Thousands of Catholic pilgrims in the Philippines have gathered for the annual Traslación procession to pay homage to the Black Nazarene statue of Jesus Christ, believed to bring miracles to the faithful.
The procession – which regularly attracts over one million Catholic pilgrims – had its attendance curtailed because of the coronavirus health restrictions in place.
The event took place in the form of 15 Masses in Manila’s Quiapo church after the typical procession was cancelled by authorities in light of the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The Masses were live-streamed to prevent the faithful from flocking into the basilica to observe the centuries-old statue of Christ.
Police have estimated a crowd of about 23,000 gathered in queue’s to enter the church.
