Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
Meet Ruben Enaje: The man who has been nailed to the cross annually for 32 years to re-enact Jesus Christ’s crucifixion
Ruben Enaje is a Philippine man who has been nailed to a cross every Easter for the past 32 years in a Good Friday re-enactment of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion who says he no longer feels any pain from his wounds.
The 58-year-old actor again portrayed Christ on Friday in the traditional religious rite in Cutud village, about 76 km (47 miles) from the capital Manila. “In the past, I went home injured and limping, but this year I feel so great,” Enaje said after the ritual held under a scorching sun.
He said he believed his strong Catholic faith helped him avoid pain. “I feel like he is telling me ‘go ahead, keep it up’,” he said, referring to God. Easter is a festival marking the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
About 80 percent of the 105 million people in the Philippines, a former Spanish colony, are Catholic. Enaje said he felt strong enough to perform in two or three more crucifixions until he turns 60. Enaje was among three devotees nailed to wooden crosses in the village on Friday, including a woman taking part for the seventh time.
Actors wearing Roman soldier costumes attached the devotees to crosses by hammering two-inch nails soaked in alcohol through their hands and feet and hoisted them up in a field packed with domestic and foreign tourists.
The Catholic Church in the Philippines tolerates the ritual but says it does not support such gory displays of devotion, describing them as a “misinterpretation of faith”. Many Catholics in the Philippines perform religious acts of penance during the Holy Week at Easter as a form of worship and supplication. Some believe penance cleanses sins, cures illnesses and even leads to wishes coming true
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