Philippines: The shocking reenactment of the divine drama – Believers are scourged and crucified with nails – Videos and photos

The martyrdom of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is being reenacted by residents in many villages in the Philippines today, Catholic Good Friday, using real nails and whips.

While most people in the religious, predominantly Catholic country spend the day at Mass or with their families, some go to great lengths to atone for their sins or seek divine intervention in rituals that the Roman Catholic Church nonetheless disapproves of.

In the village of San Juan, north of Manila, hundreds of residents and tourists watched today, a bloody representation of the last moments of Jesus Christ.

Dozens of men wearing crowns of vines on their heads walked barefoot through the narrow streets, whipping themselves endlessly with bamboo whips creating huge wounds on their bodies.

“I do it for my family so they can be healthy”, said Darren Pascual, 31, after whipping his back, according to the Daily Mail. “You just pray, you can’t feel the pain” he added.

In the final stage of the reenactment, three men were led by costumed Roman centurions to a field where two of them were tied to wooden crosses.

In a small former fisherman who had the role of Jesus Christ, nails were driven into his palms and his legs while drones flew overhead and tourists took photos and videos with their smartphones.

After several minutes, the nails were pulled and the man fell to the ground. He was taken on a stretcher to the infirmary that had been set up a little further away to make sure he was in good health before returning home.

The re-enactment of the martyrdom of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been held in villages around the city of San Fernando for decades, but the crucifixions have been canceled for the past three years due to Covid-19.