Quiapo Church is now preparing for a downscaled Traslacion next year after it failed to enforce physical distancing measures during a procession it held for the Black Nazarene last Monday.
On Thursday, Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr. Douglas Badong said they are bracing themselves for the “worst case scenario” if the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) refuses to allow them to hold a procession for the 2021 Traslacion.
“We are just waiting for the big news. We are hoping [they will allow us to hold the procession], but if they do not allow us, we will still continue [with the Traslacion] but it will not be the same as before,” Badong said.
In such a scenario, he said they will just hold a mass in Quiapo Church and spread the images of the Black Nazarene in makeshift chapels in designated areas.
“But we might not be able to control the number of people who will go to the Church so we are waiting for the IATF on how many will be allowed in the church [for Traslacion],” Badong said.
Badong admitted they were unable to stop some of the devotees from joining the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene last Monday around Quiapo, Manila, which should have only included some select hijos or honor guard.
The devotees, who joined did not follow social distancing and did not wear face masks.
The Manila Police District is now looking at the possible liability of the Quiapo Church leadership over the said violations of mass gathering limitations as well as minimum health standards.
Badong said they are ready to face sanctions for the incident.
Image credits: Roy Domingo