The communal ecstasy in the most awesome display of Catholic faith in the Philippines can be quite bewildering as a multitude of devotees jostle and surge in a sea of humanity at the Traslacion, the highlight of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno every January 9.
Seeing barefoot devotees impervious to hunger and fatigue swarm like crazy over a dark-skinned statue of a suffering Christ on that particular day can be puzzling to many, considering that the venerated wooden carving is accessible year-round at the Quiapo Church to those who patiently wait in line.
Some critics who frown upon the frenzied display of faith as raw fanaticism dismiss the Traslacion as a sort of pagan ritual. While the atmosphere of mass hysteria as the Nazarene carriage inches its way from Luneta to Quiapo might seem fanatical or outright irrational, behavioral experts have an explanation.
They say the phenomenon can be attributed to the Filipino interpretation of imitating the suffering Christ, of doing something to avail of His mercy. One may ask then, should intense desire to avail of God’s mercy justify all the frenzy? Or does the frenzy enable devotees to avail of His mercy?
Grasping the meaning of the commonly-used term “Sa awa ng Diyos” gives an inkling on the very reasons for our existence, on why blessings or miracles come our way during the most trying times in our lives, despite all the sinfulness that can make us underserving.
For those bewildered by the ferocity of devotees, enlightenment may be found in the biblical story (Luke 7:36-50) of a sinful woman who wets with her tears, wipes with her hair, and pours expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus who tells her, “Your sins are forgiven; your faith has saved you.”
Indeed, it is only God who knows the innermost feelings and sincerity of a devotee. So, who are we to judge our fellowmen going through a yearly ritual to seek deliverance from abysmal despair or express gratitude to God for miracles and answered prayers?
In the Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno Hymn which every ardent devotee knows, National Artist Lucio San Pedro put in the lyrics, “Sinasamba Ka namin, pinipintuho Ka namin, aral Mo’y aming buhay at kaligtasan.” Indeed, every time we sing the hymn, we proclaim to our Father Jesus Nazareno that “we worship Thee, we admire Thee; Thy teachings are our life and salvation.”
But none of Christ’s teachings tell devotees to act rudely, wildly, crazily over His wooden statue and exhibit what some critics view as “macho fanaticism, misplaced revelry and unnecessary risks that have become a popular but deeply-flawed measure of piety.”
His teachings are on humility and patience—which explain why most devotees are barefoot and why many of us endure long hours of queuing for the Pahalik, the fleeting moment we get to touch the foot of Christ’s blackened statue.
If indeed “Thy teachings are our life and salvation” as the hymn goes, why then do many devotees wear their faith like a badge—proudly, yet sometimes recklessly, and put themselves and fellow devotees at great risk of injury or even death, when our Lord’s teachings do not require such? Why the frantic need to leap over others in trying to mount the Nazarene carriage?
“We remain fixated with icons, with the physical representations than the meanings behind them. We struggle to get the rituals right in order to avoid bad luck, while showing little discipline, if any, in the daily practice of a virtuous life,” sociologist Randy David once explained.
Church leaders evangelize that intense faith ought to be accompanied by action, particularly the so-called corporal works of mercy like feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, among others.
“Let us show our love and devotion to the Black Nazarene by praying to God and not forgetting to help our fellowmen, following Christ’s teachings, and glorifying God’s greatness and love for mankind through our good deeds,” then Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said in a 2014 homily at Luneta.
But minutes after his homily, the Holy Mass came to an abrupt halt even before Holy Communion could be administered because devotees surged over barriers and rushed for the Nazareno statue that had yet to be mounted onto its carriage.
Many were aghast at the stark contrast in demeanor—meekly professing devotion to the Nazarene and then, at the very next moment, tossing aside Christianity’s guiding principles and ignoring concern for fellowmen in a wild surge to get to the symbol of Christ’s selflessness.
That some devotees choose to ignore liturgy shows little understanding of catechesis, prompting Fr. Anton Pascual of Radio Veritas to stress the importance of the Holy Mass. “The sacrament is more supreme than any form of religious devotion, kaya dapat unahin muna ang misa, magsimba sila, makinig sa homily, mag-communion sila, at saka ituloy ang prusisyon na may disiplina at kaayusan,” he said.
“We need to ask ourselves how we are able to blend so much religious fervor with a culture of corruption, or mix a manifest devotion to the exemplary figure of a selfless Christ with a life of greed, or gospel values with hate, oppression, and selfishness,” David wrote. “I am more inclined to think that these contradictions arise from a failure to understand faith as a philosophy of life, or as a practical and meaningful guide to daily living.”
Cardinal Tagle shared the same observation when he warned, in a 2012 homily, that God’s wrath will fall on devotees who seek forgiveness on the day of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno, only to return to their sinful ways the very next day.
Indeed, there ought to be more to faith and devotion than getting crushed to death underneath a roiling sea of humanity jostling and surging during Traslacion. But no matter how illogical it might seem, the intensity of devotion has its merits. Branding the yearly ritual as mere fanaticism just isn’t right.
The late Pope Benedict XVI, in a 2010 letter to seminarians, said: “I urge you to retain an appreciation for popular piety, which is different in every culture yet always remains very similar, for the human heart is ultimately one and the same. Certainly, popular piety tends towards the irrational, and can at times be somewhat superficial. Yet it would be quite wrong to dismiss it.
“Through that piety, the faith has entered human hearts and become part of the common patrimony of sentiments and customs, shaping the life and emotions of the community. Popular piety is thus one of the Church’s great treasures. The faith has taken on flesh and blood. Certainly, popular piety always needs to be purified and refocused, yet it is worthy of our love and it truly makes us into the ‘People of God.’”
