Philippine penitents perform Easter rites despite coronavirus

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MANILA, April 10 (Reuters) - Some Catholic penitents
flagellated themselves and prayed outside closed churches in the
Philippines to commemorate the death of Jesus on Good Friday,
despite strict government orders for people to stay indoors to
contain the coronavirus.
The capital, Manila, and many parts of the Catholic-majority
Southeast Asian country have been in "enhanced community
quarantine", but that did not stop some devotees from doing
their annual penitence for Lent.
"We are here because we want the spread of COVID-19 to end
and we pray that things in our country will go back to normal,"
said Edward Degusano, who joined a self-flagellation ritual
outside a church in Manila.
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus,
which emerged in central China late last year and has spread
around the world, infecting some 1.6 million people and killing
nearly 100,000 of them.
The Philippines has recorded 4,195 coronavirus cases, with
its death toll reaching 221 on Friday. Bishops in Manila suspended services for the Holy Week due
to the lockdown, which began in mid-March.
The Catholic church has expressed disapproval of the
self-punishments, saying prayers and sincere repentance are
enough for sins to be forgiven.
But many Catholics in the Philippines perform religious
penance during the week leading up to Easter as a form of
worship and supplication, believing that the ritual can even
cure illnesses and make wishes come true.

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