Holy Week 2012

THE village called Kapitangan in the town of Paombong in Bulacan is a known pilgrimage site that teems with devotees during Holy Week, particularly on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. 

It is where Catholic devotees engage in self-flagellation, with a few going to the extreme of having themselves crucified as an act of repentance and sharing in the suffering of Jesus Christ.

This year, five men and a woman were crucified, among them 51-year-old Sonny Bautista, a person with disability. Bautista hails from Hagonoy town, has been mute since childhood and has been crucified for 14 years now.

After his crucifixion, Baustista explained why he goes through the painful the ordeal every year. He simply wrote on the wall with his finger, "Para sa kasalanan ng tao (For the sins of man)."

The Catholic Church looks upon crucifixion or flagellation as part of popular religiosity practiced by people who pray for a particular need or who believe they sanctify themselves resorting to such practices. The Catholic hierarchy discourages such acts, yet its call against what it describes as "popular religiosity" goes unheeded.

The Church allows Holy Week activities that are consistent with the teachings on the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Church leaders say it is enough to remember the life and death of Christ during Holy Week through fasting and abstinence, prayer, the giving of alms, reflection, and repentance.

The yearly event at Kapitangan has attracted thousands of spectators, including foreign tourists, curious to see firsthand people who endure pain in the belief doing so cleanses them of sin.

But while penitents believe their souls are cleansed, the Department of Health (DOH) warned them their bodies are magnets for infection that could give them more than a Holy Week agony.

"Due to the unclean process being practiced, crucifixion and self-flagellation may cause infection or worse, tetanus, to the penitent. Tetanus, we have to remember, could result to death," noted DOH—Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Program manager Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy

Another attraction this year at Kapitangan was Precy Valencia, a faith healer and the only female to be crucified. Asked for an interview after being brought down from the cross, she said that she was no longer "Precy" but had turned into the incarnation of the Child Jesus or Santo Niño.

Feast of the Black Nazarene 2012

It was the longest procession yet in the history of the of the Black Nazarene, started the day around 4 am to fallow devotees in their journey to strengthen their faith. The annual event draws millions of Filipinos to participate in the procession in the predominately catholic country.

One question always linger in my mind  with so many devotees that participate in the procession during the yearly event, does each and everyone really know that essence of what they are doing. Does sacrificing life and limb going through a frenzied crowd to touch the religious icon really bring the miracle that each and every devotee pray for? With a steady number of growing participants yearly, is this a sign that there is a growing number of desperation among the population? One thing that left an impression on my mind was the call of Manila Archbishop Luis Tagle during the early mass which I saw fell onto deft ears at the end of the day.

This year's event lasted for almost 22 hours, leaving the Quirino Grandstand on Monday morning and was able to enter the Quiapo Church at dawn on Tuesday.

fallow link for more images:
http://verafiles.org/2012/01/11/black-nazarene-procession-broken-wheels-and-strong-will/

Journalist from various outfits waited at a vantage point for almost 10 hours for the procession to pass by.

A multimedia presentation here:

Black Nazarene, leading by example...

The feast of the Black Nazarene kicked off with the parade of Replicas this afternoon, it was a preview of the biggest show of devotion of what is to come two days from now, where millions of devotees to the Black Nazarene is expected to participate. Thousands of devotees with their replicas participated this afternoon, some were there since morning.  The volume of trash produced in such a gathering can be a surprising amount. I was taking a break at the side door of the parish when a man quietly walked by and picked up a broom and started to walk towards the foot of Quezon Bridge and started to sweep the street to the surprise of his aides and security personnel. By then they were scampering to look for brooms themselves to help clean the trash left on the street by the revelers, The man was Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio, Rector and Parish Priest of Quiapo Church.

Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio at Quezon Blvd. after the replica parade.