Santo Niño Exhibit Opens in Barcelona

This article is available in Spanish.

MANILA, Philippines — The exhibit “Santo Niño de Cebu: Un icono de la historia filipina” opened at the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona on Wednesday, March 6.

The said exhibit includes five different images of the Santo Niño, all from different parts of the Philippines: the Santo Niño de Cebu, the Santo Niño de Pandacan, the Santo Niño de Praga, the Santo Niño de Ternate, and the Santo Niño de Tondo; and a replica of the Cross of Magellan.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle blessed the religious objects. He then encouraged the youth to “profess their faith in Christ” and challenged them to “become priests and nuns to be part of the evangelization of the Catholic faith.” For the Filipino community in Spain, he urged them to “share the gift of faith, as it has been shared to us 500 years ago.”

Philippe Jones Lhuillier, the Philippine Ambassador to Spain, said that the exhibit aims to bring the Santo Niño to a wider audience, including both Filipinos and Spaniards, according to a news release by the Department of Foreign Affairs. “Spain has gifted us with Christianity. Through our devotion to the Santo Niño, we gift Spain with our Catholic faith, which has been our pillar of strength and has seen us through difficult times,” said Lhuillier.

Consul General Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro of the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona emphasized that the exhibit is a “glimpse into our history and our Catholic faith.”

Zip de Guzman, a Filipino baritone from the Andorran opera, sang the “Santo Niño at 500” theme song “Panis Angelicus” by Saint Thomas Aquinas and “Saan Ka Man Naroroon” by Levi Celerio, among other musical performances.

Officials from the Archdiocese of Barcelona and other Catholic churches in Catalonia, as well as local government officials, heads of academic and cultural institutions based in Barcelona, and members of the Filipino community, attended the said event.

“Santo Niño de Cebu: Un icono de la historia filipina,” which is presented in collaboration with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, will be open until May 31 during weekdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

In December, the Santo Niño de Cebu “returned” to Spain after 500 years as an exact replica of the Catholic relic has been sent to the said country.