Nearly a million people, according to the organizers' initial estimate, participated this Tuesday in the Black Nazarene procession through the streets of Manila, the first time this massive event has been held after the pandemic.
Rivers of people accompany from early morning through the streets of the Philippine capital the long pilgrimage of the statue of Christ, mounted on a float and protected - for the first time - by a display case, in one of the largest displays of religious devotion in the world.
Many Filipinos believe that the icon has miraculous healing powers and that touching it, or the ropes tied to its chariot, can cure previously incurable ailments and bring good luck to them and their loved ones.
It is the first time the procession with the life-size statue has been held since 2020, after Covid-19 forced officials to drastically reduce the size of the event.
The original wooden statue was brought to the Philippines in the early 17th century, when the nation was a Spanish colony. Many Filipinos believe it acquired its dark color after surviving a fire aboard a ship en route from Mexico.
