HUNDREDS of thousands of barefoot devotees joined an annual procession in the Philippines of a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ on Thursday in one of the world’s grandest displays of Catholic devotion and expression of faith.

Filipinos turned the streets of Manila to a sea of maroon and gold and swarmed the “Black Nazarene,” a life-sized image of Jesus Christ bearing down a cross, as devotees jostled for a chance to pull the thick rope towing the carriage across the Philippine capital.

The procession’s organizers said about 220,000 people attended mass before the procession, while 94,500 were in the march as of 8 a.m. That number was expected to swell as it moved along its 5.8-kilometer route.

Other devotees threw white towels at the idol as marshals wiped them off its surface, believing that touching the statue would bless them and heal their illnesses.

Nearly 80% of Filipinos identify as Roman Catholic, a key legacy of Spanish colonization of the Philippines for more than 300 years.

The late Filipino priest and theologian Sabino Vengco said in 2019 the statue’s revered black color was due to the mesquite wood used in making the image, debunking a longstanding myth its blackened image was due to a fire that erupted on the ship that carried it to the Philippines from Mexico in the early 17th century.

As of 3:42 p.m., the idol and thousands of devotees were making their way along Arlegui St. in Manila, the city’s Public Information Office said in a Facebook post.

“This historic tradition, founded in great devotion, reminds us of the strength that allows us to find harmony in our faith as a people,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said in a statement. “I am confident that we can epitomize the example of the Nazarene in our daily lives as hope bearers, peacemakers and builders of society.”

The Philippine Red Cross on Thursday morning said its medics had helped more than a hundred patients at the Quirino Grandstand, five of whom were transferred to the hospital due to severe dizziness and chest pains.

The Red Cross deployed 1,000 volunteers and personnel for the gathering, including 10 doctors and 20 nurses.

The procession, called the “traslacion” or translation, commemorates the transfer of the Black Nazarene from a church inside the old Spanish capital of Intramuros to its present location in Quiapo Church.

Cardinal Jose Advincula, Manila’s archbishop, told devotees on Thursday to turn away from evil, greed and vices and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“Let us live up to his commandments, embrace his teachings and follow his example. It is better to follow the beloved Lord,” he said in his homily before the procession. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza with Reuters