Prelate laments ‘excess’ devotion to Nazarene

Many may see Saturday’s celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene as a mark of Filipino piety, but a senior Catholic Church official lamented the display of “excess" devotion during the event. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales scored many followers for trying to get near the image of the Black Nazarene, even if it meant injuring their fellow devotees. Earlier reports said at least two people died while hundreds were injured in the yearly procession of the image of the Black Nazarene, which is believed to have miraculous powers. “We still have a long way to go and there are many things to purify even in religious matters because there are excesses," Rosales said in an article posted Sunday on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. “Some of what we saw (Saturday) was excess expression of faith. There are many impurities that need cleansing," Rosales added. He said that when emotion gets too high, it takes over the reason, the holiness of the feast and the devotion. Rosales said that while devotion is good, seeing many people getting hurt is contrary to the purpose of the celebration. “Another way of excess of faith is when you do it for yourself only which should not be," he said. Rosales reiterated his challenge to devotees to practice three traits of the Black Nazarene even after this weekend’s feast. “That is the real devotion," he added. Rosales, who delivered a homily at the mass for the Black Nazarene at the Quirino Grandstand Saturday, challenged devotees to put into practice the Nazarene’s three main virtues of simplicity, humility and charity. “Let us bring with us even after the procession the three virtues of Christ: simplicity, humility and charity)," Rosales said during the mass. In his homily, Rosales said Christ lived a simple life, and did not crave worldly pleasures. Yet he lamented that in present times, there are people motivated by greed. “Sa buhay oo nga ... ang biyaya ng Diyos sapat para sa lahat. Pero kung may mga taong matakaw di lang sa pagkain kundi matakaw sa pera at matakaw sa mga paluho sa katawan, matakaw sa luxury, hindi magiging sapat maging 10 daigdig dahil sa katakawan ng tao (Yes, in life, God’s graces are enough for all. But there are people who crave more. Their greed is not limited to food but also extends to luxuries. With that kind of greed, not even the graces of 10 worlds will satisfy them)," he said. Rosales also said Christ’s devotees should be humble, noting Christ came from a humble family in Nazareth. He added Christ’s followers should be charitable, which he said also means sympathizing with fellow people, with no pretensions. “Ito ang ating larawan sa Hesus Nazareno. Marunong magdala, marunong mamahala, marunong makisama, walang pagbabalatkayo (This is Christ, who knows how to sympathize, with no pretensions). You get what you see in Christ: simple, humble, charitable," he said. Rosales’ call for a clean and garbage-free celebration also went unheeded as many streets in Manila’s Quiapo district were still littered with garbage as of Sunday morning. A report on dzBB radio said that as of 6 a.m. Sunday, motorists and commuters passing Quezon Boulevard had to cover their noses because of the stench of the garbage left behind. - LBG, GMANews.TV