500,000 Brave Injuries To Touch Black Nazarene

[Dave Hounddriver]

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 5) An estimated 1.2 million devotees attended the morning Mass at the Quirino Grandstand, but only 500,000 actually joined the procession of the Black Nazarene image to the Quiapo church, Inspector Alex Francisco, officer-in-charge of the Manila Police District Tactical Operations Center, said.The procession attempted to push off at 8 a.m. but progress was sluggish due to the thick crowd.Men clambered up the “carroza” (float) of the Black Nazarene image as devotees flocked to it to wipe towels emblazoned with a dark Jesus Christ image. The men aboard the float would catch towels being flung up, wipe them on the image, and throw the “blessed” towels back to their owners. The Black Nazarene image is believed by many to be miraculous.etcNo fatalities were immediately recorded by PRC during this year’s procession. The 2010 procession saw one devotee dying from a heart attack, another simply found unconscious along the routeIt seems to me that these people are in an awful hurry to meet Jesus. I think I'll just wait until he calls for me.