Seven Filipino Roman Catholic
devotees, including a woman, have been nailed to wooden crosses as a mark of
honour for Jesus Christ.
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN,
reports that the demonstration was watched by thousands of spectators but
frowned upon by church leaders.
Three devotees wearing crowns of
twigs were nailed to crosses by villagers dressed as Roman centurions on a
dusty hill in San Pedro Cutud village, and four others were nailed to crosses
in nearby farming villages in San Fernando city north of Manila, tourism
officer Ching Pangilinan said.
The spectacle reflects a unique
brand of Catholicism that merges church traditions with folk superstitions.
Many of the mostly impoverished
penitents undergo the ritual to atone for sins, pray for the sick or for a
better life, or give thanks for what they believe were God-given miracles.
The Lenten rituals are frowned
upon by church leaders in the Philippines, Asia’s largest Roman Catholic
nation, especially if the events are used to boost tourism and business.
The reenactments of the
crucifixion, however, have persisted and become a tourist attraction in the
largely unknown villages in Pampanga province, about 80 kilometers (50 miles)
north of the capital.
While the crucifixions have
become a tradition for villagers, they still leave many foreign tourists
bewildered.
“It’s terrible,” said Luke Henkel
from Florida. “You wanna stop it.”
Mayor Edwin Santiago of San
Fernando, where San Pedro Cutud lies, said more than 400 police officers were
deployed and first-aid stations set up to look after the huge crowds.
“We provide assistance because we
can’t stop the influx of tourists,” Pangilinan said, adding, “We don’t promote
it as a festival but it’s rather a show of respect to a local tradition.”
Villagers used the crowd-drawing
events to peddle food, water, fans, umbrellas and souvenirs and rent out
parking slots and toilets
A leading cellphone company
provided tents for shade with its name embossed on them.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas said
it’s best for Catholics to mark Lent with prayers and acts of love and charity.
“Instead of spilling your blood
on the streets, why not walk into a Red Cross office and donate blood? Choose
to share life. Share your blood,” Villegas said in remarks posted on a Catholic
church website.
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