Crucifixion in the Philippines

Last updated

Good Friday observances in Barangay San Pedro Cutud, in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. Trio on crosses.jpg
Good Friday observances in Barangay San Pedro Cutud, in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines.

Crucifixion in the Philippines is a devotional practice held every Good Friday, and is part of the local observance of Holy Week. Devotees or penitents called magdarame in Kapampangan willingly have themselves crucified to reenact Jesus Christ's suffering and death, while related practices include carrying wooden crosses, crawling on rough pavement, and self-flagellation. Penitents consider these acts to be mortification of the flesh, and undertake these to ask forgiveness for sins, to fulfil a panatà (Filipino, "vow"), or to express gratitude for favours granted. In the most famous case, Ruben Enaje drives four-inch nails into both hands and feet and then he is lifted on a wooden cross for around five minutes. [1]

Contents

San Pedro Cutud, San Fernando

San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites in City of San Fernando, Pampanga. There are three crosses with nailed men on the top of the hill with spectators, both local and foreigners, watching them. Cutud Lenten Rites.jpg
San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites in City of San Fernando, Pampanga. There are three crosses with nailed men on the top of the hill with spectators, both local and foreigners, watching them.
Enaje on his 25th annual crucifixion. Resolute guy on the cross.jpg
Enaje on his 25th annual crucifixion.

The San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites are a re-enactment of Christ’s Passion and crucifixion held in Barangay San Pedro Cutud, San Fernando, Pampanga. It includes a passion play, culminating in the actual nailing of at least three penitents to wooden crosses atop a makeshift Calvary.

Paombong, Bulacan

Crucifixions are also held in Barangay Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan [7] which is a locally-known pilgrimage area and haven for faith healers.[ citation needed ] Many women have been nailed to the cross, acting on directions "from above", claiming mediumship of Christ either as the Santo Niño or the Black Nazarene. [8]

Duljo-Fatima, Cebu City

Angeles

The Siete Palabras ( Seven Last Words ) play in Angeles, Pampanga, depicts the sufferings of Christ from his sentencing by Pontius Pilate to his death. [22] This takes the form of a colourful street play, with dozens of men carrying wooden crosses as heavy as 50 kg (110 pounds) and scores flagellating themselves in Barangay Lourdes Northwest, Angeles, between 14:00 and 15:00 PST (GMT+8). [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crucifixion</span> Inflicting death by nailing or tying a victim to a wooden cross

Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthaginians, and Romans, among others. Crucifixion has been used in some countries as recently as the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Friday</span> Christian religious holiday preceding Easter

Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, and Black Friday.

The Penitent Thief, also known as the Good Thief, Wise Thief, Grateful Thief, or Thief on the Cross, is one of two unnamed thieves in Luke's account of the crucifixion of Jesus in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke describes him asking Jesus to "remember him" when Jesus comes into his kingdom. The other, as the impenitent thief, challenges Jesus to save himself and both of them to prove that he is the Messiah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melchora Aquino</span> Filipino revolutionary

Melchora Aquino was a Filipino revolutionary. She became known as "Tandang Sora" because of her age during the Philippine Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stations of the Cross</span> Series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion

The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, are a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The stations grew out of imitations of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, which is a traditional processional route symbolising the path Jesus walked to Mount Calvary. The objective of the stations is to help the Christian faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. It has become one of the most popular devotions and the stations can be found in many Western Christian churches, including those in the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Pedro Cutud</span> Barangay in San Fernando, the Philippines

San Pedro Cutud is a barangay in the city of San Fernando, Pampanga province in the Philippines, approximately 70 kilometers (43 mi) north of Manila.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Week procession</span> Processions held in Christian countries to celebrate the Holy Week

A Holy Week procession is a public ritual march of clergy and penitents which takes place during Holy Week in Christian countries, especially those with a Catholic culture. Various images of the saints, especially the Virgin Mary, and most importantly the image of the crucified Christ are carried aloft by foot on shoulder-borne pasos as an act of penance; acts of mortification are carried out; traditional Christian hymns and chants are sung. In many confraternities of penitents, the faces of the members are covered by elaborate hoods, such as the capirote, as a way of hiding one's identity in order to not ostentatiously draw attention to oneself while performing penance. Crosses, and biers holding Catholic holy images surrounded with flowers and offerings of candles, are carried usually from one parish church to another led by the clergy, monastic orders, or heads of the penitential orders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obando, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Obando, officially the Municipality of Obando, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 59,978 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hagonoy, Bulacan</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Hagonoy, officially the Municipality of Hagonoy, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 133,448 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paombong</span> Municipality in Bulacan, Philippines

Paombong, officially the Municipality of Paombong, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 55,696 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites</span>

The San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites is a Holy Week re-enactment of Christ's Passion and Death which takes place in Barangay San Pedro Cutud, City of San Fernando, Pampanga in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penitentes (New Mexico)</span> Roman Catholic lay group, 1820s-

Los Hermanos de la Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, also known as Los Penitentes, Los Hermanos, the Brotherhood of our Father Jesus of Nazareth and the Penitente Brotherhood, is a lay confraternity of Spanish-American Catholic men active in Northern and Central New Mexico and southern Colorado. They maintain religious meeting buildings, which are not formal churches, called moradas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moriones Festival</span> Lenten festival in the Philippines

The Moriones Festival is a lenten and religious festival held annually on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines. The "Moriones" are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Imperial Roman soldiers as interpreted by locals. The Moriones tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices is turned into street festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Week in the Philippines</span> Christian observance in the Philippines

Holy Week is a significant religious observance in the Philippines for the Catholic majority, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente or the Philippine Independent Church, and most Protestant groups. One of the few majority Christian countries in Asia, Catholics make up 78.8 percent of the country's population, and the Church is one of the country's dominant sociopolitical forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crucifixion of Jesus</span> Jesuss death as described in the gospels

The crucifixion of Jesus was the execution by crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth in 1st-century Judaea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and is broadly accepted as one of the events most likely to have occurred during his life. There is no consensus among historians on the details.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crucifixion in the arts</span> Crucifixion depicted in fine arts and popular culture

Crucifixions and crucifixes have appeared in the arts and popular culture from before the era of the pagan Roman Empire. The crucifixion of Jesus has been depicted in a wide range of religious art since the 4th century CE, frequently including the appearance of mournful onlookers such as the Virgin Mary, Pontius Pilate, and angels, as well as antisemitic depictions portraying Jews as responsible for Christ's death. In more modern times, crucifixion has appeared in film and television as well as in fine art, and depictions of other historical crucifixions have appeared as well as the crucifixion of Christ. Modern art and culture have also seen the rise of images of crucifixion being used to make statements unconnected with Christian iconography, or even just used for shock value.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Enaje</span> Filipino carpenter

Ruben Enaje is a Filipino carpenter, sign painter, and former construction worker. He is noted for being crucified 34 times as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Week in Mexico</span>

Holy Week in Mexico is an important religious observance as well as important vacation period. It is preceded by several observances such as Lent and Carnival, as well as an observance of a day dedicated to the Virgin of the Sorrows, as well as a Mass marking the abandonment of Jesus by the disciples. Holy Week proper begins on Palm Sunday, with the palms used on this day often woven into intricate designs. In many places processions, Masses and other observances can happen all week, but are most common on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, with just about every community marking the crucifixion of Jesus in some way on Good Friday. Holy Saturday is marked by the Burning of Judas, especially in the center and south of the country, with Easter Sunday usually marked by a Mass as well as the ringing of church bells. Mexico's Holy Week traditions are mostly based on those from Spain, brought over with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, but observances have developed variations in different parts of the country due to the evangelization process in the colonial period and indigenous influences. Several locations have notable observances related to Holy Week including Iztapalapa in Mexico City, Taxco, San Miguel de Allende and San Luis Potosí.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Friday processions in Baliwag</span>

Good Friday processions in Baliuag or Holy Week procession in Baliuag, Bulacan is an event taking place in Holy Week, in a traditional Roman Catholic culture of the St. Augustine Parish Church of Baliuag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Week in Taxco</span>

In Taxco, the processions and ceremonies of Holy Week are elaborate and have gained international fame. Between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, there are ten major processions, six during the evening and four during the day. Most processions are about two and a half kilometers long and take about two hours to complete. These commemorations date back to at least 1622 when they were begun in the atrium of the Church of the Ex monastery of San Bernardino de Siena. Now these processions and ceremonies center of the Santa Prisca Church.

References

  1. 1 2 "Every year a Filipino man marks Good Friday with an actual crucifixion. He just did it for the 33rd time". CNN. March 25, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  2. Cabrera, Michaela (March 19, 2013). "Devotees nailed to cross in Philippine folk Catholicism ritual". Reuters . Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  3. Sapnu, Ric. "20 to be crucified on Good Friday". The Philippine Star . Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  4. "Penitents: crucifixion a way of thanking God". Yahoo Philippines News . Manila Bulletin. March 30, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  5. "Filipino fanatics re-enact crucifixion for Good Friday". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Agence France-Presse. April 7, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  6. "20 Good Friday Devotees Crucified In Philippines During Bloody Re-Enactment: 'I Do This For My God' [PHOTOS]". Ibtimes.com. April 6, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  7. "The Official Website of the Municipality of Paombong, Bulacan". Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  8. Bräunlein, Peter (2009). "Negotiating Charisma: The Social Dimension of Philippine Crucifixion Rituals". Asian Journal of Social Science. 37 (6): 892–917. doi:10.1163/156848409X12526657425262.
  9. "SEE IT: Fervent Filipino Catholics nailed to crosses for Good Friday". NY Daily News. Associated Press. April 6, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  10. "Filipino fanatics re-enact crucifixion for Good Friday". ABC. Agence France-Presse. April 7, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  11. "Filipino Good Friday devotees nailed to crosses". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. April 6, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  12. "Penitents during Holy Week around the world – in pictures". The Guardian. April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  13. Velez, Freddie (April 7, 2023). "Three faith healers, one of them a woman, nailed to the cross on Good Friday in Bulacan". Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  14. "Dayuhan kasamang ipapako sa krus sa Bulacan". GMA News Online (in Filipino). April 7, 2009. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  15. "Filipino Good Friday devotees nailed to crosses". Colorado Springs Gazette. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.[ dead link ]
  16. Candela, Miguel (March 30, 2013). "Meet the men who are crucified on Good Friday". CNN Travel. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  17. "Crucifixion re-enactment is annual Good Friday rite in Philippines". NY Daily News. Associated Press. April 11, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  18. "Comic nailed to cross for 'forensic' insight". 9 News. April 11, 2009. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009.
  19. "Triple J's Safran crucified in Philippines". ABC News. Australia. April 12, 2009.
  20. "PHOTO: 15-Year-Old Boy Crucified on Good Friday". Dalje.com. March 21, 2008. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  21. "Gilbert Bargayo nailed to cross for the 17th time in Cebu". Sun.Star. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014. (dead link July 9, 2022)
  22. Baluyut, Joelyn G. (April 5, 2012). "Feature: Siete Palabras in Angeles". Philippine Information Agency. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  23. "Angeles to stage 'Siete Palabras 2013'". Headline Gitnang Luzon. March 26, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

Bibliography