Quiapo Church Elevated to National Shrine, a Major Milestone for Filipino Catholics

With the approval of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Quiapo Church is officially the National Shrine of the Black Nazarene.

During the bishops' 126th plenary conference in Kalibo, Aklan, the CBCP declared on Sunday that the church canonically known as the Saint John the Baptist Parish has been upgraded from its archdiocesan shrine status, as reported by CNN.

Since the "traslacion" or transfer of the image from Intramuros to Quiapo began in 1787, Quiapo Church, which is located in the center of Manila, has been a site of devotion for Filipinos, according to the CBCP.

Quiapo Church officially became an archdiocesan shrine on May 10. Pope John Paul II recognized it as the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene in 1987 in honor of its cultural influence on Filipino religious customs.

(Photo : by TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)
Catholic faithful stand outside the Quiapo church in Manila on October 9, 2020, as health protocols imposed by authorities limit church goers inside the church to filling only 10 percent of their seating capacity. - After months of livestreaming mass to millions of faithful from behind closed doors, churches in the Catholic-majority Philippines are beginning to reopen.

The Black Nazarene is one of the most popular religious icons in the Philippines. Millions of devotees flock to Quiapo Church every year to pray to the statue and to participate in the annual Traslacion procession, which is held on January 9. The Traslacion is a religious procession commemorates the statue transfer from the Church of Saint Nicholas Tolentino to Quiapo Church in 1787.

Quiapo Church is a popular tourist destination and is also a major pilgrimage site for Catholics from all over the Philippines. The church is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Black Nazarene is made of dark wood and is about 5 feet tall. It is believed to have miraculous powers, and many devotees come to Quiapo Church to pray for healing and other blessings. The Traslacion procession is one of the largest religious processions in the world.

The Devotees

The devotees of the Black Nazarene are a diverse group of people from all walks of life. They come from all over the Philippines, as well as from other countries around the world. They are young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated.

What unites the devotees of the Black Nazarene is their shared faith and devotion to the statue. They believe that the Black Nazarene is a miraculous image of Jesus Christ, and they come to Quiapo Church to pray for healing, guidance, and other blessings.

The devotees of the Black Nazarene express their devotion in many different ways. Some people come to Quiapo Church to simply pray and offer their respects.

Others participate in the annual Traslacion procession. A religious procession commemorates the statue transfer from the Church of Saint Nicholas Tolentino to Quiapo Church in 1787.

Millions of devotees participate in the procession, which winds its way through the streets of Manila. The procession is a time of great faith and devotion and a powerful experience for the devotees who participate.

In addition to the Traslacion procession, there are many other ways that devotees of the Black Nazarene express their devotion. Some people make pilgrimages to Quiapo Church, while others pray to the statue at home. Some people also wear amulets or talismans associated with the Black Nazarene.

The devotion to the Black Nazarene is a deeply personal and meaningful experience for the devotees. It is a way for them to connect with their faith and seek the blessings of Jesus Christ.