ILOILO City – Jaro Archbishop Midyphil Billones has issued a reminder to devotees of the Santo Niño and Dinagyang Festival revelers to stop “dollifying” the sacred image, warning that treating the Holy Child as a toy, decorative figure or prop diminishes the true meaning of devotion and faith.
Billones delivered the message during the Solemn Pontifical Mass for the fiesta of Arevalo district on Sunday morning, January 18, in honor of Santo Niño, as he urged the faithful to deepen their understanding of the Holy Child beyond outward appearances.
Arevalo celebrates its fiesta in honor of the Santo Niño every third Sunday of January, a week ahead of Iloilo City’s Dinagyang Festival that has also made the Holy Child the focus of its religious aspect.
“Please don’t get me wrong. Maka-relate kita (in the celebration) pero kon himuon mo na nga daw doll, daw indi na gid na ya. Kay nga-a? Ang Señor Santo Niño nagdaku sia kag naghalad sang kabuhi sa krus para sa aton tanan. In fact his greatest power is dying on the cross for your salvation and mine,” Billones said in his homily.
Dinagyang started in 1967. A replica of the Santo Niño de Cebu was brought from Cebu to the San Jose de Placer Parish Church. The image was enthusiastically received by the Ilonggos who danced on the streets of Iloilo City.
Archbishop Billones acknowledged that many devotees are drawn to the Santo Niño because of the image’s childlike appeal, but cautioned that such affection can become problematic when it reduces the sacred image to a “munî-munî” (doll) or mere object.
“Meaning, gina-ilisan naton. Okay man lang na kon lapit sa imo sirkumstansya, pero basi bala ginhimu sia doll. You are dollifying a sacred image,” he said.
Billones stressed that devotion to the Santo Niño should be holistic, rooted in faith that recognizes both the divinity and vulnerability of Christ, whose incarnation ultimately led to suffering, death, and resurrection.
He reminded devotees that while it may be easy to dress the Santo Niño in fine garments, it is far more challenging — and more important — to live by His goodness and teachings.
“Kon kita tanan tumuluo kag sumulunod ni Señor Santo Niño de Arevalo, dapat una ang aton tema becomes intercession which is sincere and genuine,” Billones said.
The Santo Niño de Arevalo, the third oldest Santo Niño image in the Philippines, is more than four centuries old. Brought in 1581 by Spanish Governor General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, the wooden image now stands at 445 years old and is enshrined at the Santo Niño de Arevalo Parish Church, an archdiocesan shrine and pilgrimage site.
While often overshadowed by the larger Dinagyang celebrations, Billones’ message underscored the spiritual importance of the Santo Niño de Arevalo to the local faithful./PN
