On the Question of the Nazareno as Nuestro Padre (and why it is perfectly acceptable to call Our Lord “Papa Jesus”)
By: Rev. Fr. Paolo Miguel R. Cobangbang pCDC Teresian Carmelites of the Holy Face
In 2024, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines approved 9 January as the liturgical Feast of Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno—popularly called, albeit imprecisely, the “Black Nazarene.” In this connection, I examined the homiletic primer released by Quiapo Church under its then rector, Msgr Rufino Sescon (now Bishop of Balanga). The primer is a comprehensive resource: it treats the history and appearance of the image, the Traslación from the Recoletos to Bagumbayan and finally to Quiapo, the Minor Basilica itself, and the distinctive Manileño devotion surrounding the Señor de Quiapo.
What particularly drew my attention was the primer’s treatment of the title Nuestro Padre—a term long cherished within the devotion. The primer proposes a modern explanatory gloss: although not the original historical intention, Nuestro Padre may be understood as “Our Priest,” the One who continually offers Himself to the Father on our behalf.
This raises an important question: what was the original theological intention behind calling the Nazareno “Father”?
Christ as the Manifestation of the Father
Sacred Scripture provides the foundation. St Paul teaches that Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). Our Lord Himself affirms: “I and the Father are one” (Jn 10:30). The Son reveals, embodies, and communicates the Fatherhood of God. In this sense, to acknowledge Christ as “Father” is not to confuse the Persons of the Trinity, but to confess that the Son makes the Father known and present to us.
Our Lord even adopts explicitly parental imagery when lamenting Jerusalem: “How often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not” (Mt 23:37). The language is unmistakably paternal—protective, generative, provident.
There is, therefore, a clear biblical and theological basis for invoking Christ under the title Padre.
“Papa Jesus” and Filial Theology
I once encountered a catechist who objected to the expression “Papa Jesus,” arguing that since God is our Father, Christ must be regarded only as our Brother—He being the “first-born of all creation.” This is true as far as it goes, and it need not be denied. Yet it is incomplete.
A first-born son, especially within biblical and traditional cultures, bears genuine paternal authority toward the younger children. He mediates the father’s will, protects the household, and provides for those entrusted to him. In this sense, Christ is both Brother and Father—Brother by incarnation and solidarity, Father by authority, providence, and mediation.
To reject the term “Papa Jesus” outright risks imposing a narrow rationalism that does not fully account for the dogmatic reality of Christ’s person and mission.
The Devotional Experience of the Señor de Quiapo
Within the lived devotion to the Señor de Quiapo, the title Nuestro Padre arises organically. Devotees will readily testify that every good received through prayer is attributed to Him. They experience His providence, His fidelity, and His refusal to abandon those who come to Him—daily, and in immense numbers especially on Fridays.
They call Him “Father” because He provides, He protects, He remains. This is not a theological abstraction, but a lived confession of faith expressed in popular piety.
Conclusion
There are many further reasons that could be adduced, but this suffices: to call the Señor de Quiapo Nuestro Padre, or even Papa Jesus, is fully compatible with Catholic faith. It accords with Scripture, dogma, and the historical and social consciousness embedded in this devotion. Far from diminishing Christ, it confesses His intimate nearness, His authority, and His loving providence.
Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno—Papa Jesus—have mercy on us.
Fr. Paolo Miguel R. Cobangbang is a priest of the Old Roman Apostolate based in Biñan City, the Philippines. He is a postulant in the Congregation for Divine Charity and promoter of the Teresian Carmelites of the Holy Face.
Transferred to Quiapo in the eighteenth century, the image quickly drew an intense popular devotion marked by penitence, hope, and trust in Christ’s saving power. The annual Traslación on 9 January, recalling the image’s transfer, gathers millions of devotees who venerate the Nazareno as a living sign of Christ’s nearness to the poor and afflicted, and who invoke Him with filial confidence as Nuestro Padre.
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