The Black Nazarene (Spanish: El Nazareno Negro; Filipino: Poóng Itim na Nazareno), officially and liturgically known as Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno (lit. 'Our Father Jesus the Nazarene'; Filipino: Mahál na Poóng Jesús Nazareno) and often shortened to Jesús Nazareno, is a Roman Catholic title referring to a life-sized dark statue of Jesus Christ carrying the True Cross. The venerated image is enshrined in the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Quiapo, Manila, Philippines.
Pious devotees believe that physically touching the image can grant miracles and cure diseases. The original image, or its replica, is brought out in procession three times a year:
January 9 – the Feast of the Black Nazarene, the octave day of the traditional Feast of Most Holy Name of Jesus, which is the original dedication of Quiapo Church. It is now declared the image's national liturgical feast day. The Traslación is the name of the procession reenacting the 18th century transfer of the image from Intramuros.
Good Friday – commemorating the culmination of the Passion of Jesus.
December 31 – New Year's Eve, marking the start of the novena. It is also called the Walk of Thanksgiving or the Thanksgiving Procession.
The image derives its official name from "Nazarene", a title of Christ identifying him as a native of Nazareth, along with its dark complexion (unusual for depictions of Jesus, even in the Philippines, but can be found in Mexico where the statue was carved).
The Catholic Church encourages the image to be called Jesús Nazareno. Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula issued a decree on October 3, 2024 renaming the host church and the image to Jesús Nazareno to "further focus the people on the holy name of our Lord than a color or attribute".
The image wears a braided wig made of dark, dyed abacá, along with a golden Crown of Thorns. Attached to the Crown are the traditional "Tres Potencias" ("three powers") halo, variously understood as symbolising the three powers of the Holy Trinity; the faculties of will, memory, and understanding in Christ's soul; or his exousia (authority), dunamis (power), and kratos (strength). These three rayos ("rays"), likely an angular variant of the cruciform halo, are used exclusively for and proper to images of Jesus Christ in traditional Filipino and Hispanic iconography to signify his divinity. The original image has lost several fingers over the centuries.
Jesus is shown barefoot and in a genuflecting posture, symbolising the agony and the weight of the Cross, along with the overall pain Christ endured during his Passion. The Cross itself is of black wood tipped with flat, pyramidal brass caps.
There is no singular complete image of the Jesús Nazareno, as the original one was broken into several pieces, and combined in two main replicas:
The head of the original venerated image and its original right foot are on the statue called Venerado enshrined in the high altar, which has a body made of molave wood (Vitex parviflora or Vitex cofassus). The original cross is attached in this image, however a significant part of it was cut off and was distributed to devotees during the “400 years” celebrations in 2006.
The Vicário is the processional image, used for the annual Traslación as well as the New Year's Eve and Good Friday processions, which retains the original body torso with a replica head of Litsea leytensis wood (Filipino: batikulíng).
The original left and right hands of the image, as well as the original left foot, are guarded within the Rector's office. The original hands are used for blessing people, especially the sick and dying, and are not exposed for regular public veneration.
Aside from the Venerado and the Vicário, the basilica also maintains other copies of the image called Callejeros. These are considered by the shrine as official replicas of the Nazareno, which are sent on official visits to different dioceses in the country, called Dalaw Nazareno. On these visits, the callejeros are accompanied by the official standard of the basilica and a priests would celebrate Mass in the host church.
The shrine presently has five Callejero images: Uno, Dos, Katorse, Disisiete, and Señor Cabeza. The names of the first four images refer to the number of replicas produced for the shrine when it was labeled. The Señor Cabeza was previously kept by the Catholic priest Father Emmanuel del Rosario of the Diocese of Cubao, who was a devotee of the Jesús Nazareno. After his death, the image was donated to the church as a callejero on 26 October 2022.
The image is dressed in a heavy velvet tunic of maroon, embroidered with floral and plant designs using gold thread, and trimmed with a matching set of white lace collar and cuffs. Around the waist is a gold-plated metal belt embossed with the word "NAZARENO", while a golden chain ending in spheres is looped around the neck and held in the left hand, representing the Flagellation of Christ.
The vestments of the image are changed in the rite of Pabihis (English: Vesting the image), which is presided over by a Catholic priest vested in an alb, red cope and stole. Devotees watching the ceremony either sit inside the basilica, or follow along outside in Plaza Miranda. The rite comprises with several hymns, the reading of scriptural lessons, the recitation of prayers, and then the blessing of the new vestments. As a sign of modesty and reverence, a curtain is raised to shield the statue from public view as the male attendants called Hijos change its vestments, and then it is dropped once the actual changing is complete. The old vestments are folded and presented to the faithful, who queue to kiss and touch these in the belief these bear the image's miraculous properties. The rite of vesting is officiated five times a year in preparation for major religious occasions; since 2022, a few of the vesting day rites are also livestreamed online.
The Quiapo Church also donates official replicas of the Nazareno to churches and shrines in the Philippines and abroad to spread devotion to the image. Currently, 39 approved replicas are in Catholic territories nationwide, and eight are enshrined overseas.