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Filipinos warned on crucifixions

Health officials in the Philippines have issued a warning to people taking part in Easter crucifixion rituals.

They have urged them to get tetanus vaccinations before they flagellate themselves and are nailed to crosses, and to practise good hygiene.

On Good Friday dozens of very devout Catholics in the Philippines re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The health department has strongly advised penitents to check the condition of the whips they plan to use to lash their backs, the Manila Times newspaper reports.

And they advise that the nails used to fix people to crosses must be properly disinfected first.

Maybe they should tell the penitents not to flagellate and crucify themselves instead. I've seen such penitent processions myself and they're abominable blood-and-gore fests, folk Catholicism at its crudest. If the Romish church is serious in dissuading such practices, they should ex-communicate flagellants for damaging their bodies (which is supposedly the temple of god, 1 Cor. 3:16-17; and of the holy ghost, 1 Cor. 6:19-20).