Robert Besser
24 Apr 2025, 08:47 GMT+10
CUTID, Philippines: On April 18, Good Friday, Christian believers in the Philippines were nailed to crosses in a reenactment of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
This took place in San Pedro Cutud, a village in Pampanga province, where hundreds of Filipinos and tourists gathered to watch.
Ruben Enaje, 64, was nailed to the cross for the 36th time, playing the role of Jesus in this yearly religious event. Two other men also joined him in reenacting the crucifixion.
Actors dressed as Roman soldiers hammered two-inch nails into Enaje's palms. Their bodies were supported with ropes and cloth as they were lifted onto wooden crosses.
"The first five seconds were very painful. As time goes and the blood goes down, the pain numbs and I can stay on the cross longer," Enaje said in an interview.
About 80 percent of the Philippines' 110 million people are Roman Catholic. The crucifixion reenactment is part of Holy Week, a sacred time from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
During Easter week, some people also whip their own backs with bamboo sticks to ask for forgiveness. However, the Catholic Church has advised against this and says prayer and true repentance are enough to observe Lent.
Get a daily dose of Africa Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Africa Leader.
More InformationWASHINGTON, D.C.: In November, a passenger plane was about to land at San Francisco airport when the pilots suddenly saw a drone flying...
LAHORE, Pakistan: A Christian man in the town of Jaranwala, in eastern Pakistan, will appeal a death sentence given to him by an anti-terrorism...
CUTID, Philippines: On April 18, Good Friday, Christian believers in the Philippines were nailed to crosses in a reenactment of Jesus...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States will limit visas for more than 250 officials from Nicaragua, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio...
LANSING, Michigan: The Health Department in Michigan confirmed a measles outbreak in Montcalm County this week, marking the first such...
WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on May 15 about President Donald Trump's attempt to restrict automatic...
HANOI, Vietnam: Vietnam's government has ordered stricter oversight of goods headed to the United States and other major markets, aiming...
TOKYO, Japan: Japan had a trade deficit in the past fiscal year, but made a trade surplus with the U.S., the Finance Ministry said...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks made ground on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he was meeting with China soon. The...
MOSCOW, Russia: Russia's central bank is widely expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 21 percent when it meets...
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodia and China have revived work on a stalled canal project that aims to connect the Mekong River to the...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Justice kicked off its landmark antitrust trial against Google this week, warning that the...