CEBU (UCAN): Church leaders in the Cebu, the Philippines, warned people to refrain from buying statues of the Santo Niño Hubad [naked Child Jesus], hoping obtain good fortune.
The Augustinian friars, who oversee the famed Minor Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu, issued a public advisory cautioning people not to be duped by social media marketing campaigns, reports say. They urged devotees of the Santo Niño to be cautious about fake accounts on social media, the Cebu Daily Inquirer reported on October 17.
The friars also said they do not promote the Santo Niño in green vestments, which has been marketed as paswerte [for good luck], the report stated.
“Sacred images [should] remind us to deepen our trust and faith in God,” the friars said.
Media reports say there have been attempts by scammers to solicit money from devotees with the fake promise of healing and other blessings from Santo Niño icon.
In August, a shrine and Catholic parish dedicated to Santo Niño warned people against solicitations in envelopes and electronic transactions using the name of the parish.
In a message posted on the official Facebook page of the Ardiocese of Cebu on October 16, Archbishop Jose Palma also debunked rumours that he blessed the Santo Niño Hubad. “The claim that I gave my blessings to Santo Niño Hubad is not true,” the archbishop said.
He posted the message after the Santo Niño Hubad went viral on Facebook.
A Facebook page with the name “Viva Sto. Niño Items” has been promoting the so-called Niño-inspired lucky charms since September, the Cebu Daily Inquirer reported.
According to the promotional post, while the statue is free, anyone interested in getting one would have to pay the shipping fee.
As of October 16 the post had generated over 40,000 reactions and was shared more than 1,500 times since its publication on September 16.
The Basilica in Cebu houses the statue of Santo Niño de Cebu, a title associated with the Infant Jesus, and widely venerated by Filipinos as miraculous. The statue is believed to be the oldest religious icon in the nation dating back more than 500 years.
Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, is said to have gifted the image to a local chieftain, Rajah Humbanon, and his wife and chief consort, Hara Humamay, following their baptism in 1521, historic records say. The event is regarded as the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.
Millions of Catholics join the annual feast of Santo Niño at the basilica in Cebu on the third Sunday of January.
At the centre of the festival is a large procession and traditional dancing feast known as Sinulog or water current movement.
