50The sight of people passing out
is common during the Holy Week
celebrations in San Pedro Cutud,
a small town 75 kilometres northwest
of the Philippine capital, Manila. But
the spectacle of wilting figures is not
due to the steaming heat – it is the
result of a brutal representation of
the crucifixion of Jesus Christ marking
Lent, the six-week religious observance
that starts on Ash Wednesday and
concludes on Easter Sunday. According
to the religious scriptures, Jesus Christ
underwent agonising suffering before
sacrificing himself for the salvation of
mankind. Religious devotees re-enact
his final days in acts of penance.
Unlike many other parts of the
world where the passion of Christ is
remembered in a theatrical fashion
(with fake blood and actors carrying
a light cross on their backs for a short
period of time), Catholic believers in
San Pedro Cutud choose to replicate
“I feel very moved to see how Filipinos can keep
traditions even better than those who brought
them here. We are losing faith in Europe, but it’s
comforting to see how it remains strong here”
Eduardo Maldonadothe event in all its gory glory. Devotees
partake in the three acts of penance:
They carry the wooden cross for 30
kilometres on Holy Wednesday while
representative Roman soldiers lash
their backs with bamboo sticks; they
whip themselves throughout Thursday
and Good Friday (some go as far as to
maim their flesh with razor blades);
and in the third and final act, they are
nailed to a cross as Christ was.
The Catholic church doesn’t officially
sanction these rituals, but they have –
regardless of their severity – become a
tourist attraction, particularly for fellow
believers. “I can’t believe how strongthe faith of these men is. It’s hard to
watch because it’s very violent. There
is blood everywhere. But it’s a true
reminder of what Christ went through,”
says Eduardo Maldonado, a fervent
Christian who travelled to witness
the “bloody Easter” from Spain. He
adds: “I feel very moved to see how
Filipinos can keep traditions even
better than those who brought them
here. We are losing faith in Europe, but
it’s comforting to see how it remains
strong here.”
Spanish colonialists brought
Christianity to the Philippines when
they arrived in the 16th century, and