Quiapo Church elevated to national shrine

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has elevated the status of Quiapo Church from Archdiocesan Shrine of the Black Nazarene to the National Shrine of the Black Nazarene.

The elevation was approved by the bishops during the 126th plenary assembly in Kalibo, Aklan, making it the country’s 29th national shrine, with the church serving as home to the “traslacion” or the transfer of the image from Intramuros.

“For many years, the home of the centuries-old and revered image of the Black Nazarene has served as a prominent landmark for pilgrims from all corners of the country,” the CBCP said in a statement on Sunday.

Shrines are edifices where religious relics are preserved. The Catholic Church has several kinds of shrines: diocesan shrines, approved by the local bishop; archdiocesan shrines, approved by archbishops; national shrines, recognized by the bishops’ conferences; and international shrines, endorsed by the Vatican.

The Catholic News Agency said international shrines include historic locations such as Jerusalem and Rome; sites of approved Marian apparitions, such as Lourdes and Fatima; and places associated with saints, such as Assisi and Lisieux.

Quiapo Church was elevated to an archdiocesan shrine on May 10, and has been a minor basilica since 1987 due to its role in the devotion to Jesus Christ and its cultural impact on Filipino religious practices. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News