QUIAPO and RELIGION:
The Black Nazarene
Celia M. Bonilla
Bonilla juxtaposes two “mute” structures in the essay: the Church and the Nazarene icon. At the backdrop is the “Quiapo experience,” a form of stage performance with people’s interpretation and perceptions as key points.
Quiapo Church is indeed a communal place of worship for devotees, a well of spiritual energy and a stage for expression of their devotion. People from all walks of life come to hear mass, whisper prayers, walk on bended knees, or wipe the icon with a handkerchief. On the Nazareno’s feast day on January 9, devotees walk barefoot and trudge with their fellows in rhythm usually from the Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church. Some would carry the carroza of the patron, while others follow in prayer. Still, volunteers stay to help police the crowd. Sometimes the frenzy causes deaths, but the devotion continues unhampered.
In studying the Quiapo devotion, Bonilla used Louis Althusser’s ideological state apparatuses (ISA), Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of alternative voices, Pierre Bordieu’s free agency and Robert Desjarlais’ “sense of self” to analyze the aesthetics of the devotional practices in Quiapo.
Her study showed that Quiapo devotees are influenced by Philippine society’s social structure. They also showed affiliation with the Icon and a sense of brotherhood and release. In addition, cognitive notions were reinforced by memories of past experiences (Bonilla 122).
MOST CELEBRATED ICON. The Black Nazarene continues to draw people from all walks of life. Photo from Fortunado, Arnulfo.
Interestingly, re-living the suffering of Christ has taken a foothold among Filipinos. Regardless of station in life, Filipinos show willingness to endure the hardships of the procession in communion with their brothers and in keeping with the spirit of the sacrifices of Christ. Although the concept of suffering and its acceptance have been instilled by the Church since the Spanish times, Filipinos have not only allowed themselves to be captives of the belief but have taken their devotion a step further. For most devotees, completing the procession brings a sense of accomplishment or triumph and a promise of completing the same feat in the following years. When a favor from the Señor is granted, the more their devotion deepens and the need to reciprocate through panata intensifies. Sometimes the panata goes beyond attending mass or the annual procession and extends to providing services and financial pledges. Replicas of the Nazarene are brought home for worship and commemoration. Some wear small images of the Nazarene for protection.
Indeed, the devotion to the Nazarene proves the devotees do not only identify but define their way of life and commit to the established life and teachings of the Nazarene.
For a detailed discussion on the aesthetics and the devotion to the Black Nazarene, read Bonilla’s essay “Devotion to the Black Nazarene as an Aesthetic Experience” in Quiapo Heart of Manila edited by Fernando Nakpil Zialcita published by The Cultural Heritage Studies Program Department of Sociology and Anthropology Ateneo de Manila University and Metropolitan Museum of Manila.
Preview/Header Photo: A POST-WAR procession of the Black Nazarene, according to historian, Prof. Xiao Chua. Like today, devotees carry the miraculous icon on their shoulders except that the practice in early post-war and, we can even assume, pre-war Manila, is that devotees go in their best attire. https://xiaochua.net/2013/01/09/xiaotime-8-january-2013-saysay-ng-poong-nazareno/
WORKS CITED
Bonilla, Celia. “Devotion to the Black Nazarene as an Aesthetic Experience.” Quiapo Heart of Manila, edited by Fernando Nakpil Zialcita, The Cultural Heritage Studies Program Department of Sociology and Anthropology Ateneo de Manila University and Metropolitan Museum of Manila, 2006, pp.96-124.
Fortunado, Arnulfo. Hijos del Nazareno and the Black Nazarene. 9 January 2015. Catholics & Cultures, catholicsandcultures.org/philippines/feast-black-nazarene. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.
----. The Annual Translacion. 9 January 2015. Catholics & Cultures, catholicsandcultures.org/philippines/feast-black-nazarene. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.
Gonsalves, Antonio Anup. “Understanding the fierce devotion behind the Black Nazarene.” Catholic News Agency, 27 May 2015, catholicnewsagency.com/news/understanding-the-fierce-devotion-behind-the-black-nazarene-83225. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.
Aesthetics and Devotion to the Black Nazarene
From the Viewpoint of Celia M. Bonilla in Quiapo Heart of Manila
Mary Ann Majul | November 4, 2017
