Penitensya: Wounds of Reflection and Faith

by: Maricris Guerrero

In the Philippines where Roman Catholics make up 81 percent of the population, it is no surprise that Filipinos have numerous traditional events during Holy Week.  In the early days, these traditions and practices where done for reflection of their sins and the sacrifice Jesus Christ has made.

One of these traditions is ‘penitensya’ [penance], which is derived from Old French and Latin ‘poenitentia’. It means repentance or the desire to be forgiven, but traditionally, it is viewed as punishment varying from the sins they have committed.

It is usually done during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday; this involves severe discipline, which could be both humiliating and harsh but was considered as spiritual act. Many Filipinos participate this taboo practice, which the Catholic Church prohibits and does not endorse.

This Kapampangan tradition began in 1955 after writer Ricardo Navarro came up with the play narrating Jesus’ story, and the actual crucifixions followed in 1962. Many also dress up as Jesus Christ, walking barefoot, and carrying life-size crosses around town for the entire day.

In ‘penitensya,’ hooded men whip their backs as a form of repentance for their sins. Thousands of locals and foreign tourists flock to see this extreme Filipino tradition every year.

Using shred leather straps, you can hear the loud strikes to the hand and to the back of the man with black Nazarene dress. After kneeling down for a few minutes, they suddenly lie, facing down their flesh skin on the ground. Suffering from extreme heat of the sun and the hot surface of the ground, they stay lying for almost 5 minutes before they stand up and leave the place.

Most of us say that doing this kind of ‘penitensya’ is a sinner. Technically, we are all sinners, but they have the guts, courage, strength, and faith that keeps them holding and enduring these punishments.