The Manila Bulletin reported on Jan. 10 that the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRRMMC) recorded three deaths among Nazareno devotees brought to the hospital during the Traslacion. The news report should prompt deeper reflection on intense devotion and public safety.

The article cited Dr. Cynthia Versoza, chairperson of JRRMMC’s Emergency Medicine Complex, who said in a radio interview that the hospital recorded 23 Traslacion-related patients, three of whom died, as of 6 a.m. last Saturday, when the procession had entered its 26th hour. One patient who apparently suffered a heart attack was brought in alive but later expired, while two others were declared dead on arrival.

Beyond these deaths, medical teams attended to around 1,700 devotees who suffered injuries, dizziness, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. Together, these figures underscore the extreme physical strain imposed by a procession marked by prolonged exposure to heat and intense crowding.

Church and police officials said changes are being considered for future Traslacions, including adjustments to the route, the design of the andas, and crowd-management and safety protocols. Public safety planning must confront the realities of modern crowd dynamics. We must ask whether the virtually unlimited scale and duration of the procession, as currently practiced, align with safety standards for millions of participants, including those with health conditions.

As authorities assess this year’s Traslacion, the deaths and injuries should not be viewed as acceptable collateral in the annual event. They should be treated as urgent signals that further reforms are needed. Crowd-management experts, public health officials, urban planners, and the faithful themselves must be part of a careful assessment of how a cherished tradition can be preserved without exposing participants to preventable harm.

For decades—except during the pandemic—the Traslacion has been an awesome sight: vast multitudes pushing and pulling for hours, enduring exhaustion to come within reach of a centuries-old wooden image of a suffering Christ. To many observers, the spectacle is bewildering—an overwhelming display of religious fervor bordering on chaos.

Devotees speak of “panata”—a vow rooted in gratitude or despair. The act of enduring the crowd becomes a form of prayer itself. From this perspective, the Traslacion is less about spectacle than about seeking closeness to grace.

Still, the question inevitably arises: is this intense faith, or raw fanaticism?

Critics often point to an apparent contradiction. The image of the Nazarene is enshrined year-round at Quiapo Church, accessible to devotees willing to wait in line patiently. Why, then, the annual frenzy that results in injuries and, at times, deaths? To some, the event appears less like Christian devotion and more like mass hysteria, a ritual stripped of reason.

Yet dismissing the Traslacion as mere fanaticism overlooks something essential about Filipino spirituality. For millions of devotees, the procession is not irrational; it is deeply symbolic. It reflects a faith shaped by suffering, endurance, and the belief that mercy may be found through sacrifice. To walk barefoot, to endure hunger and pain, is to imitate Christ’s suffering and to offer one’s own suffering in hope of divine compassion.

The Filipino expression “Sa awa ng Diyos” captures this sensibility. It acknowledges human unworthiness while clinging stubbornly to grace. In a country marked by poverty, illness, and economic uncertainty, faith often becomes visceral. It is not merely contemplated; it is physically lived.

Scripture offers perspective. In Luke 7:36–50, a sinful woman shocks onlookers by washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and costly perfume. Christ does not rebuke her excess. Instead, He forgives her, saying, “Your faith has saved you.” The passage reminds us that God sees sincerity where humans see impropriety.

Still, the hymn to Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno proclaims, “Aral Mo’y aming buhay at kaligtasan”—Your teachings are our life and salvation. Christ’s teachings are rooted in patience, humility, and love of neighbor. They do not justify recklessness or indifference to the safety of others.

Why, then, does devotion so often descend into disorder? Why does reverence give way to pushing and endangering fellow devotees in pursuit of a symbol of Christ who preached selflessness?

A prominent sociologist has attributed this phenomenon to a fixation on religious symbols at the expense of moral substance. Rituals are performed with extraordinary intensity, while the ethical demands of faith—honesty, compassion, justice—are too often sidelined. It would be ideal if the immense energy poured into the Traslacion would extend beyond the procession itself, finding expression in daily acts of compassion, integrity, and concern for others.

Preserving spiritual heritage must not come at the cost of human dignity and life. If the 2026 Traslacion, the longest in history, teaches us anything, it is that faith and prudence need not be at odds. They must walk together—faith in the heart, safety firmly in mind. ([email protected])