Good Friday Ritual Crucifixions in San Fernando
What Happens at San Fernando
As many as ten men each year volunteer to be Jesus and are nailed to the cross with slender silvery spikes. Spectators act out the events of the three days that led up to Christ's crucifixion that shaped the structure of the whole Christian faith.
... The Catholic Church actually forbids such forms of extreme piety, but it can't stop those who want to show thanks to their God for a healed relative, or for a life saving cure for their child.
There has even been talk of local officials bribing people to keep the show alive by pushing up the number of participants, realising the financial gains brought in by curious foreign tourists.
These people do it to pay homage to Jesus of course, but it can also be seen that they are mocking the death of Jesus.. they go through a similar degree of torture and survive perfectly every year, and then repeat the same torture the next year.