More than a million Roman Catholics joined a raucous religious procession in Manila yesterday (January 9, 2011) to honor a centuries-old black statue of Jesus Christ that they believe possesses mystical powers. Nearly 600 were treated for injuries, according to the Washington Post website.
Barefoot devotees surged forward over iron railings to try to touch the 404-year-old image of Christ, known as Black Nazarene.
The wooden statue of Christ -- crowned with thorns and bearing a cross -- is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Manila in 1606 by Spanish missionaries.
The Philippines -- Asia's largest predominantly Christian nation -- is about 80 percent Catholic.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment