Holy Week Processions in Santa Cruz de la Palma

Holy Week Procession leaving the church of San Francisco, Santa Cruz de la Palma

It's Holy Week, and in this Catholic country, a lot of people take it very seriously. The bigger churches hold processions, which look very exotic to my English eyes.

It's not so much that they lug the obviously-heavy statues along the street. It's the costumes. They remind me of the Klu Klux Klan. This is unfair, because the costumes concerned are far older than the KKK. They ensure anonymity, but apparently it's not to avoid prosecution; it's to stop onlookers admiring your piety.
Traditional costumes copied by the KKK, Santa Cruz de la Palma

The Tourist Office produce a leaflet which lists the processions and their routes. These photos are of the Good Friday Calgary procession from the church of San Francisco. The men in red and white are from the Brotherhood of the Crucified and the True Cross (Cofradia del Crucificado y la Vera Cruz).

This is the statue of Our Lady of Loneliness (1733, Domingo Carmona).
The statue of Our Lady of Loneliness


These statures are The Crucified (1968, Ezequiel de Leon Dominguez), The Holy Mary Magdelene (XIX century, Fernando Estevez del Sacramento) and St John the Evangelist (1863 Aureilo Carmona Lopez).
Procession with statues of Jesus, Mary Magdelene and St John, Santa Cruz de la Palma


Each Cofradia is devoted to a particular statue, and they're expensive to join - some cofradias in Serville cost over 1,000€, mostly for the costume. To the best of my knowledge, the cofradia exists solely for these processions, and do nothing else. They don't, for example, feed the hungry, buy medicines for the sick, or save whales.

I can easily understand suffering yourself in order to reduce someone else's suffering. Personally I don't see the point of this.

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Holy Week

Holy week procession, San Jose, Breña Baja

The schools have just broken up for Semana Santa - Holy week. Of course my son's delighted, even though they only get this week off.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are public holidays. Monday 6th is not.

Holy week procession, San Jose, Breña Baja

There will be lots of religious processions all week, everywhere, and some fairly spectacular ones, especially in Santa Cruz. We had the first one in San Jose tonight, with the municipal band at the back, providing the sad music. I liked the way the younger incense carriers were solemnly trying to get it right.


Holy week procession, San Jose, Breña Baja

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Holy Week Processions

It's Holy Week, and in this Catholic country, a lot of people take it very seriously. The bigger churches hold processions, which look very exotic to my English eyes.

It's not so that they take the obviously-heavy statues along the street. It's the costumes. They remind me of the KLu Klux Klan. This is unfair, because the costumes concerned are far older than the KKK. They ensure anonimity, but it's not to avoid prosecution; it's to stop onlookers admiring your piety.


The Tourist Office produce a leaflet which lists the processions and their routes. These photos are of the Good Friday Calgary procession from the church of San Francisco. The men in red and white are from the Brotherhood of the Crucified and the True Cross (Cofradia del Crucificado y la Vera Cruz). Each Cofradia is dovoted to a particular statue.

This is the stature of Our Lady of Loneliness (1733, Domingo Carmona).


These statures are The Crucified (1968, Ezequiel de Leon Dominguez), The Holy Mary Magdelene (XIX century, Fernando Estevez del Sacramento) and St John the Evangelist (1863 Aureilo Carmona Lopez).


I can easily understand suffering yourself in order to reduce someone else's suffering. Personally I don't see the point of this.

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Digg

Reddit

Facebook

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