Holy Week 2024: Christians Celebrate Good Friday with Liturgies, Passion Plays, Processions

The Christian world commemorated Good Friday on March 29, marking the day in their faith that Jesus was nailed to a cross in Jerusalem and died.

Across the globe, many communities commemorated the day with solemn liturgies, passion plays, processions, and, for some, nailing themselves on a cross to imitate the passion and death of Jesus.

Crucified for 35 Years

A 63-year-old Filipino man named Ruben Enaje has nailed himself for the 35th time this year and offered his devotion for the peace in the world, particularly in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and the South China Sea.

Enaje — a carpenter and sign painter by trade — was among 10 people in the province of Pampanga, north of Manila, who physically had themselves nailed to crosses, making it a gory annual religious spectacle of devotion that draws tourists, with this year being the first time in three years that the event was held after it was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He told the Associated Press on Maundy Thursday night local time (Mar. 28) that he has considered ending his annual religious penitence due to his age but said that he could not turn down requests from villagers for him to pray for sick relatives and all other kinds of maladies.

"If these wars worsen and spread, more people, especially the young and old, would be affected," he said. "These are innocent people who have totally nothing to do with these wars."

Across the archipelago, several people made public displays of physical mortifications as a way of penance on Good Friday. However, Filipino Catholic officials and the average laity question the practice due to the lack of promotion to receive the Catholic sacraments, particularly confession.

The gory ritual resumed last year after a three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has turned Enaje into a village celebrity for his role as the "Christ" in the Lenten reenactment of the Way of the Cross, according to the news wire service.

Quiapo's Good Friday Procession

Meanwhile, inside the Philippine capital, the dark-colored image of Jesus the Nazarene has been taken out again in procession around the Quiapo district, the Manila Bulletin reported. This marks the return of the traditional Good Friday procession after three years due to the pandemic.

Just like every January 9, the Good Friday procession of the "Nazareno," as devotees call the image, was an organized chaos. At least 122 devotees needed to be treated for various injuries and medical conditions.

Around 2,400 officers of the Philippine National Police's Manila district were deployed to maintain security for the event. Quiapo Church officials said that over 760,000 devotees joined the Good Friday procession, which began at around 23:00 local time (15:00 UTC) on Maundy Thursday and lasted for 10 hours and 48 minutes.

Earlier in Holy Week, the local office of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration in Plaza Miranda, the square facing Quiapo Church, to protest the use of animals as food, which the international group allegedly equates to animal cruelty.

Local broadcaster ABS-CBN reported that police summoned the demonstrators for questioning but were later released after no formal complaints.

Scaled Down in the Holy Land

Every year, Christians in Israel commemorate Good Friday by walking along the Via Dolorosa, the road in Jerusalem they believed Jesus took when he carried his cross towards Calvary, which is now inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

However, due to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the commemorations were scaled down, with the noticeable presence of Palestinian Christians in processions inside the old city.

Squads of Israeli police set up barricades along the path, rerouting shoppers in the Old City's bustling Muslim quarter to make way for hundreds of pilgrims.

This year's Good Friday also coincided with the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with worshippers once again flocking to the Al-Aqsa mosque for prayers.

Pope Francis Skips Colosseum Procession

In Rome, Pope Francis officiated the Good Friday service inside St. Peter's Basilica. This was the first year that he was not able to prostrate in front of the high altar, as the liturgy requires, due to his mobility issues.

Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher of the Pontifical Household, delivered the sermon, centering on the verse from the Gospel of St. John, which read: "When you shall have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall you know, that I am he...."

"He no longer says, 'I Am' this or that: the bread of life, the light of the world, the resurrection and the life, and so on," the Franciscan cardinal preached. "He simply says 'I Am' without further specification"

Francis was also supposed to officiate the Way of the Cross ceremony in Rome's Colosseum on Good Friday night, but he made the last-minute decision to not attend the service, citing health concerns.

"To conserve his health in view of the vigil tomorrow and Mass on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis will follow the Via Crucis at the Colosseum this evening from the Casa Santa Marta," the Vatican press office said in a statement.

The announcement came after the pontiff skipped his Palm Sunday homily and instead requested the congregation to have a moment of silence and reflection.

Francis was further expected to officiate the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday (Mar. 30) and deliver his "Urbi et Orbi" speech on Easter Sunday (Mar. 31).

Raining on Spain's Good Friday Parades

Spain during Holy Week - known as "Semana Santa" for Hispanics - is characterized as sunny and pleasant. But this year, torrential rains forced the cancellation of the famous Good Friday processions across the Iberian peninsula, especially in Seville, leaving many participants in tears.

Agence France Presse reported that the inclement weather was the first time since 2011 that all of the six night-time processions across the Andalusian city at the highlight of the Christian Holy Week were called off. The processions were also suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The rain leaves us with the nostalgia of a [Maundy Thursday] and a [Good Friday Madrugada procession] that would merely be a fleeting memory," Seville mayor Jose Luis Sanz wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "There are 385 days left to experience it again on our streets during Holy Week in 2025."

Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET, issued weather warnings for 14 of the country's 17 regions due to heavy rain, winds of more than 70 kilometers per hour, and rough seas.

Four people died on Thursday in three incidents on Spain's Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts after falling into the sea.

Mexico's Passion Play Completes 181st Year

Meanwhile, a passion play in Iztapalapa, Mexico City's eastern suburb, successfully completed its 181st version since it was introduced in the 19th century.

According to local media, the role of Jesus was portrayed by 22-year-old Barrio San Miguel local Cristopher Gómez.

In addition to the passion play, devotees known as "Nazarenos" carried crosses across the town and watched the play alongside the audience stands. Some of them were injured and required medical assistance from emergency services deployed for the event.

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Christianity, Christian, Christians, Catholic church, Vatican, Rome, Pope Francis, Spain, Mexico, Philippines, Jerusalem, Manila, Mexico City