Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Jesus is the 'Black Nazarene' in Philippines

MSN, 1/9/24; Pfc. Sandoval, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit
The Black Nazarene is remembered in Asia and paraded through Manila, Philippines.
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Of course I was Black from Africa
The Black Nazarene (Spanish El Nazareno Negro, Filipino Poóng Itím na Nazareno [1]) is a life-size statue of a dark-skinned Black Jesus Christ carrying the True Cross.

It is usually enshrined in the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila [2], but it comes out a few times a year, one of them being Jan. 9th.
The image was reputedly carved by an unknown Mexican artist in the 16th century then brought to the Philippines in 1606 [2, 3].

Black? Why, just because I'm from Africa?
It depicts Jesus en route to his crucifixion (an Imperial Roman punishment reserved exclusively for political prisoners who claimed to be messiahs or dared to challenge Roman rule.

Pious believers claim that physically touching the image can bring miracles and cure diseases [2, 3, 4].

The original image or its replica is given a religious procession three times a year:

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