Traslacion 2024: Toward an era of hope

After a three-year pause brought on by the pandemic, the Black Nazarene procession will take place anew today. Traslacion, or movement, marks the transfer of the image of the Nazarene from the church in Intramuros to Quiapo Church on January 9, 1787. It also commemorates Christ’s torturous walk to Golgotha bearing the cross on which he was crucified. While security measures are paramount on account of the huge multitude of devotees, the Traslacion projects the piety – and more importantly, the bayanihan spirit that permeates the procession.

Moved by faith in Christ, tens of thousands keep statues or relics, observe the devotion on Fridays by going to church or praying at home, and join processions on Good Friday. All these movements converge on January 9 when devotees and pilgrims travel to Manila and assemble at two focal points: Quiapo church and the Quirino grandstand at the Luneta.

The Pahalik or kissing ritual is held on the eve of the procession, providing devotees with the opportunity to wipe cloth on the image as this signifies belief on the curative abilities of the Nazarene that is derived from the ancient custom of wiping cloth on tombs or relics of saints.

There is a method amid the frenzy. Marshalls of the Hijos del Nazareno move the Ándas, or carriage upon which the Black Nazarene is mounted, and assist devotees who want to touch the image or the cross. Typically wearing yellow or white shirts to distinguish themselves from maroon-clad devotees, they direct the flow of the procession, which is affected, too, by the size of the crowd lined along the entire route. On the sidelines, there are numerous first-aid tents manned by doctors and paramedics. Other volunteers offer water and provisions.

As it is being held in Quiapo, which is located at the center of the city of Manila, the Traslacion vitally affects all other activities for the entire week and day of festivities. Security consciousness is at peak level, with the Philippine National Police (PNP) – backstopped by the Philippine Coast Guard – implementing well laid-out plans with extraordinary diligence. According to the PNP Chief, nearly 14,000 police officers are being deployed, along with K9 units. Coastal patrol units are also mobilized along Manila Bay at the back of the Quirino grandstand and in Pasig River adjacent to Malacañang Palace, that is barely 750 meters from Ayala bridge, from where the procession will enter the streets of Quiapo.

Organizers have unveiled a new Ándas design featuring a protective bulletproof case for the Nazarene, who seek to attain maximum visibility for the image in line with the 2024 theme, Ibig naming makita si Jesus (We want to see the Lord).

We join the faithful in praying to the Black Nazarene for the healing of the nation and its deliverance from the scourge of poverty and disasters; and for passage into a new life of hope and grace.