(Updates with devotee numbers, adds details)
By Adrian Portugal and Eloisa Lopez
MANILA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - More than 400,000 Catholics in the
Philippine capital celebrated on Saturday a feast for a
centuries-old wooden statue of Jesus Christ, despite health
experts warning it could turn into a super-spreader event for
coronavirus.
Authorities cancelled an annual procession of the life-sized
image of the "Black Nazarene", the country's largest religious
event that draws millions of devotees in an annual ritual that
has been observed for 200 years. Instead, church leaders organised 15 Masses at Manila's
Quiapo church, which houses the statue that is believed to bring
miracles. They livestreamed the services and urged devotees not
to attend.
Most of the faithful stayed at home and attended Mass by
means of social media or broadcast television, Alex Irasga, head
of the celebration's working committee, told ANC news channel.
But many still attended, with a total of around 400,000
people cumulatively going in and out of the church vicinity by
late afternoon, police data showed.
"We're really going to need a miracle to stop a
super-spreader event in Quiapo right now. Please don't go,"
Edsel Salvana, health ministry adviser, said on Twitter before
noon.
More than 6,000 police officers monitored entry points and
enforced physical distancing at the Quiapo church, but this was
sometimes ignored by people hustling to be blessed with holy
water at the end of every Mass.
"We know that social distancing violations will lead to
increased number of cases," tweeted Dr. Tony Leachon, former
adviser of the coronavirus task force.
The Philippines, which has the second-highest number of
COVID-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia after Indonesia,
reported 1,952 new infections on Saturday, the highest in three
weeks.
PRAYING FOR AN END TO THE PANDEMIC
About 80% of the country's 108 million people identify as
Roman Catholic.
"I am not afraid to go here even with the risk of COVID-19
because I have faith in Jesus the Nazarene. Every year, every
week I go to church," Arjay Echon, 29, a supermarket employee
and a devotee for seven years, told Reuters.
Echon, wearing a facemask and shield while carrying a small
replica of the "Black Nazarene", said he was praying for the
pandemic to end.
The annual procession of the statue depicting Jesus
shouldering a heavy cross - cancelled this year - usually draws
millions of devotees, many barefoot and jostling to get close
and touch the image.
The statue was carved in Mexico and brought to the
Philippines in the early 17th century.
"My personal prayer is good health for my family...I pray
for a better Philippines this 2021 and for COVID-19 to end,"
Prubancio Sarasin, A 56-year-old security guard, told Reuters.