Manila, April 7, (dpa/GNA) – Penitents were nailed to wooden crosses in the Philippines on Friday as Catholics resumed gory re-enactments of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and death, three years after the ritual was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dozens of barefoot and hooded men also beat their backs bloody using whips fitted with bamboo sticks, while thousands joined processions and attended mass in packed churches across the country.
The Good Friday rituals are the highlight of Easter week celebrations in the predominantly Catholic country.
The main site of the crucifixions was the village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga province, about 60 kilometres north of Manila, where thousands returned to witness the re-enactments for the first time since 2020.
Ruben Enaje, a 62-year-old grandfather of seven, took the lead role in the annual re-enactment and carried a 37-kilo wooden cross for nearly 2 kilometres to a hill where the crucifixions were held.
“We are all happy that we are able to resume our tradition,” he said ahead of the re-enactment. “This is very important for us to show our strong faith, and this year, we should be extra thankful for all the hardships we survived since the pandemic.”
The Catholic Church does not encourage the extreme acts of faith but does little to stop the practice.
Enaje called for respect for the participants’ belief, saying they were not doing anything that harms other people.
“We have accepted that some people do not agree with our traditions,” he said. “Please just respect what we do.”
Easter week is a major religious event in the Philippines, where more than 85% of the population is Catholic.
GNA