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Ruben Enaje (centre) remains on the cross flanked by two other devotees during a reenactment of Jesus Christ's sufferings as part of Good Friday rituals in San Pedro Cutud, north of Manila, Philippines, March 29, 2024
A FILIPINO man was nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to re-enact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
On Friday, over 100 people watched on as 10 devotees were nailed to wooden crosses, among them Ruben Enaje, a 63-year-old carpenter and sign painter. The real-life crucifixions have become an annual religious spectacle that draws tourists in three rural communities in Pampanga province, north of Manila.
The gory ritual resumed last year after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has turned Mr Enaje into a village celebrity for his role as the “Christ” in the Lenten reenactment of the Way of the Cross.
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