Cardinal laments ‘excess’ devotion to Black Nazarene
By Roy Lagarde
CBCP News
Manila, Jan. 9, 2009—Many of devotees of the Black Nazarene are taking their devotion way too far, the head of Manila’s Roman Catholic Church said.Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said the way atonement is manifested by many of those who attended Saturday’s procession is “excessive.”
“Some of what we saw today was excess expression of faith. There are many impurities that need cleansing,” Rosales told reporters.
At least two people, however, died and scores were injured in the yearly tumultuous procession of the Black Nazarene from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church.
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) secretary general Gwen Pang identified the fatalities as 42-year-old Rodrigo Ocampo and 40-year-old Bernardo Basilio.
Ocampo succumbed to cardiac arrest at the Ospital ng Maynila while Basilio died at the Jose Reyes Hospital due to multiple injuries in the head and body.
Tens of thousands of barefoot devotees surged forward to try to touch the statue, which they believe could bring miracles or good luck.
As of 4 p.m., the PNRC reported that some 350 people who had joined the procession were injured and provided first aid treatment.
Some of the devotees also experienced various health conditions like dizziness, high blood pressure, and lack of oxygen.
Rosales said these problems happen when devotees get too emotional.
When the emotion gets too high, he said, it takes over the reason, the holiness of the feast and the devotion.
The church officials said devotion is good but seeing a lot of people getting hurt is contrary to the purpose of the celebration.
“Another way of excess of faith is when you do it for yourself only which should not be,” he said.
Rosales instead called on devotees to practice simplicity and selflessness, traits he said Black Nazarene shares with most common Filipinos.
“That is the real devotion,” he added.
Cardinal Rosales also said that devotees should learn that Black Nazarene is a symbol of sacrifice and repentance.
“We still have a long way to go and there are many things to purify even in religious matters because there are excesses,” Rosales said.
Tens of thousands of barefoot devotees surged forward to try to touch the statue, which they believe could bring miracles or good luck.
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As in the government, a wrong practice when generally tolerated and patronized by those in authority and by the people, it eventually becomes a bad tradition which is very hard to break that corrupts the culture of a society such that it becomes as if a norm for the next generations.
