By Ferdinand Patinio/PNA
MANILA — The annual “Pahalik” or the kissing of the Image of the Black Nazarene will start on Tuesday, January 8, at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta, Manila.
The event will start at 8 a.m. until before the start of the 4 a.m. morning prayer before the Traslacion on Wednesday, January 9.
Fr. Douglas Badong, parochial vicar, said thousands of devotees attended the blessing and procession of Black Nazarene replicas around the vicinity of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene on Quezon Boulevard, Manila.
The procession of Black Jesus Christ’s replicas, held annually to showcase different sizes of the religious image, started at 1:30 p.m. on Monday.
With this, Badong is discouraging devotees from climbing the andas (the carriage carrying the Black Nazarene image) during the Traslacion or the grand procession.
Badong noted that the image is accessible to devotees all-year round so they could visit it at the Quiapo Church.
“Discourage natin mga tao na during January 9 na magsabay-sabay magsampahan (sa andas)…kasi ang Mahal na Nazareno buong taon puwede natin hawakan, halikan, yakapin (We discourage the people to simultaneously climb the carriage because the Black Nazarene can be touched, kissed and hugged all-year round),” the Catholic priest said in an earlier interview.
Badong noted that devotees can talk to the Black Nazarene even from a distance and they do not need to climb the andas, which may result in injuries to other devotees.
