Penitents nailed to crosses as Philippines marks Easter with crucifixions

Christian devotees were nailed to crosses in the Philippines on Friday as Asia’s Catholic heartland marked Easter with an extreme display of faith. The gory crucifixions played out in dusty fields throughout the day with thousands of spectators looking on and as other penitents flogged themselves bloody with whips. Men dressed as soldiers of the Roman Empire hammered large metal spikes through the hands and feet of Willy Salvador, who grimaced in silence as he lay with his arms spread atop a wooden cross. "This is my personal way of thanking Him (God) for healing me,“ the 59-year-old fisherman said, moments before being dragged barefoot through the streets of San Juan village.

I know you would not believe me, but God helped me recover from a nervous breakdown

Crucifixion victim Willy Salvador

Ritual crucifixions are among the Catholic world’s most extreme forms of worship and are done as part of Good Friday celebrations in some small villages in the Philippines, home to 80 million-plus Catholics. They are held to re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, whom Christians believe was put to death so humanity could be cleansed of its sins. The nails go through both hands and both feet, but do not bear the weight of the penitents, who spend only a few minutes on the cross before being taken down and having their bloody wounds treated. The act is frowned upon by the church, but has become a major tourist attraction.

The church discourages these acts because Jesus Christ had already undergone that for all of us. There is no need to repeat it

Father Douglas Badong, from the Quiapo Catholic church, Manila

crucifixion