Motorcade Procession Planned for Black Nazarene on Good Friday

Quiapo church said Monday it was planning to hold a motorcade procession for the Black Nazarene on Good Friday, April 15, a hint of normalcy on Holy Week traditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Church administrators are reviving Holy Week traditions, including the "Pahalik", for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started as the government extended Alert Level 1 in Metro Manila.

Devotees are called on to wear their uniforms and bring a candle for the motorcade procession, said Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of Quiapo church.

"'Di kinakailangan magpaa, magdala lang ng kandila. Tahimik po tayong magprusisyon so sana po ay unawain ng mga deboto ito," Badong of the Minor Basilica of Black Nazarene told TeleRadyo.

"Hindi pa natin puwedeng gawin at ibalik ang dati nating tradisyon tulad ng pasanan at paghihila ng lubid, ganon din ang salyahan at mga balyahang nangyayari, para lang po makahawak sa Nazareno," the Quiapo church said in a separate Facebook post.

The church will also bless Black Nazarene replicas in a procession on April 6 and 7.

"Inaanyayahan din namin kayong lahat na may mga imahen, na dalhin po dito sa Simbahan ng Quiapo para sa replica Lenten procession nang sa gayon ay hindi n'yo na po ito dadalhin sa mismong paglabas ng Señor Nazareno sa Biyernes Santo," it said on Facebook.

Badong also reminded devotees that they cannot kiss the image during the "Pahalik". He also urged the Catholic faithful to maintain physical distance, wear their face masks, and sanitize after touching the image.

"Hindi talaga siya hahalikan. Mas malapitan lang po nila 'yung imahen na mismong nasa altar, 'yun po ang mas mabibisita na nila," he said.

"Sa ngayon, talagang gusto natin na maibalik na muli, unti-unti, dinadahan-dahan lang natin ang mga tradisyong nakagawian nating gawain tuwing Mahal na Araw."

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