On the Personhood of Sacred Objects: Agency, Materiality and Popular Devotion in the Roman Catholic Philippines

This paper is an analysis of the Santo Niño de Cebu, a statue child Jesus that object widespread popular devotion among Roman Catholics in Philippines. The central hypothesis continuing challenge Catholicism Philippines, at least from perspective institutional Church, lies not extra liturgical performance its rituals, but rather belief sacred objects possess agency and personhood. discussion this theme unfolds over three analytical movements. focus initial section on historical context which became established as preeminent religious cultural icon going far back sixteenth century. shifts to topic material objects, cultivated embodied rituals conducted by thousands devotees. A third movement examination how Niño’s intersects with reforms Second Vatican Council, particularly locally contextualized enacted Plenary Council Philippines (PCP II) 1991.