Millions of Catholic devotees swept through the Philippine capital on Wednesday in a spectacular show of passion for a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ that many believe holds miraculous powers.

In the nation's biggest annual religious gathering, barefoot men and women crammed into Manila's streets hoping to touch the life-sized, black icon as it was paraded through the city's historic area.

For what she said was the 40th year in a row, grandmother Carmelita Maralit waited for the Black Nazarene to pass her by, holding a lit candle under the intense tropical sun. “I have high-blood pressure and I believe it (honoring the statue) helps ease my pains,” said Maralit, 64, who traveled in from an outlying suburb, as others jostled around her.

On Wednesday, Larry Torralba, 34, carried four white handkerchiefs as he and dozens of neighbors waited for the statue to pass them, intending to jump above the throng onto the icon's carriage and touch it.

But while many hail the statue for its supposed special powers and the Catholic Church celebrates the outpouring of devotion, not all Filipinos think the same way.