This year, as in years before the pandemic, millions of mostly barefoot devotees turned out along the procession route, hoping to touch the statue and obtain a miracle or healing. The Philippines is the only country in Asia with a Catholic majority, with over 80% of the population belonging to the Church.
The image of Jesus used in the procession is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Filipino shores in 1606 by missionaries of the Order of Augustinian Recollects. The life-size statue of Jesus is today enshrined in the famous minor basilica popularly known as the Quiapo Church, located in the Archdiocese of Manila. First enshrined at St. John the Baptist Church in Luneta, the image was transferred to Quiapo in 1868.
An early morning estimate Jan. 9 by police put the crowd at more than 830,000 people, which later swelled to 6.5 million along the procession’s 3.7-mile route, according to an official of the Quiapo Church cited by Filipino news source Rappler.
This year, the icon was placed in a glass case for the first time, and participants were banned from getting onto the float as they have in previous years, though many ignored the directive, UCA News, a Catholic Asian news site, reported.
Rappler reported that the procession, which lasted 15 hours, was generally peaceful, although the Philippine Red Cross said hundreds needed medical attention due to heat stroke and injuries caused by the crowds.
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