After 2 Years, Quiapo Church Allows Nazareno ‘Pahalik’

The Quiapo Church resumed Friday, April 2, the pahalik of the image of the Black Nazarene, two years since the church had to suspend it when the country was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Quiapo Church parochial vicar Douglas Badong said that devotees of the Black Nazarene are now allowed to come closer to the image starting at 4 a.m. until the church closes in the evening.

Badong, however, clarified that the devotees are only allowed to touch the image of the Black Nazarene, which means that kissing it is still prohibited as the country continues to record COVID-19 cases.

He explained that pahalik is only a term used by the Quiapo Church to describe the way devotees approach the image of the Black Nazarene.

Unlike the previous pahalik wherein devotees queue along Quezon Boulevard, Badong said they will now open Evangelista Street along Carriedo where the line will start, heading toward the image of the Nazarene.

“They will just touch the image. It’s not a literal kiss on the image, and that’s why there is an usher standing guard. So, devotees would only touch the feet,” Badong explained in Filipino. 

He said a team will be deployed to sanitize first the hands of the devotees before they will be allowed to touch the image of the Black Nazarene, even as wiping the image with hand-kerchiefs and the like is still prohibited.

He added that devotees are also required to strictly observe minimum health standards and to wear face masks at all times. He said that they will not limit the number of devotees who wish to touch the Nazarene.

Badong said the resumption of the pahalik is part of the activities of Quiapo Church for the observance of Holy Week.