Friday, January 11, 2008 Mass offered to 2 devotees who died at Nazarene feast
A MASS was held at the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene also known as Quiapo Church Thursday afternoon dedicated to the two devotees who perished during the celebration of the 401st Feast of the Black Nazarene last Wednesday.
The victims identified as Cecilia Fajardo, 54, and Alex Radovan, 44, both died of cardiac arrest.
They were among the devotees that trooped to the Plaza Miranda in front of the Basilica to attend the annual feast.
Reports revealed that at least two million devotees attended Wednesday's procession.
Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) was saddened by the incident, as he asked the faithful to deepen their faith.
"We're all saddened by the death of two devotees and the injuries suffered by other devotees. This has become a challenge to the Church to really work for evangelization. Everyone should be Christianized. Deepening the faith (of the people)," said CBCP spokesperson Pedro Quitorio.
He noted that the level of faith of most Filipino Catholics is on the popular level of religiosity.
"On popular level, there are elements of superstition, culture, folk belief, but that is faith just the same and we respect that. People don't necessarily have the same belief, but most of us are on that level of faith," Quitorio explained.
He cited as an example, the traditional procession of the Black Nazarene wherein devotees would often shove and push one another just to get near the life-size image of the Nazareno considered to be miraculous.
"Their conviction is on that level. They believe that when they are able to touch the image their life will be better or they'll be cured from their sickness," he added.
However, he noted that they do not want to judge the people, as they urged Catholics to make their faith stronger. "If your faith is deep, Christianity will not depend on the mere touching rather by loving your neighbor, and living the Gospel," said Quitorio. (FP/Sunnex)
