Filipino villager is nailed to a cross, prays for world peace
MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering.
According to a report from The Associated Press, the man, Ruben Enaje, 63, said he would devote to praying for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
AP News said the real-life crucifixions have become an annual religious spectacle that draws tourists in three rural communities in Pampanga province, north of Manila. The ritual reportedly resumed last year after a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ahead of the crucifixions, Enaje told The Associated Press that he has considered ending his annual religious penitence due to his age, but said he could not turn down requests from villagers for him to pray for sick relatives among other things, including wars and conflicts happening across the globe.
“If these wars worsen and spread, more people, especially the young and old, would be affected. These are innocent people who have totally nothing to do with these wars,” Enaje told AP News.
“This is why I always pray for peace in the world,” he said, adding that he would also seek relief for people in southern Philippine provinces, which have been hit recently by flooding and earthquakes.
AP News reports that in the 1980s, Enaje survived nearly unscathed when he accidentally fell from a three-story building, prompting him to undergo the crucifixion as thanksgiving for what he considered a miracle.
