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The procession of the Black Nazarene or the Translation in January 2021 has been canceled due to the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the government of Manila said on Friday.
Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said that this was the agreement reached between the city and the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, known as Iglesia Quiapo.
“In the meantime, I ask everyone not to do parades and processions because it is difficult to control people, which puts them at risk,” he said in an interview with journalists.
The rector of the Quiapo church, Monsignor Hernando Coronel, said he was “saddened” by the cancellation of the annual procession, but emphasized that the church and the public must adhere to the health protocols established by the government.
Instead of the procession, masses will be celebrated, Mons. Coronel said.
“We are trying to find ways to have this celebration. Our devotion will be demonstrated by having a mass in honor of our Black Nazarene, ”he said.
Devotees celebrate the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9 with a procession of his image around Manila.
The Nazarene, believed to have healing powers, is carried from the Quirino Tribune in Luneta to the Church of Quiapo in a procession that lasts hours.
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