Posted on by Prester John

The Santo Niño de Cebú
The Santo Niño de Cebú avatar

Upon arriving to the Philippine archipelago in 1521 while leading a Spanish expedition, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan presented a small wooden statue of an image of the Christ Child to some locals as part of their baptism and conversion to Catholicism. While Magellan was unfortunately killed just three weeks later in the Battle of Mactan leading a war expedition on behalf of the local ruler of Cebu, the statue has survived to this day (although catching a facial scratch during WWII) and is venerated as a holy artifact by both Filipinos and The Vatican. The image of the Christ Child can be seen in person in the Minor Basilica del Santo Niño in Cebu City where it’s housed in a special chamber behind bulletproof glass.

The Minor Basilica del Santo Niño…
A replica is on display, however the real statue is in a side chamber where the public can get a close view as it sits inside a protective case; it’s difficult to get a picture of the case as photos are not allowed when people are worshiping…
Magellan’s Cross is also housed in the complex; supposedly the original is encased in an exterior of wood to protect it; this was the cross planted at the behest of Magellan in 1521 as a sign of claiming The Philippine Islands not only for Spain, but more importantly for Catholicism…
An example of a Santo Niño replica at a local hotel for bringing blessings to the business and its guests…
Another Santo Niño replica for bringing good luck to the business…