Filipino devotees self-flagellate for Maundy Thursday to mark Jesus' crucifixion

Dozens of Filipino Catholic devotees walked barefoot and performed self-flagellations in Manila on Maundy Thursday, April 17, in a display of extreme devotion to Jesus Christ during Holy Week.

Devotees walked barefoot and whipped their backs using bamboo sticks under sweltering heat for hours as a sign of repentance for their sins. Some carried heavy wooden crosses on their backs while being pushed by their fellow devotees in a re-enactment of Jesus Christ's suffering.

"I did this to help my family. I want them to be safe from disasters," said 50-year-old Edwin Bagadyong, who has six children and has been doing penance for 35 years.

Many Filipino devotees perform religious penance during the week leading up to Easter Sunday as a form of worship and supplication. Some believe that the practice of self-flagellation can cleanse sins, cure illness and even grant wishes.

Despite opposition from the Church, such practices still continue across predominantly Catholic Philippines.

On Wednesday, the Department of Health reminded flagellants to only use sanitized items to avoid infection and to wash their wounds thoroughly with soap and water. — Reuters/VBL, GMA Integrated News