Pray to Nazarene, then see lawyer for free at Quiapo

The iconic Quiapo Church will no longer just be a refuge for millions of Catholics seeking divine succor but also for those in need of legal aid.

The church, home of the centuries-old image of the Black Nazarene, has opened a legal assistance office which would cater primarily to devotees and parishioners of the Archdiocese of Manila who cannot afford the cost of legal services.

The new ministry was launched on Thursday, coinciding with the birthday of Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, who requested that such an office be set up as part of the archdiocese’s response to the needs of its poor constituents, according to Monsignor Jose Clemente Ignacio, rector of the minor basilica.

The Manila archdiocese, the country’s premier see, covers seven cities and nine suffragan dioceses serving roughly 3 million Catholics.

Ignacio said the legal office would be run for free by student interns, faculty members and alumni of the San Beda College of Law. But the rector called on other good-hearted lawyers to volunteer their time and services for the poor.

The office is on the third floor of the newly constructed Benedictine XVI Building inside the church compound, with telephone numbers 733-4945 local 318 or 319.

Present during Thursday’s launch were the top 45 graduating students of the San Beda College of Law as well as staff members and volunteers of the restorative justice ministry of Caritas Manila.

One of the guests, Comelec Commissioner and San Beda law professor Rene Sarmiento, said he would be among the volunteer lawyers and promised to mobilize more of his colleagues for the ministry.