CBCP warns vs child penitents

MANILA, Philippines - Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Youth (CBCP-ECY) chair Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said that children should not imitate the religious rituals of their parents like self-flagellation or being nailed to a cross.

"I would discourage such practices. There are other ways of sacrificing that are more meaningful than being nailed on the cross. These acts become public display of suffering, I don't think the Lord wants that," said Bishop Baylon.

"Suffering must be internal but deeply personal. We don't even have to do that sacrifice because the Lord already did that and we cannot compare to that. There are other forms of sacrifice and suffering that would lead to real conversion. That is what is important, suffering and sacrifice that lead to conversion and not for public display," he added.

He said that people should not whip themselves or be nailed to a cross even if it meant that they would not be keeping a promise, locally called "panata" or vow.

The CBCP official said it is all right not to follow the footsteps of their elders because "the panata is a promise that you only give to yourself" since the Lord did not give his blessings or approval for humans to perform these acts.

He explained, "The Lord appreciates all these forms of sacrifices but sometimes... we want to impose suffering or hurt ourselves and no longer follow the will of God."

He reminded the devotees that the Lord does not want people to hurt themselves, but to change themselves for the better.

Every Holy Week, particularly on Good Friday, local and foreign tourists troop to Barangays Pedro Cutud, Santa Lucia and San Juan in Pampanga to watch people being nailed on the cross.

For this year, on April 6 (Good Friday) they are expecting 20 people who would take part in this activity.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) warned parents that they could be jailed for allowing their children to engage in bloody Lenten practices such as flagellation.

"We'd like to respect the sincere intentions of adults in such acts of penitence, which is a tradition for many Filipinos, but it's altogether a different story when children are involved," DSWD Central Luzon information officer Evelyn Manalo said.

Manalo said parents of such children could be held criminally liable for violating Republic Act 7610 or "An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination and for Other Purposes."

She said parents who are not aware of their children participating in self-flagellation are not exempt from criminal liability, because they could be charged with neglect.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jesse Fantone of the Department of Health-Central Luzon urged Lenten flagellants to apply alcohol to clean their wounds and avoid infection during their rituals.

"If they really want to undergo painful flagellation, they might as well add another penitential pain that's healthy. They could ask assistants, who follow them, to intermitently spray alcohol on their wounds as they go along," Fantone said.

She said the alcohol disinfection could be sprayed every now and then during the course of their penitential practices or done immediately after the rituals.

— Ding Cervantes, Charlie Lagasca