To reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition, a Filipino villager was nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time.
CTV News reports that Ruben Enaje was nailed to the cross in San Pedro Cutud. He said he would pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Over a hundred people watched as ten devotees were nailed to a wooden cross. One of them was Ruben, a 63-year-old carpenter and sign painter. The real-life crucifixions have become an annual religious spectacle that draws tourists in three rural communities in Pampanga province, north of Manila.
The ritual resumed last year after a three-year pause due to the pandemic. Enaje has become a village celebrity for his role as “Christ” in reenacting the Way of the Cross.
Before the crucifixions, Enaje said he had considered ending his annual penitence due to his age. However, he said he could not turn down requests from villagers to pray for sick relatives. He added that the need for prayers has deepened due to the alarming period of wars and conflicts worldwide.
A tourist from Poland, Maciej Kruszewski, said, “Here, we would like to just grasp what Easter means in a completely different part of the world.”
However, church leaders in the Philippines have frowned on the crucifixions and self-flagellations. They say Filipinos can show their faith and religious devotion without hurting themselves and by doing charity work instead.
The decades-old tradition shows the Philippines’ unique brand of Catholicism, which merges church traditions with folk superstitions.
