Filipino Christians whip themselves to mark Good Friday
Penitents in the Philippines performed acts of self-flagellation on Good Friday as part of traditional Lenten rites.
In the village of Kapitangan in Bulacan province, some participants whipped their backs in public displays of devotion.
Holy Week is one of the most important religious observances in the Philippines, Asia’s most Catholic country. It marks the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and is observed through various customs leading up to Easter Sunday.
While many join processions and prayer vigils, a few penitents take their devotion further by voluntarily being nailed to crosses—a practice the Catholic Church has strongly discouraged.
