The Procession of the Passion of Our Lord – a two-day Catholic event that commemorates Christ’s carrying of the cross – was held over the weekend, attracting devout worshippers and curious visitors alike.
The annual religious celebration takes place on the first weekend of Lent – the 40-day penitential period preceding Easter. It kicked off last Saturday evening, with a procession of clergymen in purple robes. They bore a statue of Jesus carrying the cross from St. Augustine’s Church to the Cathedral, where an overnight vigil was held.
On Sunday, the devotees returned the statue to St. Augustine’s Church, making symbolic stops to mark the 14 Stations of the Cross – stages that depicted different aspects of Jesus’s suffering on his way to crucifixion.
Leading the event was the Bishop of Macao, Stephen Lee Bun-sang, who was walking under a canopy while holding the relic of the True Cross – said to be fragments of the wood that was used to crucify Jesus.
He was also joined by members of Macao’s Public Security Police Force Band, who played solemn music, in keeping with the event’s atmosphere. Throughout the event, the procession was flanked by worshippers, as well as local and international spectators.
According to the event’s organiser, the procession’s status as part of Macao’s intangible heritage has helped it to draw in more participants, including mainland tourists who are curious about Catholicism in Macao.
[See more: City of the Name of God: A guide to Catholic Macao]
Devotees from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong took part in the event, with the organiser pointing out that there were two Hong Kong-based groups with more than 100 people making their way to Macao to join in the procession.
One Portuguese-speaking participant who spoke with TDM highlighted the procession’s enduring significance in Macao.
“It is no longer carried out in every town and village in Portugal, as it once was since its inception,” he said. “It is also our tradition, part of our Macao customs, to keep these practices alive and well.”
Meanwhile, a visitor from Canada told the broadcaster that the event reflected the atmosphere of religious freedom in the SAR.
Held in Macao since 1708, the Procession of the Passion of Our Lord is one of the city’s major religious events. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the event had to be held indoors where it was streamed online.
The Procession of Our Lady of Fátima is another major Catholic observance that takes place in the city annually on 13 May.
