Maundy Thursday Observed In Philippines With Ritual Whippings As Penance (Graphic PHOTOS)

Christian Devotees Perform Bloody Penance (Graphic Photos)
Hooded Filipino penitents flagellate during Maundy Thursday rituals to atone for sins on April 17, 2014, in suburban Mandaluyong, east of Manila, Philippines. The ritual is frowned upon by church leaders in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Hooded Filipino penitents flagellate during Maundy Thursday rituals to atone for sins on April 17, 2014, in suburban Mandaluyong, east of Manila, Philippines. The ritual is frowned upon by church leaders in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Many Catholics in the Philippines performed a particularly intense form of penitence on Maundy Thursday as part of annual Holy Week observances that involve self-flagellation.

Though Catholic bishops have officially discouraged the practice, devotees perform this penance as a form of supplication and worship, many believing that it will cleanse sins, heal illnesses, and even grant wishes, according to Reuters.

Photos here- warning, they are graphic:

Penitents In Philippines (GRAPHIC)

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