Catholic devotees jostle with each other as they try to touch a glass-covered carriage carrying the Black Nazarene during an annual religious procession in Manila on January 9, 2024. (AFP)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� More than 1.3 million devotees flocked to the Quirino Grandstand, where the procession for the image of the Black Nazarene began.
As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the Quiapo Church Command Post said in its report that 1,340,000 devotees were in the grandstand.
The image of the Black Nazarene was displayed there for the 鈥淧ahalik,鈥� during which devotees were allowed to touch and kiss the image.
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The carriage of the Black Nazarene departed from Quirino Grandstand at around 4:45 a.m. 黑料社/John Eric Mendoza
Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula Jr. presided over a 鈥淢isa Mayor鈥� before the beginning of the procession.
The Black Nazarene carriage聽departed from Quirino Grandstand at around 4:45 a.m.
Despite the discouragement from the church, many devotees still touched the protruding part of the glass-encased wooden image of Jesus Christ.
As of posting, the procession is still ongoing.