Nazarene replica eyed for future traslacion

MANILA, Philippines — Quiapo Church officials are considering replacing the original 400-year-old wooden image of the Black Nazarene with a replica for future traslacion or processions.

Church rector Fr. Rufino Sescon Jr. said the original image had sustained cracks over the years. Officials separated the parts of the image in the 1990s to prevent further damage.

“When the priest (at that time) saw that there were cracks in the head of the image, they decided to separate the parts,” he said.

The image’s original hands have long been in storage since these have been damaged.

The original body, including the feet, is still used for the traslacion, which is held during the Black Nazarene’s feast day on Jan. 9, Sescon said.

The image’s original head is kept at the altar of the church, also known as the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazarene. The cracks in the head have been repaired, but Sescon said “since the image is already old, we cannot say the effect if it would have to bear the brunt of other impacts, it could worsen its condition. (There are cracks) found in different parts of the image.”

Devotee behavior

Sescon said church officials saw that the original body had developed cracks because devotees who climb up the carriage during the traslacion “would often cling to the body.”

He added that some devotees also hung on to the Nazarene’s cross, which also developed cracks.

“The idea is to bring together all its original parts, and just use a replica for the procession,” Sescon said, adding that “if the behavior (of the devotees) during the traslacion remains the same and we would not be able to safely care for the original image.”

The brotherhood of the Hijos del Nazareno – a group of lay caretakers formed in 1939 whose primary duty is to ensure the safety of the image – reportedly supports the proposal.

As to when the church intends to use a replica of the Black Nazarene for the traslacion, Sescon said it “would depend on the condition of the (image’s) body. If it has become really fragile, the image will also be assessed by our cultural preservation and heritage (experts).”

Nazareno 2024 adviser Alex Irasga earlier said there were times after the traslacion that the image would be returned to the church smelling of sweat, or wet from water and bearing remnants of food.

Protective case

Protecting the image is one of the reasons church officials decided to place the Black Nazarene in a case made of metal and plastic that is an inch thick and would not break easily.

Church officials tested the case by hitting it with their hands and throwing plastic bottles at it.

As for the carriage or “andas” that would be used for the procession, Irasga said it took three months to build the carriage, which measures 2.5 meters wide and three meters long.

The carriage is also equipped with lights so devotees could see the image even at night, a sound system and a closed-circuit television camera.

Unlike in previous processions when devotees are allowed to climb up to the image, church officials have taken steps to prevent this from happening.

There would be members of the Hijos del Nazareno at the top and base of the carriage to physically prevent the devotees from climbing the carriage.

The National Capital Region Police Office has deployed 15,000 police officers to secure the traslacion, which is expected to draw 2.3 million devotees. — Daphne Galvez