practice. Most of the older people would choose to put confidence over the holy man in the plaza being possessed by Mahal na Ina rather than the parish priest. One would see that generally folk Catholicism relies on its proximity to the believer. Images such as the statue of the Black Nazarene and holy men are more preferred over priests because of their accessibility.[vii] The priest may not be able to attend immediately to the need of the devotee, but the Nazareno is always ready to listen. Moreover, older people are founded more by supernatural experiences such as healing and recoveries, while the young are founded more on reason and personal resolve—their devotions are backed up with a rationale why they choose to believe. Some would choose to perform a part of devotion, primarily attending the Friday mass, while performing less or even choosing to ignore others such as joining the mass processions and just wait in the church. This kind of “I do because personally I see and feel it as right and reasonable” is at the far extreme from the older devotee’s faith understanding. Though both receive instruction from the priesthood, the older finds additional instruction through folk means and the younger sifts through the tradition and chooses what they believe is rightful to do. Both also have no close personal encounter with the Scriptures.

The Filipino understands concepts through participatory means of feeling, seeing, hearing and touching.[viii] And in the same way the Filipino culture expresses its worship and devotion through the same means. Such is the experience of the devotee when one sees and touches the Black Nazarene and even the sights and the sounds in the environment bring meaning to ones devotion. Much of the success of the Nazarene devotion lies on the colonial religion’s way of introducing these once foreign concepts into local means of understanding.

And when one studies the Scripture, it was instituted a number of ceremonies and rites, from celebratory feasts to rites of cleansing, that involves a lot of symbols and visuals. Such manner of retaining values and concepts can be performed repetitively and can be easily transferred. Visuals such as animals and blood bring bold images of concepts that must be passed on through generations. The New Testament has also its share of sensory and participatory method of liturgy through water baptism and the holy communion (1 Corinthians 11) for the purpose so that one could remember. And such is the advantage of the Pentecostal tradition that promotes the manifestation of the spiritual gifts and signs and wonders as “a sign for the unbeliever” (1 Corinthians 12).

Nazareno as Mediator

More than anything, the personal faith experience of the devotee lies on the understanding that the Nazareno is the ultimate source of helps. They became devotees primarily because of a personal experience of a need being met be it healing from an illness or protection of a family member or the whole family. Often times the devotee would take an oath of life-long devotion or panatas pledging a full commitment to the Nazareno when their needs are met. And based on the interviews conducted, there was never a time when the Nazareno had ever failed them. And if the Nazareno’s will is not to grant a prayer concern, one would have a peaceful resolve, interpreting the situation as pakikiisa (emphatizing) with suffering Christ who understands their burdens. During the height of media attention towards this year’s Feast of the Nazarene, a sociologist shared in an interview that this is why the Nazareno draws a lot of devotion: the image of the suffering Christ—the crown of thorns, the cross and the kneeling—is an image most Filipinos can identify with, the daily survival from life’s challenges. Throughout the interviews, one would also observe that there is no mention or dialogue about life after death, salvation and eternal life. Perhaps, it is already an unspoken norm that the Nazareno is a friend and Savior to anyone who believes.

In Hebrews 4:15-16, we see Jesus Christ is depicted by the author as the chief high priest, one who is able to “sympathize with our weaknesses” (v. 15). Thus Jesus Christ becomes the mediator between God the Father and man. Such is the depiction of the Black Nazarene by projecting the humanity of Jesus Christ—someone who experiences pain, agony and hardship—an image the devotee can relate to easily. Moreover we read in verse 16 that since Christ is able to sympathize with man’s struggles, an invitation is opened to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” knowing that one will “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” For the devotees of the Nazarene, Jesus Christ is a friend or a brother who can be approached in the direst time of need and he will not disappoint.

There is wisdom to be gleaned from elevating the value of expressing the humanity of Jesus Christ to the same rank as Jesus Christ the divine. After all, he is both man and God. More often the church has rallied the victory, prosperity and blessing through Christ’s name, but is unable to “sympathize” with its congregation it times of defeat, tragedy and failure. One must realize that before Christ’s glorious resurrection was the intense, agonizing prayer in Gethsemane.

The apostle John summarized the reason why Jesus came to the world. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Jesus did not only come to secure ones ticket to heaven, but so that he could breathe life to one’s life in the present. When he lived on earth, he did preach about a distant salvation to the future but proclaimed that “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). He met needs and healed the sick while proclaiming their ultimate need for salvation. Jesus offered shalom—wholeness and completion of ones well-being, today and in the future. The concept of shalom is expressed through the devotion of the Black Nazarene when they are “less concerned with the afterlife than it is in receiving assistance now.”[ix]

As ministers there is lesson to be learned from the present-focused devotion of the devotees to the Black Nazarene. Clearly the evangelical church culture has greatly excelled in proclaiming the need of eternal life and the dynamics of a healthy spiritual life. However, one may be able to live a richer Christian experience by understanding and responding to Christ’s desire for believers to have a fruitful life in the now. Just as the Scripture proclaims salvation from today’s world, it has equally provided means in order to have salvation “now” by living Christ in the daily affairs of one’s life. This can be achieved by looking into instruction and liturgy that does not only highlight the betterment of one’s spiritual and ministry life, but that of the aspects of relationships, financial, health etc.

The community of faith

There is a strong sense of communal and corporate devotion to the Nazareno. Interviewees recount their earliest encounter with the Nazarene that it was from their parents who have started making panatas and in time passing onto them the tradition. From the family, the smallest unit of communal relationships, to the millions that join barefeet to the Nazarene processional, one can observe a strong sense that this devotion lives through because of a strong faith community. Even as one observes Quiapo Day, the presence of so many individuals from literally all walks of life—from the poorest to the more affluent people, from the elders to the children—gives a sense of oneness and unity. Though each person and their state of life are different, they find affinity in their devotion to the Black Nazarene.

When Yahweh instituted the law to Israel in the Book of Leviticus, he ordained celebrations and feasts that required the participation of every one, young and old. The Scripture emphasizes the significance of communal celebrations and activities. The annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem was an awaited family affair (Deuteronomy 16). And parents were the primary source of religious instruction to the children (Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:7, 11:19).

The early church found identity through their common faith in Christ. “All those who had believed were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). Their corporate exchange of positive results in following Christ energized the group “and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (v. 47). Such is the potential of experiencing Christ together in unity that one could learn from the devotion to the Black Nazarene. Moreover, one can recognize the value and missional potential of a communal and family-focused ministry through the early church. When the gospel was proclaimed to some, it was usual that even whole families would get converted such as in the story of the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10:24) and the jailer guard (Acts 16:33).

Conclusion

Despite wide differences, as ministers we could glean valuable principles and concepts from this age-old tradition. The devotion of the Black Nazarene teaches us the value of expressing Christ’s humanity in our faith and liturgy. It exemplifies the power and importance of communal fellowship and the value of family tradition. And lastly, it paints a new side of a holistic practice of faith by looking at the present needs of the congregation with much importance as their future destiny.

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[i] “Thousands flock to Black Nazarene mass” by Thea Alberto, Philippine Daily Inquirer, January 8, 2009

[ii] “Poverty, Religion and Culture in the Devotion to the Black Nazarene: Lessons on Being a Church Among the Poor” by Bina Agong, George Capaque, Timoteo Gener, Ian Hibionada, and Adonis Parian.

[iii] Alberto, Inquirer

[iv] Based on personal interview.

[v] Alberto, Philippine Daily Inquirer

[vi] “Poverty, Religion and Culture …” Agong, et al.

[vii] Ibid.

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] Ibid.