INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPVast crowds of people have turned out on the streets of Manila in the Philippines for the procession of the Black
Nazarene.The annual event sees hundreds of thousands of people trying to catch a glimpse of the historic statue of Jesus of Nazareth.Image
copyrightAFPImage caption
The statue was carved in Mexico and arrived in the Philippines in the 17th Century, surviving
a fire on board a ship on the way
It is one of the Philippines' most revered devotional objects.
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
It now
resides for most of the year in a church in Quiapo district
But every January it is carried on a 7km (4.5 mile) route through the streets of the capital.
Image copyrightReutersImage
caption
Hundreds of thousands of people turn out to see it
Devotees - who go barefoot - believe touching or being close to the statue can cure illnesses or bring good luck.
Image
copyrightReutersImage caption
The Philippines is a deeply Catholic country, and many devotees are prepared to risk
serious injury for a chance of getting close to the Black Nazarene.
Image copyrightEPAImage caption
The
Philippine Red Cross said that by mid-morning they had treated more than 600 people for conditions like breathing problems, fainting and
Three people were taken to hospital.
Image copyrightGetty/TED ALJIBEImage caption
In the days before the
procession, the statue is blessed at the church in Quiapo
Many people bring along their replicas for blessing too.
Image copyrightGetty/TED ALJIBEImage caption
Church officials say the procession is a sign of the thriving faith of Catholic Filipinos and that amid the chaos there is also a sense of
