Religious whipping marks Good Friday in the Philippines

Catholic devotees flagellate themselves to mark the holy week of Easter in Navotas, suburban Manila on April 15, 2022.

AFP / Jam Sta. Rosa

HAGONOY, Philippines — Catholic zealots in the Philippines whipped their backs bloody and raw on Good Friday, as the fervently religious country marked Easter with gruesome displays of faith.

Scores of men — their faces covered — walked barefoot as they flogged themselves with bamboo whips under a blazing sun near the capital Manila, while others carried wooden crosses as they were beaten, in a ritual frowned upon by the Church.

Roy Balatbat, his skin still bearing fresh wounds from a public flailing on Thursday, walked for about a kilometre, striking himself and stopping to prostrate in prayer on the hot ground. 

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/04/15/2174589/religious-whipping-marks-good-friday-philippines