Devotees clad in maroon, barefoot, spiritually euphoric and wild vie with each other for the honor of pulling the rope. The streets of Quiapo transformed into a raging sea of human bodies, waving banners of maroon and gold. Men climb over the others to wipe the black image with a white handkerchief or even kiss it. This is the Feast of the Black Nazarene – a puzzling devotion even to some Catholics.
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(c) Frederick Deserva 2017 More