Black Christ Festival: Portobelo, Panama

Panama. Every year on the 21st of October the people of Portobelo, Panama and pilgrims from around Panama and the world celebrate the Black Christ Festival. The festival centers around a one ton statue of a black Christ, carrying a cross. The Black Christ is said to have arrived in Portobelo as early as 1658. Stories agree that statue was carved in Spain although there are a number of versions of how the statue arrived and where it was originally going. The central theme of the stories is that there was an epidemic at the time of its arrival and Portobelo was saved when people prayed to the Black Christ.

They stories say that when people tried to move the statue out of Portobelo storms occurred. It was said that the statue did not want to leave. There are repeated accounts of diseases cured and lives changed by the Black Christ. In the 1970’s a drug addicted Puerto Rican singer, Ismael Rivera, found his career and life in ruins when sought help from the Black Christ. He kicked his drug habit and went back to work, living another twelve years until dying from cancer in 1987. Rivera dedicated yearly pilgrimages, walking from Panama City to Portobelo over three days, sleeping along the way when the sun set. These pilgrimages became famous with crowds lining parts of the way, singing Rivera’s song about the Black Christ, “El Nazareno.” Since that time other singers have sought help from the Black Christ. The statue has also become known as the saint of singers.

The term “Black Christ” is said to have come from US servicemen in World War II. In Portobelo it is known as “the saint.” Every year thousands gather to venerate the ancient statue.