Holy Week is a glorious time to be in Spain, particularly here in Andalucia. But why do we process as we do and how did we ever start carrying such large statues and including the rows and rows of penitents?
Processions were first celebrated in Málaga after the Catholic Monarchs recaptured the city in 1487. After centuries of Muslim influence, most of Málaga’s inhabitants converted to Catholicism, while at the same time their numbers were swelled by the arrival of new settlers, mostly from Castile. This significant disruption to the life of the city required a strong input from the Catholic church to build an awareness of Catholicism and find a new commonality of religious expression.
This was helped by the return of pilgrims from the Holy Land, who had witnessed the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) and wished to introduce it to Spain. And so solemn processions through the streets began, with participants stopping at symbolic points to reflect on aspects of Christ’s journey to Calvary.
The practice got a major boost following the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which launched what today we regard as the Counter-Reformation, to combat the growing Protestantism in Europe. The processions became a mechanism to teach the faith, and lifelike wooden figures were included as part of that process. Over time the processions were joined by penitents, many of whom who whipped each other as an expression of their shame, adding a rather grim element to the spectacle. But this was simplified as a result of the 18th century enlightenment and a change in people’s attitudes.
See details of this week’s processions in MálagaHoy here.
Photo above – Monday’s procession in Antequera.