SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines – Several Filipinos were nailed to wooden crosses Friday to reenact Jesus Christ's suffering in a bizarre annual rite that has been rejected by Catholic church leaders but draws thousands of tourists on Good Friday.
Three laborers appeared calm as stainless steel nails were driven through their palms with hammers before they were set aloft on crosses under a brutal sun for a few minutes in San Juan village in the rice-growing Pampanga province north of Manila.
One of the men shed tears, while hundreds of tourists and residents watched and snapped pictures.
At least 12 other penitents were being crucified in two nearby villages, including in San Pedro Cutud — the main area for the annual tradition on the day Jesus Christ is supposed to have died. Dozens of policemen and medical volunteers were deployed to guard the thousands of visitors, including Western diplomats.
Ahead of the crucifixions, throngs of penitents walked several miles (kilometers) through village streets and beat their bare backs with sharp bamboo sticks and pieces of wood, sometimes splashing spectators with blood. Some participants opened cuts in the penitents' backs using broken glass to ensure the ritual was sufficiently bloody.
I heard Jesus flung himself off a cliff as evidence of his divinity. They ought to give that a try.
I suppose I'd watch that so long as I wasn't at risk of being stoned to death for pointing and laughing.
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