More than 1 million barefoot Christians joined the annual religious procession in the predominantly Catholic Philippines to honor a century-old statue of Jesus Christ on Tuesday.
More than 5,600 police officers were deployed to secure the celebration of the Black Nazarene, which was held again after a three-year break due to the coronavirus epidemic.
The Black Nazarene is a wooden statue depicting Jesus Christ crowned with thorns and holding a cross. Believers believe that the statue grants prayers and wishes to believers.
During the procession, the statue was placed in a glass cage to prevent worshipers from climbing onto the carriage to touch the statue.
The Philippine Red Cross said its volunteers treated 180 patients who fainted, suffered from bruises, abrasions and difficulty breathing during the march that began at 4:45 a.m. local time.
The government declared a public holiday for Tuesday in the capital, Manila,
and the local authorities banned the sale of alcoholic beverages and the carrying of firearms among civilians for the duration of the holiday.
The statue is believed to have been brought to Manila from Mexico by Spanish missionaries in 1606. The ship on which it was transported caught fire, but the charred statue survived and was named the Black Nazarene.
MTI
Featured image: catholicnewsworld.com
