The Black Nazarene (; ), officially and liturgically known as (; ) and often shortened to Jesús Nazareno, is a Roman Catholic title referring to a life-sized dark statue of Jesus Christ carrying the True Cross. The venerated image is enshrined in the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines.
Pious devotees believe that physically touching the image can grant miracles and cure diseases.John N. Schumacher (1968), The Depth of Christianization in Early Seventeenth-Century Philippines, Philippine Studies, Vol. 16, No. 3 (July 1968), pages 535–539 The original image, or its replica, is brought out in procession three times a year:
January 9 – the Feast of the Black Nazarene, the octave day of the traditional Feast of Most Holy Name of Jesus, which is the original dedication of Quiapo Church. It is now declared the image's national liturgical feast day. The Traslación is the name of the procession reenacting the 18th century transfer of the image from Intramuros. Good Friday – commemorating the culmination of the Passion of Jesus. December 31 – New Year's Eve, marking the start of the novena. It is also called the Walk of Thanksgiving or the Thanksgiving Procession.
Name and description The image derives its official name from "Nazarene", a title of Christ identifying him as a native of Nazareth, along with its dark complexion (unusual for depictions of Jesus, even in the Philippines, but can be found in Mexico where the statue was carved).
The Catholic Church encourages the image to be called Jesús Nazareno. Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula issued a decree on October 3, 2024 renaming the host church and the image to Jesús Nazareno to "further focus the people on the holy name of our Lord than a color or attribute".
The image wears a braided wig made of dark, dyed abacá, along with a golden Crown of Thorns. Attached to the Crown are the traditional "Tres Potencias" ("three powers") halo, variously understood as symbolising the three powers of the Holy Trinity; the faculties of will, memory, and understanding in Christ's soul; or his exousia (authority), dunamis (power), and kratos (strength). These three rayos ("rays"), likely an angular variant of the cruciform halo, are used exclusively for and proper to images of Jesus Christ in traditional Filipino and Hispanic iconography to signify his divinity. The original image has lost several fingers over the centuries.
Jesus is shown barefoot and in a genuflecting posture, symbolising the agony and the weight of the Cross, along with the overall pain Christ endured during his Passion. The Cross itself is of black wood tipped with flat, pyramidal brass caps.
Composition and main replicas
There is no singular complete image of the Jesús Nazareno, as the original one was broken into several pieces, and combined in two main replicas:
The head of the original venerated image and its original right foot are on the statue called Venerado enshrined in the high altar, which has a body made of molave wood (Vitex parviflora or Vitex cofassus). The original cross is attached in this image, however a significant part of it was cut off and was distributed to devotees during the “400 years” celebrations in 2006. The Vicário is the processional image, used for the annual Traslación as well as the New Year's Eve and Good Friday processions, which retains the original body torso with a replica head of Litsea leytensis wood (Filipino: batikulíng). The original left and right hands of the image, as well as the original left foot, are guarded within the Rector's office. The original hands are used for blessing people, especially the sick and dying, and are not exposed for regular public veneration.
Callejeros
Aside from the Venerado and the Vicário, the basilica also maintains other copies of the image called Callejeros. These are considered by the shrine as official replicas of the Nazareno, which are sent on official visits to different dioceses in the country, called Dalaw Nazareno. On these visits, the callejeros are accompanied by the official standard of the basilica and a priests would celebrate Mass in the host church.
The shrine presently has five Callejero images: Uno, Dos, Katorse, Disisiete, and Señor Cabeza. The names of the first four images refer to the number of replicas produced for the shrine when it was labeled. The Señor Cabeza was previously kept by the Catholic priest Father Emmanuel del Rosario of the Diocese of Cubao, who was a devotee of the Jesús Nazareno. After his death, the image was donated to the church as a callejero on 26 October 2022.
Vestments The image is dressed in a heavy velvet tunic of maroon, embroidered with floral and plant designs using gold thread, and trimmed with a matching set of white lace collar and cuffs. Around the waist is a gold-plated metal belt embossed with the word "NAZARENO", while a golden chain ending in spheres is looped around the neck and held in the left hand, representing the Flagellation of Christ.
The vestments of the image are changed in the rite of Pabihis (English: Vesting the image), which is presided over by a Catholic priest vested in an alb, red cope and stole. Devotees watching the ceremony either sit inside the basilica, or follow along outside in Plaza Miranda. The rite comprises with several hymns, the reading of scriptural lessons, the recitation of prayers, and then the blessing of the new vestments. As a sign of modesty and reverence, a curtain is raised to shield the statue from public view as the male attendants called Hijos change its vestments, and then it is dropped once the actual changing is complete. The old vestments are folded and presented to the faithful, who queue to kiss and touch these in the belief these bear the image's miraculous properties. The rite of vesting is officiated five times a year in preparation for major religious occasions; since 2022, a few of the vesting day rites are also livestreamed online.
List of authorized replicas The Quiapo Church also donates official replicas of the Nazareno to churches and shrines in the Philippines and abroad to spread devotion to the image. Currently, 39 approved replicas are in Catholic territories nationwide, and eight are enshrined overseas.
+No. Diocese Parish Location1Archdiocese of Cagayan de OroJesus Nazareno ParishCagayan De Oro2Diocese of IliganHoly Cross ParishKolambugan, Lanao del Norte3Diocese of IpilSaint Joseph the Worker Cathedral ParishIpil, Zamboanga Sibugay4Diocese of BoronganAssumption of Our Lady ParishBorongan, Eastern Samar5Diocese of MalolosSaint James the Apostle ParishPlaridel, Bulacan6Archdiocese of CapizHesus Nazareno Mission StationRoxas City7Diocese of TalibonSanto Niño ParishAnda, Bohol8Diocese of CatarmanDiocesan Shrine of Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno(Saint Roch the Healer Parish) Catarman, Northern Samar9Diocese of BayombongSaint Louis Beltran Parish Solano, Nueva Vizcaya10Apostolic Vicariate of TaytaySaint Mary Mission Station Agutaya, Palawan11Archdiocese of DavaoSan Alfonso Liguori Parish Davao City12Diocese of Tandag 13 Diocese of TagumSagrado Corazon de Jesus Nazareno Parish Tagum14 Territorial Prelature of BatanesBasco Cathedral Basco, Batanes15 Diocese of TarlacParish of the Black Nazarene Tarlac City16Military Ordinariate of the PhilippinesBureau of Fire Protection Chapel Bureau of Fire Protection National Headquarters, Quezon City17Diocese of TarlacMater Dolorosa Parish Capas, Tarlac18 Archdiocese of Lingayen-DagupanJesus the Nazarene Parish Binmaley, Pangasinan19 Diocese of LaoagSaint William the Hermit Cathedral Laoag20Archdiocese of Nueva SegoviaOur Lady of Lourdes Parish Banayoyo, Ilocos Sur21Archdiocese of Las VegasSt. Charbel Maronite Catholic ChurchLas Vegas, United States22Archdiocese of SingaporeChurch of Our Lady Star of the SeaYishun, Singapore23Archdiocese of PaloSaint Roch the Healer ParishTacloban24Diocese of TagbilaranAssumption of Our Lady Shrine-ParishDauis, Bohol25Latin Patriarchate of JerusalemOur Lady Woman of Valor ChurchTel-Aviv, Israel26Latin Patriarchate of JerusalemSaint Martha Monastery Passionist ChurchJerusalem27Diocese of Hong KongSaint Joseph ChurchHong Kong28Diocese of BalangaSaint John the Evangelist ParishOrani, Bataan29Diocese of MalaybalaySan Jose Chapel, San Isidro CathedralMalaybalay, Bukidnon30Diocese of ImusSan Rafael Archangel Quasi-ParishTagaytay31Diocese of TarlacSan Sebastian Cathedral ParishTarlac City32Diocese of BacolodMary, Queen of Peace Parish-Redemptorist Bacolod33Diocese of CabanatuanSaint Joseph, the Husband of Mary Parish Cabanatuan34Archdiocese of CebuArchdiocesan Shrine of Jesus Nazareno Talisay, Cebu35Diocese of OrangePoong Jesus Nazareno Filipino Catholic Center Anaheim, California36Diocese of LegazpiDiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Salvation Joroan, Tiwi, Albay37Diocese of BalangaVirgen Milagrosa del Rosario College Seminary Balanga, Bataan38Archdiocese of Los AngelesHoly Family Catholic ChurchArtesia, California39Archdiocese of San FranciscoSt. Andrew Catholic Church Daly City, California
Main carriage
The image's wooden base is referred to as the peana while its carriage or carroza used in processions is called the ándas (from the Spanish andar, "to move forward"). The term ándas commonly refers to the shoulder-borne palanquins of religious images, and was retained for the icon's carriage which replaced the silver palanquins used until the late 20th century.
History Original image
The image was made by an anonymous Mexican sculptor and arrived in Manila via galleon from Acapulco, Mexico. There is no definite date of the arrival of the image. The Augustinian Recollects which was credited of bringing the image in the Philippines, asserted that at their arrival in the Philippines in 1606, the Nazareno was not among the sacred images that they brought with them. Nevertheless, it can be assumed the image was already in the Philippines before the mid-17th century, since Pope Innocent X authorized the Cofradía del Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (Confraternity of Our Lord Jesus the Nazarene) on April 20, 1650.
Folk belief attributes the image’s colour to soot from votive candles burnt before it, although the most popular legend is that it was charred by a fire on the galleon that brought it from Mexico. Filipino Catholic theologian and church historian Monsignor Sabino Vengco, meanwhile, claims that the image is not charred, but is in fact dark through to its core, being carved from mesquite wood. Vengco based this claim on personal research in Mexico, where he said mesquite wood was a popular sculpting medium in the period the image was carved. He also likened it to Our Lady of Antipolo, another popular image of similar provenance and appearance. The dark coloration of the image hints to Catholic and indigenous Mexican syncretism, as the Christ of Chalma (Señor de Chalma), is also made of similar material and color.
The image was first enshrined in the Church of San Juan Bautista of the Augustinian Recollects in Bagumbayan, Luneta, then it was transferred to the Church of San Nicolás de Tolentino (popularly known as the "Recoletos Church") inside Intramuros. It was enshrined in the or high altar of the church, leaving only for a procession on Palm Sunday. Both the church and the image were destroyed in the Allied bombardment of Manila during its liberation in 1945.
Replica and alleged vandalism