Worshippers taking part in Easter crucifixion and self-flagellation ceremonies in the Philippines have been warned to get a tetanus shot and sterilise any nails used to avoid infections
Each year on Good Friday dozens of men re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by having themselves nailed to wooden crosses.
At the same time hundreds of others, mostly men, strip to the waist and whip themselves until their backs are bloody as a way of atoning for their sins over the past year.
The Catholic church frowns upon the crucifixions and self flagellations which have become a major tourist attraction in a number of towns around the predominately Roman Catholic nation.
According to the Manila Times, in San Fernando City, Pampanga, some 23 people, including two women, plan to reenact the crucifixion on Friday.
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