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Santo
Niño
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Picture: ©
SantoNinodeCebu.org |
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Santo Niño,
the oldest religious image
The
image of the Santo Niño is the oldest religious image in the
Philippines. The wooden image, made by Flemish artisans, was brought to
the island by Fernao Magellan in 1521, just like the Magellan cross.
Magellan gave the image Santo Niño to Queen Juana as a
baptismal gift.
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The
miracle
Forty-four
years later, In 1565, Cebu was for a big part destroyed by a fire. The
fire was set on purpose by the Spaniards as a punishment for hostile
activities of the Cebuanos. In one of the burned houses, a Spanish
soldier found the image of Santo Niño. Remarkably unscratched!
Since then, the miraculous image has been treated by the Cebuanos
as its patron saint. At
present, the miraculous image is kept in the Parish convent, and only a
replica, adorned with gold and precious stones and enshrined in glass,
is hold inside the Basilica Minor del Santo. |
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The
Basilica Minor del Santo Niño
The
church was built near the place where the Santo Niño
was found in the burned house. On this place the Spaniards built
three times a church.
The first two times the church was built out of
wood and nipa. Every time it was burned down. The construction of the
present church date from
1735. In
1965 the church was given the title of "Basilica Minor del Santo Niño".
The
Philippines, unique in Asia
From
a religious point of view, the Philippines is unique in the Asia,
because it is the only country with a dominating Christian religion. In
2003 ninety percent of the Filipinos is Christian! A
remarkable difference with Indonesia, where 95 percent of the
people is Islamite. A great difference with other countries in de the
region too. Buddhism is dominating in countries like China and Thailand
for instance. |
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Picture:
W.L. Tan |
(Source
: Angels in Stone by Pedro Galende) |
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