The annual procession of the “Black Nazarine” (known locally as "Traslación" or the Transfer) drew an enormous crowd of faithful to the Philippines’ capital, Manila. It was the largest iteration in recent years of a tradition that reaches back to the 15th century.
The Catholic Bishops of the Philippines estimate that some 8 million faithful came to escort the centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ, called the Black Nazarene, from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church. With so many in the streets, and many trying to get close enough to the statue to touch its protective glass, the entire affair took nearly 21 hours, from 4:40 a.m. Thursday morning until 1:25 a.m. Friday.
Video of the event shows why the 5.8 kilometer- (3.6 mile-) procession took as long as it did. With so many people in the streets shoulder to shoulder, even those carrying the float could only inch along the meandering route. With 8 million in attendance, the 2025 procession eclipsed that of last year by nearly 2 million and was by far the largest since at least the world pandemic.
Aleteia has previously explained that the “Black Nazarene” refers to a statue of Jesus Christ that was brought to the Philippines from Mexico around 1606. The statue is made of mesquite wood, which gets darker as it ages and gives the statue the appearance of having a dark complexion.
In 1620 a confraternity was established for devotion to the Black Nazarene, and by 1767 the following had grown so large the statue needed to be relocated. The "Traslación," or “transfer,” is a homage to this.
The Lord is alive
At the Mass preceding the procession, Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, reflected on the presence of the living God, Jesus Christ, as a source of hope in the Catholic Church:
“Brothers and sisters, we have hope because Jesus of Nazareth is alive! We have hope because the Lord is alive! Every time we shout 'Viva!' to the Lord, we are saying that the Lord is alive.” Cardinal Advincula said in his homily. “Our hope is alive because the Lord is alive. He lives in our hearts. He lives around us. He lives with us. Let us no longer kill each other. As long as there is hope, there is life. So let us live in hope in Jesus. Viva Jesus of Nazareth!”
The cardinal went on to discuss obedience to the Lord. He instructed the faithful to follow Christ, noting that “God is more pleased with our obedience than with our sacrifice.”
"There is only one true hope; only one who brings hope that does not disappoint: the Dear Lord Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, let us follow him. Let us live his commandments. Let us take his teachings to heart. Let us imitate his example. It is better to follow the Dear Lord."
Read more from the cardinal’s homily at The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila.
