ANGELES CITY – Penitential blood to be shed on a makeshift Golgotha here on Good Friday will not be as copious as in the more famous crucifixions in San Pedro Cutud 14e kilometers south in the capital city of San Fernando.
“Only three penitents will be actually nailed on crosses on our Golgotha in Barangay Lourdes Northwest this year,” said village chair Armando Enriquez. He also imposed restrictions on the forthcoming crucifixions to prevent a repeat of social networking controversies that erupted two years ago over a woman who had posed provocatively for a photo shoot on one of the crosses after the crucifixions.
Noting that biblical crucifixions referred only to Jesus Christ and the two robbers, Enriquez also said that limiting the crucifixions to three persons would be practical so as not to consume the time of visiting tourists and pilgrims who usually also visit other crucifixion sites as well as observe other religious practices in Pampanga.
He said participants in the local crucifixions would include the usual biblical characters in full costume, who would re-enact events during the Siete Palabras or the Seven Last Words. The time for the entire program has yet to be announced so that it would not conflict with other crucifi xions, particularly in San Pedro Cutud in San Fernando which is better known.
“We expect over 50,000 pilgrims and tourists to come,” he said.
