Over 9.6 million faithful attend the Black Nazarene festival in Manila

Between 31 December and 10 January, the rites of the novena and the Traslación, the procession of the venerated statue in the Quiapo district of Manila. It was the longest procession ever, lasting over 30 hours. Devotee tells AsiaNews: ‘The huge crowd strengthens my faith.’ Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. against corruption: ‘Humble yourselves for the sake of mercy.’

Manila (AsiaNews) - On 9 January 2026, over 9 million people participated in the annual feast of the Black Nazarene, one of the most popular religious festivals in Asia. The exact number of faithful reported by the National Shrine of Jesus Nazarene is 9,640,290.

They participated in the Novena Mass and the Traslación, a one-day procession that starts at Quirino Grandstand, one of the largest stadiums in the country, and travels through the streets of the Quiapo neighbourhood. Together with the statue of the Black Christ that was brought by Spanish missionaries in the 17th century from Mexico to the Philippines.

The shrine, a minor basilica, is also known as the Church of Quiapo, located near Manila, and houses the image of the suffering Christ. The estimated attendance includes the period from 31 December 2025, the beginning of the nine-day novena, until 10 January, the end of the Traslación.

This is a Spanish word meaning “transfer”. It is the procession of the statue of the Black Nazarene from Rizal Park Luneta to the Church of Quiapo, Manila. Here, millions of Filipinos gather for the procession, which lasts almost an entire day, commemorating the original transfer of the image to the Church of Quiapo in 1787, and whose duration varies considerably each year due to the huge crowds.

The case on which the statue is placed is equipped with wheels and is pulled by devotees using abaca ropes. During the nearly 7 km journey from the Quirino Grandstand at Luneta Park, the faithful walk barefoot through the streets, wearing brick-coloured clothes.

This year, according to the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, as many as 7,414,200 devotees participated in the historic Traslación alone, which was the longest in history, lasting approximately 30 hours and 50 minutes. The typical duration of the modern Traslación can vary from 15 to over 30 hours.

Scenes of rapturous devotion and widespread emotion accompanied it, reflecting the monolithic Christian faith of the Filipino people. During the procession, devotees dressed in reddish brown, the colour of the Nazarene's robes, crowd around to touch the ropes of the float, or even to climb onto the float itself. This remains one of the most amazing displays of popular religious devotion in the world.

It has been promoted over the centuries by the local Church in the Philippines, a former Spanish colony. Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. of the Diocese of Balanga celebrated the closing Mass of the festival on 9 January at Rizal Park Luneta, before the start of the annual Traslación of the Black Nazarene.

He urged the faithful to accept the sufferings of life as Christ did to save humanity, becoming humble and expressing God's love for all: ‘Humble yourselves for the sake of mercy and love.’

Sescon, former rector of Quiapo Church, also spoke about the problem of corruption that has plagued the country in recent months. "In our country today, there are people who refuse to resign even when they are already in the wrong and exposed; who refuse to resign even when they are a burden to the nation; who refuse to resign even though the poor are already suffering; who refuse to resign even though the country is flooded and falling apart; who refuse to resign even if they are unworthy.‘

Father Robert Arellano, parish vicar of Quiapo Church, said the annual festival is a testament to the people's devotion to Jesus. However, ’it should help people develop a social conscience to transform society with God's love and compassion for people with Gospel values. The faithful must be aware of social realities.‘

Mariel Borja, mother of three children, told AsiaNews: ’I participated in the procession as a simple and ordinary Catholic to express my gratitude to God for the blessings he has given us.‘ She added: ’Seeing the huge crowd strengthens my faith."

Clement Alejo, a young church volunteer, added: ‘I thank God for giving me the opportunity, for more than a decade, to witness my faith and devotion to Jesus Nazarene at the Quirino Grandstand. Even though my voice has changed, my weight has increased and my knees are weaker, my faith and gratitude have never wavered.’