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56-year-old woman cries out in pain when nailed to cross on Good Friday
BACOLOR, Pampanga - Elsie Cunanan, 56, again did her annual ritual. Alongside two men, Elsie was crucified on Good Friday as the main event in the reenactment of the Passion of Christ in Bacolor, Pampanga.
This was quite different however from the very popular crucifixions in Cutud, San Fernando which are treated as more of theater plays. The ones in Cutud even have the actors wearing lapel mics so the script can be fully understood.
In Elsie's crucifixion, her only script is a real prayer.
The event was attended only by the families and relatives of the "kristu".
It was a solemn event started with chants and prayers and guided by a couple of Magdarame (flagellants) along the way.
Again, I felt I was unwelcomed in the event as the "kristus" were apprehensive.
When I asked one of the relatives, he told me that because of my previous article [about Elsie's crucifixion in 2018] that got shared made more than 10,000 times, they read comments that they did not like especially those that said they were just creating a spectacle just like what is happening in Cutud.
He shared that the crucifixion they were doing is an honest ritual intended for Elsie's mother, whose legs were impaired by an unspecified disease.
Sincerity was felt as Elsie no longer wanted to speak about what she does and continued her chant just before her crucifixion.
I could not control my tears the moment when the nail was thrust into her palms as she cried out loud, "Oh Ima ko... Oh Ima ko... Kaluguran da ka (Oh mother, my mother, I love you )," she said in tears.
After she was taken down from the cross, she collapsed.
At least 10 people were nailed onto crosses on Good Friday, Agence-France-Presse reported. —KG, GMA News
