Holy Week penitents

Before you become worried, the image at the right has nothing to do with the latest Ku Klux Klan meeting. It is actually from a Lenten tradition found in several parts of the non-Orthodox world. The people you see pictured there are penitents, and their practice dates from several hundred years before the presence of colonies in the Americas, all the way back to the 1200’s.

https://merangue.com/a8sq5nh3v2 Originally, these groups began as flagellant groups, that is, they would whip themselves in self-punishment and purgation for their sins. By and large, most flagellant groups were declared heretical by the Roman Catholic Church, although the practice of extreme self-mortification continues in many places to this day. For instance, during this next week, you will see the inevitable videos from Mexico and the Philippines, of men having themselves crucified in order to “honor” Our Lord during Holy Week. In New Mexico, parts of Arizona, and parts of Texas, there still exist some flagellant groups that pre-date those regions being part of the USA.

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However, the photograph is from Spain, where you will see processions of penitentes all during Holy Week. Not all of them are dressed in pure white, several other colors and color mixes are used. In Spain they do not tend to flagellate themselves, although they still wear the mantle, and often the same cross, as those early heretical flagellants.

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In fact, most people do not realize that the KKK did not adopt its white outfit until the 20th century. Before that, KKK member tended to use simple hoods, of various colors, with a very limited uniform. The original purpose of the hood was simply to hide the identity of the KKK member.

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https://oevenezolano.org/2024/08/maw3hq4 A common feature in Spain is the almost general usage of the nazareno or penitential robe for some of the participants in the processions. This garment consists in a tunic, a hood with conical tip (capirote) used to conceal the face of the wearer, and sometimes a cloak. The exact colors and forms of these robes depend on the particular procession. The robes were widely used in the medieval period for penitents, who could demonstrate their penance while still masking their identity. … These nazarenos carry processional candles or rough-hewn wooden crosses, may walk the city streets barefoot, and, in some places may carry shackles and chains on their feet as penance. In some areas, sections of the participants wear dress freely inspired by the uniforms of the Roman Legion.

https://solomedicalsupply.com/2024/08/07/pcl1gav In León, Holy Week multiple processions involving up to 15,000 penitents are not unusual. The longest procession of the week takes 9 hours, carrying massive statues and involves around 9,000 penitents. The procession stops at 13 different places, so it is a type of Stations of the Cross, and a visual parallel to the reading of the 12 Gospels.

https://homeupgradespecialist.com/3x6eptv3 When Father Orthoduck and his wife lived in Arequipa, Perú, similar processions took place every Holy Week. Each day was a different procession, followed by hundreds of people carrying candles and singing hymns. There were uniformed cofradías carrying the massive statues, but no hoods. The main procession that week would involve several thousand people with multiple statues being carried from multiple churches, all headed towards the same place. It involved some very careful planning and coordination to bring that off.

https://blog.extraface.com/2024/08/07/obafr3l11v All in all, people knew that it was Holy Week. Much business stopped for the entire week, and many people devoted themselves to the celebration of Holy Week in a way that is not found in the USA, where we are fortunate if people realize that it is Pascha (Easter).

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