Quiapo Church: 1,152 medical cases during Nazarene procession, 3 in critical condition

The procession drew around 532,000 Catholic devotees and began at 11:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 17. It concluded at 10:45 a.m. on Friday.

Reverend Ramon Jade Licuanan, parish priest of the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, said no major incidents related to peace, order or security were reported.

Of the total medical cases, only nine were referred to government hospitals in Manila, with three in serious condition, he added.

The state weather bureau PAGASA had forecast heat indices of 40°Celsius to 42°C in Metro Manila — just below the threshold for dangerous heat levels.

“Kasalukuyan pong tinitipon pa ng mga kinatawan ng ating simbahan sa Quiapo ang detalye ng kanilang kalagayan at patuloy po kaming magbibigay ng karagdagang informasyon sa pangyayari,” Licuanan said.

(Representatives of our church in Quiapo are still gathering details about their condition, and we will continue to provide further information about the incident.)

On behalf of the Quiapo Church, the parish priest thanked government agencies, volunteers and devotees for helping ensure a “holy, peaceful and safe observance of this year’s Holy Week.

“Buo ang pag-asa, sama-sama nating salubungin ang maluwalhating Pasko ng Pagkabuhay ni Jesus nang may panibagong sigla sa pananampalataya, pagkalinga sa kapwa, at mabuting pananaw sa buhay,” Licuanan said.

(Filled with hope, let us together welcome the glorious Easter of Jesus with renewed fervor in faith, compassion for others and a positive outlook on life.)

This year’s turnout for the traditional procession in Manila was lower than in 2024, when 761,620 devotees joined the nearly 11-hour event.

The Quiapo Church held a mass at 3 p.m. on Friday, commemorating the death of Jesus Christ, known to Catholics as the “Passion of the Lord.” The liturgical service includes a reading of the Gospel of John. The mass was also livestreamed on their social media pages. —  Dominique Nicole Flores