Christ himself
The report said some Filipinos believed that the Sto. Niño de Cebu (Holy Child of Cebu) was Christ himself. It noted that 16th century Spaniards “declared the icon to be miraculous and used it to convert the nation, making this wooden statue, housed today behind bulletproof glass in Cebu’s Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño, the root from which all Filipino Catholicism has grown.” The Sto. Niño is believed to be a replica of the icon devotees believe Ferdinand Magellan brought to Cebu in 1521.
“I don’t call it extravagant,” said Fr. Vicente Lina Jr. (Father Jay), director of the Diocesan Museum of Malolos and curator of his archdiocese’s annual Sto. Niño exhibit). “‘I call it an offering to God.’ He surveys the child images, some of which are decorated in ‘lagang,’ silvery mother of pearl flowers carved from nautilus shells,” said in the report.
Crooked line
“When it comes to Sto. Niño devotion too much is not enough. As a priest, I’ve been praying, ‘If all of this stuff is plain stupid, then God, put a stop to this,’” Father Jay was quoted as saying in the report.
He went as far as saying that the
ivory used for the statues were smuggled but for him, “it is like straightening up a crooked line.”
“Father Jay points to a Sto. Niño holding a dove. ‘Most of the old ivories are heirlooms,’” Lina said. “‘The new ones are from Africa. They come in through the back door,’” he was quoted as saying.
“‘It’s like straightening up a crooked line: You buy the ivory, which came from a hazy origin, and you turn it into a spiritual item. See?” Lina said, with a giggle. “His voice lowers to a whisper. ‘Because it’s like buying a stolen item,’” the report said.