Tens of thousands of Filipinos gathered for a mass in Manila on Thursday (January 9) to honour a black statue of Jesus Christ believed to bring miracles to the faithful seeking the answer to prayers.<br/> <br />Devotees gathered for an early morning mass at an outdoor auditorium in Manila's largest park, where thousands of people had camped out the night before.<br/> <br />Then Roman Catholic devotees flocked around the carriage containing the wooden statue known as the "Black Nazarene" as it crawled through the city, hoping that a slight touch would bless them and heal their illnesses and those of their relatives.<br/> <br />Some onlookers threw white towels and handkerchiefs to those on the carriage for them to wipe on the statue, which depicts Jesus kneeling with a heavy cross, in the hope of carrying away some of its healing powers.<br/> <br />Some devotees determined to touch or catch sight of the wooden icon, scrambled over people's heads and shoulders as the carriage moved slowly through the crowd.
