Priests in Philippines crucify selves in penance ahead of Easter…
One of the youngest in the group of devotees, Christian Ong, 16, said he cleaned himself of sin after the event.
http://archive.today/2019.04.19-014328/https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/773107/catholic-priests-crucify-themselves-philippines-pampanga-easter-jesus-christ
Dozens of barefoot penitents in the Philippines whipped themselves and carried large wooden crosses in punishing heat. Some of the men wore red robes with their faces covered and hands tied to crosses as they walked for hours along a highway in the northern province of Pampanga. Others were half-naked and used bamboo flails to flog their backs which had been nicked with blades. One of the penitents, Roger Aquino, a 59-year-old village official, said: “We always pray for strength, good health for our families, and thank God for blessings.
"People should understand that what we do is a tradition and they should respect it." The groups stopped to pray at several places along their route while women recited religious verses. It is part of a ritual ahead of Easter in Asia’s biggest Catholic nation. The Easter penance aims to secure forgiveness for sins, cures for illness and blessings. Reenactments of the Passion of Christ are a tradition in the Southeast Asian nation ahead of Easter. But the Catholic Church has always expressed disapproval of what it calls misinterpretations of faith.