Holy Week in the Philippines

[Jung]

Holy Week in the Philippines

Holy Week; that weird time in the Philippines that while on the surface seems to resemble something familiar, in reality it is a far cry from the religious observances commemorated with this same name elsewhere all over the Globe.

Sure, they call the same days by their Catholic names (Palm Sunday, Holy Monday through Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and of course Easter Sunday) however, the way these most holy of holy days are observed in the Philippines is quite a bit different than even how the Catholic Church itself says is the ‘proper’ way to celebrate them.



In fact when Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines in February of 1981 he told the Catholic faithful that true followers of Christ and the Catholic Church do not participate in “acts of extreme corporal mortification such as self-flagellation and crucifixion…”

Even current dogma from Philippine Catholic leaders such as Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez still warn the public that, “The real expression of Christian faith during Lent is through repentance and self- denial.” Or when Bishop Rolando Tirona called the self-flagellation and crucifixion by Catholic penitents during Holy Week as, “expressions of superstitious beliefs,” and that, “…during Holy Week it is enough to remember the life and death of Jesus Christ through fasting, abstinence, prayer, reflection and almsgiving.”

Yet this does not dissuade the Filipino faithful who feel that while if you ask them they will indeed profess to be true Catholics, they choose to ‘honor’ God and ‘repent’ in their own way; turning a literally bloodied shoulder away from the Church and following their own gory rituals in search of salvation.

Holy Week begins quite calmly, the proverbial, ‘in like a lamb’ before the gloomy spectacle of Good Friday’s ‘lion’ like parades of young men whipping themselves to atone for their sins and re-pay their ‘debts’ to God.

Palm Sunday is supposed to commensurate the day of Christ entering Jerusalem and as far as the masses held across the Philippines, this holy day is pretty much celebrated just as it is elsewhere. Filipino faithful flock to churches having their ‘palaspas’ (palm fronds) blessed by priests and then they bring those now sacred leaves back to their homes as a blessing.



Sunday evening/Monday morning is when all the chaos starts. Slowly but surely, small holy booths will spring up all over town and ‘pabasa’ begins. Pasaba is the reading (more like monotonous almost Gregorian like chanting) of verses and poems (The Passion of Christ) which is all about the suffering of Jesus leading up to his resurrection on Easter Sunday. This is repeated over and over and over and over again; 24 hours a day, from the evening of Palm Sunday through Good Friday sometimes Black Saturday. This is done over loud speakers and can be heard all over the city.

It is hard to describe this chanting.

It is almost Zen like in nature as the constant droning of monotone chanting is reminiscent of monks I’ve seen in deep meditation viewed during my tours of Buddhist temples in Korea. They sound nothing like the Christian hymns heard in choirs sung in the glory of Christ with voices raised in chorus. No, this is one person on a crappy make-shift loudspeaker usually sitting with a fellow parishioner to ensure they don’t fall asleep, droning on and one into a cheap microphone until they are relieved by the next person to continue the aural bombardment.

(NOTE: If you want a taste of what this sounds like, click this link - Visita Iglesia to hear a decent version of this. Keep in mind they wouldn’t post the typical crappy versions chanted on poor sound systems that are the majority of what everyone hears here in country. The one on this website is ‘sung’ by multiple people with musical instruments accompanying them. Most here in the real world are, as stated above, just one guy regurgitating monotone, out of tune words into a microphone that even Radio Shack wouldn’t have the balls to sell.)

This year I guess you can say that I am lucky. When I stand outside, depending on wind direction and traffic noise, I can hear at least 3 or 4 of these booths. Yet they are far enough away that when inside my room, with the TV or stereo on, the noise does not invade my room disturbing sleep. In years past I had booths so close to my house that I could spot the worn out Bible in chanters’ hands from my bedroom window. When they are that close you actually pray for a black-out for a slight respite from the noise of dogmatic droning.



So anyway, Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday are pretty much just filled with the constant pabasa as well as Filipinos attending mass each morning and night. Things around country however will be more somber with various businesses closing or limiting their hours of operations. In the past even McDonalds has been known to stop selling certain items as they follow the tradition of giving up beef for lent. Imagine my shock that year when I wanted a Quarter Pounder only to be told that only McChicken and McSpaghetti was available… I was McPissed off!

On Maundy Thursday many television and radio networks nationwide either formally suspend operations until Holy Saturday or broadcast religious programming. An exception would be networks owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo, like Net 25 as this denomination does not observe Lent. Only local cable news stations like the ABS-CBN News Channel, Global News Network, and local news channels AksyonTV and GMA News TV, plus a few other cable stations, continue delivering news. (Source Wikipedia)

Speaking of Maundy Thursday, it is on this day that things get complicated. The faithful who follow proper Catholic dogma will celebrate the last mass before Easter commonly called the Mass of the Institution of the Lord's Supper. This usually includes the re-enactment of the Washing of the Feet of the Apostles; this Mass is followed by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament before it is taken to the Altar of Repose.

Others who follow their own religious path simply continue on as normal getting ready for the big day; Good Friday. For it is on this day that the really strange and bizarre ‘acts of extreme corporal mortification’ take place. The Catholic practices on this day are many but let’s get into the things that make this day so unique in the Philippines and especially Pampanga.



Before we get into the images and words describing the flagellation and crucifixions practiced by some Filipinos here, it is important to understand the different perspective people have in the Philippines on the entire idea of Holy Week versus the rest of the world.

While it is true that lent is performed world wide and that some sort of self sacrifice is practiced, the Philippines looks towards the gloom and doom of Holy Week choosing to focus on the suffering of these events and not necessarily the Christian joyous belief in the resurrection.

Pain and suffering are thought to be pathways to atone for sins as well as payment for favors or wishes granted by God such as a cure for an illness or relief from some debt. Anything that has a person pray for a miracle and they believe one was granted, Holy Week is that time when the bill comes and payment for that bill is due.

Even statues and the very priests themselves dress in purple to symbolize the gloom and doom of Holy Week. Church attendance everyday is mandatory and then the rites performed on Good Friday… So let’s get into that.



Filipino males, most covering their faces in purplew or white cloths and wearing a make-shift crown of thorns, walk through the streets whipping themselves till blood drips down their bodies staining their pants and leaving drops of blood all over the streets.

Also present are re-enactments of the trek to Golgotha by Christ with many Filipinos carrying large wooden crosses dragging them through the streets in parade like fashion with other Filipinos dressed up as Roman guards flanking these Jesus impersonators throughout Pampanga.

The climax is in San Fernando where a small mound representing Golgotha is built with three crosses planted into the ground reaching up into the heavens. Many Filipinos then take turns, 3 at a time, being crucified. Some only tie their feet and hands to the cross but some even go as far as having their hands and feet nailed to the cross to imitate Jesus’ mythical fate this day.

They are not left up for long as death is not the idea here, but for 5 to 15 min, they are left up on the crosses to contemplate, pray and atone for sin as well as, or so they believe, get closer to whatever God they feel drives them to perform these rites.



By Black Saturday, things will start to return to normal. The churches will still be full with people attending mass however the chanting from the booths will cease and businesses will re-open. By Sunday things ware totally back to normal and if you made it this far, you’ve survived Holy Week in the Philippines.

Peace,

[Jung]

WARNING: Opinion and sarcasm just ahead…

The Western mind, at least mine, finds fault in the actions of these extreme worshippers. But faith has never been my gift. As my namesake from the Bible itself, the Apostle Thomas, I am more of a ‘show me’ type of guy and find it hard to believe in something ‘just because’ so I am amazed at the blind commitment to these rites many Filipinos have.

At this point I guess I should take the time to say that all of what I wrote, in regards to my editorial comments and sardonic tone, is completely made up. Nothing I wrote which could be considered sacrilegious or anti-religious or which could be deemed anti-Filipino or anti-Catholic is real and everything you read should be ignored for what it is; pure fiction.

I say this as many people seem to really get upset, even violent, when the topic is religion and when they read viewpoints by a cynic whose ramblings just don’t quite sync up with their own systems of belief, they lash out. So, let’s just, for the sake of argument, pretend that none of what you read resembles anything remotely close to reality. They are simply the mundane ramblings of a non-believer who has no clue about faith, God, Holy Week or anything close to religious dogma.

I guess I should also point out for the record that I actually consider myself a very spiritual person however I am far from religious in any sense of the word. Much of this article, while full of factual information, is laced with sarcasm mixed with an undertone of mockery bordering on being quite rude and sacrilegious. This is not my intent... Well, not totally.

I just have a hard time when people call themselves Catholic but have no idea what that actually means. This is inline with homosexuals (or the local term ‘baklas’) attending mass and when asked, they profess that they are indeed true Catholics. They all claim that God made them like they are and that homosexuality is not a sin.

I do not mention this as a condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle only as a common trait of some Filipino worshipers who tend to bend Dogma to their own will and interpretation ignoring actual Church law.

This actually is fine in my book; in fact I encourage people to find their own way. However the Catholic Church has made a firm stance on homosexuality calling such acts, “violations of divine and natural law” and that, “no homosexual will ever find themselves in the divine kingdom of God.” So, bottom line, do what you want but don’t call yourself a Catholic.

Bottom line; when writing about any topic I just can’t seem to control my disdain for any practice carried out simply for the sake of ritual with a blind eye turned towards any actual meaning. So, if I have offended anyone reading this, I do apologize and in the true spirit of Holy Week, I beg your forgiveness.

Peace,

[Rhoody]

while I principally agree, I need to say that Holy Week like described above is a very regional description.

Down here in Dumaguete the whole week was basically "business as usual" and only Good Friday was a standstill. All other days you could not make out much of a difference.

From the night from Saturday to Sunday were some midnight-masses in public places around town but no "blood and gore" like in some regions in the PI.

A friends invitation to a 5:00am "Resurrection of Jesus - sunrise service" (and I tried my best but could not sneak out) forced me to come at 5am to Freedom Park where the government of Negros Oriental is located.

While I've been uncountable times at the boulevard at sunrise, I rarely was somewhere inner downtown at that early hours.

Of course I forgot my snapshot camera but was even more surprised about the pictures my little cellphone captured.

Doesn't do any justice to the real colors and beauty of that morning but I hope you still enjoy a bit:

5:00 am:

5:10 am:

5:16 am:

5:32 am:

5:44 am:

6:03 am:

During that hour some thousand people celebrated in the park to the surprisingly pretty rocky tunes of a religious band. All together a very happy, positive atmosphere and experience.

cheers

Rhoody

[Jung]

You mean there is a 5:30 AM? What does the "AM" mean?

Some great pics by the way...

[Rhoody]

....thanks (all N8 unmorphed) ... am = am morgen (german)

[Earthroamer]

Interesting stuff in some parts of the Philippines during the Holy Week. And ouch.

Somewhat agree with Jung: we focus on the joyous aspect of the resurrection, but if there are people wanting to be engulfed in the sombre mood of the crucifixion, then just let them be. If we can't convince them otherwise, we can only let the Holy Spirit do so. We've done what we can.

By the way Rhoody, nice pics. What phone did you use? :3