Devotions, Venerated Images & Local Customs of the Philippines

[Neopelagianus]

I am going to fill this thread with news, information and articles about Catholic devotions from Las Islas Filipinas.b


Stay tuned.


N.

[Neopelagianus]

The beauty of these devotions is that at one point in time (and probably in some cases even today) these are practiced throughout the former Spanish territories and Spain herself, but through passage of time, these customs have been forgotten in those areas (with the exception of probably some if not many).


Other traditions, on the other hand, are fairly practiced in the Islands alone, while the other practices are shared by the Islands along the rest of the Catholic world, with local variation as is common to countries.


N.

[Neopelagianus]

In a few moments after the intermission we will discuss the folowing:

-The 1521 Magellan Expedition, The Devotion to the Santo Niño de Cebu (and later devotions to the Infant Christ in other places and titles)

- Rajah Humabar, Hara Amihan, Cali Pulaco and Rajah Tupaz

- Juan de Camus and the rediscovery of the Infant Child Jesus, and the flowering of Christianity in the Philippines.

N.

[Neopelagianus]

Also, take note that this is not meant to be too scholarly and detailed. This is merely a sharing by someone who has an interest, nay, an obsession (!) in all things Catholic and Hispano-Filipino.


N.

[Shin]

I enjoyed my little trip to the Philippines years ago. 

[whiterockdove]

Thank you for this topic!  Devotions are a Catholic treasure.

[Neopelagianus]

I enjoyed my little trip to the Philippines years ago. 

Where? In Manila or in Cebu?

The Churches of Manila shall be part of our discussion too in the coming weeks  .

Thank you for this topic!  Devotions are a Catholic treasure.

You're welcome .

N.

[Shin]

Manila!

The food was fine out there -- portions certainly were smaller! -- and I went to some adoration chapels! And a mountain shrine!

[Neopelagianus]

The story of the Santo Niño de Cebu


The image of the Santo Niño is kept in the Santo Nino Chapel of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. It is considered the oldest religious relic in the Philippines.

In April 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of Charles V of Spain, arrived in Cebu during his voyage to find a westward route to the Indies. He persuaded Rajah Humabon and his chief wife Humaway, to pledge their allegiance to Spain. They were later baptised into the Catholic faith, taking the Christian names Carlos (after Charles V) and Juana (after Joanna of Castile, his mother).

According to Antonio Pigafetta, Italian chronicler to the Spanish expedition, Ferdinand Magellan handed Pigafetta the image to be given to the Rajah's wife right after the baptismal rite officiated by Padre Pedro Valderrama. It was Pigafetta himself who personally presented the Santo Niño to the newly baptised Queen Juana as a symbol of their new alliance, her newly baptized husband King Carlos, Magellan presented the bust of "Ecce Homo", or the depiction of Christ before Pontius Pilate. He also presented an image of the Virgin Mary to the natives who were baptised after their rulers. Magellan died on 27 April 1521 in the Battle of Mactan. Legends say that after initial efforts by the natives to destroy it, the image was venerated as the animist creator deity Bathala. Many historians consider the facial structure of the statue made from Belgium, where Infant Jesus of Prague statues were also common.

44 years after Magellan's soldiers left, the next Spanish expedition arrived on April 27, 1565, led by Miguel López de Legazpi. He found the natives hostile, fearing retribution for Magellan's death, and the village caught fire in the ensuing conflict. The next day, the Spanish mariner Juan Camus found the image of the Santo Niño in a pine box amidst the ruins of a burnt house.The image, carved from wood and coated with paint, stood 30 centimetres tall, and wore a loose velvet garment, a gilded neck chain and a red woolen hood. A golden globus cruciger or orb was in the left hand, with the right hand slightly raised in benediction. Camus presented the image to Miguel López de Legazpi and the Augustinian priests; the natives refused to associate it with the gift of Magellan, claiming it had existed there since ancient times. Writer Dr. Resil Mojares wrote that the natives did so for fear that the Spaniards would demand it back. The natives’ version of the origin of the Santo Niño is in the Agipo (stump or driftwood) legend, which states that the statue was caught by a fisherman who chose to get rid of it, only to have it returned with a plentiful harvest.

The statue was later taken out for procession, afterwards which Legazpi then ordered the creation of the Confraternity of the Santo Niño de Cebú, appointing Father Andrés de Urdaneta as head superior. Legazpi instituted a fiesta to commemorate the finding of the image, and the original celebration still survives.

The Minor Basilica of Santo Niño (Spanish: Basílica Minore del Santo Niño) was built on the spot where the image was found by Juan Camus. The church was originally made out of bamboo and mangrove palm and claims to be the oldest parish in the Philippines. Pope Paul VI elevated its rank as Minor Basilica on its 400th year anniversary.

  Feast

The feast, locally known as Fiesta Señor, starts on the Thursday after the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Each year, the celebration starts with a dawn procession wherein the replica image of Santo Niño de Cebu is brought down to the streets. It is then followed by the novena masses, which span nine days. On the last day of the novena, another dawn procession is held wherein the image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu is brought down from its shrine to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. After the procession, it will stay for a while in the Basilica. Then, the images of Santo Niño de Cebu and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu are brought to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City to reunite the church's namesake, forming the Holy Family. This transfer, which is common in fiestas throughout the country, is called Traslación.

On the morning of the vesperas ("eve", i.e., the day before) of the feast, the images of Santo Niño de Cebu and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu are brought back to Cebu City through a fluvial procession, and upon reaching the Basilica, a reenactment of the first mass and baptism is held. It is then followed by a grand solemn foot procession on the afternoon of the same day. After the procession, a solemn Pontifical Mass is concelebrated by bishops and priests. It is then followed by the grand Sinulog Festival on the following Sunday. The feast officially ends on Friday after the Sinulog Festival by the traditional Hubo (Cebuano, "undress") rite in which the image of Santo Niño de Cebu is stripped of its grand ceremonial vestments, bathed in water laced with perfume and redressed in a simple robe. This rite is done in front of the public.

(Source: Wikipedia)

[Neopelagianus]

The Rite of Bathing the Infant Jesus of Cebu

The "Hubo" ritual, or the undressing of the Sto. Niño image, takes place five days after the Grand Sinulog Parade held every 3rd Sunday of January.

Hubo is the Cebuano word for "to undress". During the mass, priests ceremonially remove the festival garments of the image, bath the image in water laced with perfume, and don the image with ordinary vestments. According to Catholic tradition, the change of garments to less decorated ones symbolizes spiritual change within a person. The order of removal is as follows:

1)    crown
2)    orb and scepter
3)    bands
4)    cape
5)    tunic
6)    inner clothing
7)    boots

The bathing of the child Jesus also has significant meaning. When the image undergoes bathing, it symbolizes purification and cleansing to "renew ties with God". The water used to wash the image is then referred to as "holy water." However, many devotees try to ascribe the said water with magical and miraculous powers, to the disapproval of priests. According to the clergy, the holy water ought to bring adherents to a spirit of prayer, not heal any ailments and cure diseases automatically.

The new, ordinary garments are also used to elicit prayer. Every piece of clothing is taken to signify an event of Jesus' life, and a prayer is recited for it.

Catholic Cebuanos believe that just as the Sinulog festival closes the Christmas season, the Hubo mass also closes the week-long fiesta and opens the Lenten season. In the past, the Hubo ritual was held behind closed doors by Augustinian friars and select women. After the public learned of the closed ritual, the church finally made the ceremony public in 1990. Any church or parish is permitted to hold the ritual if it wishes to.

(Source: Everything Cebu . Com)

[Neopelagianus]

The story of the Santo Niño de Cebu


The image of the Santo Niño is kept in the Santo Nino Chapel of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. It is considered the oldest religious relic in the Philippines.

In April 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of Charles V of Spain, arrived in Cebu during his voyage to find a westward route to the Indies. He persuaded Rajah Humabon and his chief wife Humaway, to pledge their allegiance to Spain. They were later baptised into the Catholic faith, taking the Christian names Carlos (after Charles V) and Juana (after Joanna of Castile, his mother).

According to Antonio Pigafetta, Italian chronicler to the Spanish expedition, Ferdinand Magellan handed Pigafetta the image to be given to the Rajah's wife right after the baptismal rite officiated by Padre Pedro Valderrama. It was Pigafetta himself who personally presented the Santo Niño to the newly baptised Queen Juana as a symbol of their new alliance, her newly baptized husband King Carlos, Magellan presented the bust of "Ecce Homo", or the depiction of Christ before Pontius Pilate. He also presented an image of the Virgin Mary to the natives who were baptised after their rulers. Magellan died on 27 April 1521 in the Battle of Mactan. Legends say that after initial efforts by the natives to destroy it, the image was venerated as the animist creator deity Bathala. Many historians consider the facial structure of the statue made from Belgium, where Infant Jesus of Prague statues were also common.

I note that when the Spaniards returned years after Magellan died, they found the tomb of Rajah Humabon with the corpse of the Rajah clutching the bust of the Ecce Homo.

44 years after Magellan's soldiers left, the next Spanish expedition arrived on April 27, 1565, led by Miguel López de Legazpi. He found the natives hostile, fearing retribution for Magellan's death, and the village caught fire in the ensuing conflict. The next day, the Spanish mariner Juan Camus found the image of the Santo Niño in a pine box amidst the ruins of a burnt house.The image, carved from wood and coated with paint, stood 30 centimetres tall, and wore a loose velvet garment, a gilded neck chain and a red woolen hood. A golden globus cruciger or orb was in the left hand, with the right hand slightly raised in benediction.

I note here that when Juan Camus saw the statue, he exclaimed, "¡Amado hijo de Maria, hallado has!" which means, "Beloved Son of Mary! I have found Thee!"

 Camus presented the image to Miguel López de Legazpi and the Augustinian priests; the natives refused to associate it with the gift of Magellan, claiming it had existed there since ancient times. Writer Dr. Resil Mojares wrote that the natives did so for fear that the Spaniards would demand it back. The natives’ version of the origin of the Santo Niño is in the Agipo (stump or driftwood) legend, which states that the statue was caught by a fisherman who chose to get rid of it, only to have it returned with a plentiful harvest.

The native retained the statue as a representation of the highest pagan god, Bathala.

The statue was later taken out for procession, afterwards which Legazpi then ordered the creation of the Confraternity of the Santo Niño de Cebú, appointing Father Andrés de Urdaneta as head superior. Legazpi instituted a fiesta to commemorate the finding of the image, and the original celebration still survives.

The Minor Basilica of Santo Niño (Spanish: Basílica Minore del Santo Niño) was built on the spot where the image was found by Juan Camus. The church was originally made out of bamboo and mangrove palm and claims to be the oldest parish in the Philippines. Pope Paul VI elevated its rank as Minor Basilica on its 400th year anniversary.

  Feast

The feast, locally known as Fiesta Señor, starts on the Thursday after the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Each year, the celebration starts with a dawn procession wherein the replica image of Santo Niño de Cebu is brought down to the streets. It is then followed by the novena masses, which span nine days. On the last day of the novena, another dawn procession is held wherein the image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu is brought down from its shrine to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. After the procession, it will stay for a while in the Basilica. Then, the images of Santo Niño de Cebu and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu are brought to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City to reunite the church's namesake, forming the Holy Family. This transfer, which is common in fiestas throughout the country, is called Traslación.

On the morning of the vesperas ("eve", i.e., the day before) of the feast, the images of Santo Niño de Cebu and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Cebu are brought back to Cebu City through a fluvial procession, and upon reaching the Basilica, a reenactment of the first mass and baptism is held. It is then followed by a grand solemn foot procession on the afternoon of the same day. After the procession, a solemn Pontifical Mass is concelebrated by bishops and priests. It is then followed by the grand Sinulog Festival on the following Sunday. The feast officially ends on Friday after the Sinulog Festival by the traditional Hubo (Cebuano, "undress") rite in which the image of Santo Niño de Cebu is stripped of its grand ceremonial vestments, bathed in water laced with perfume and redressed in a simple robe. This rite is done in front of the public.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Commentary in red

[Neopelagianus]

On a personal note, when me and the family visited the Basilica in Cebu, I have found a surge of spiritual comfort and interior peace, and at the same time, a great and profound feeling of being privileged to see and to pray before that image of which Juan Camus found in a burned hut. The image still exudes the sanctity that befits such sacred treasure even until now.

N.