After three years, when it was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Procession of the Passion of Our Lord, the God Jesus returned to the streets of Macao yesterday.
The Catholic celebration sees a statue of Christ on the cross carried from St. Augustine’s Church to the Cathedral on the first day and returning on the following day. En route, worshippers mark the 14 Stations of the Cross – a series of tableaux depicting the final sufferings of Jesus on his way to crucifixion.
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Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang, appointed head of the Diocese of Macao in 2016, led the annual procession alongside other members of the clergy. The Macao Public Security Force band marched in front of the devotees playing solemn music.
Listed as part of Macao’s Intangible Heritage, the Passion of Our Lord, the God Jesus has been celebrated in Macao since 1708 when it was instituted by Augustinian friars.
Lent is the 40-day period within the church calendar (beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter Sunday) during which the Catholic faithful focus on the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus before celebrating his resurrection.
