Hooded drummers marked the beat of Morelia's penitential Procesión del Silencio: Good Friday's silent procession commemorating both the crucifixion of Christ and his Mother's grief. Only the drumbeat broke the silence along the route.
Nuestra Señora de Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows). Hooded members of various Catholic confraternities (religious organizations founded in Europe in the 15th Century) carry these life-size statues on their wooden platforms approximately three kilometers through Morelia's Centro Histórico.
Jesus during la Oración en el Huerto (praying in the Garden of Gethsemane), just prior to his arrest on Holy Thursday night. Boy Scouts (the young man in red at the right of the photo) hold the protective rope all along the route of the procession.
El Señor del Pilar (the Lord of the Column) depicts Jesus, bound to a column, and whipped by Roman soldiers after his conviction.
Roman soldiers.
The majority of Morelia's Procesión del Silencio takes place after dark, by candlelight. For the first time this year (2009), city street lamps were left on due to security issues.
The Legion of Christ carry their banner and their lamps. The Procesión del Silencio lasts about four hours. During that time, all of Morelia's Centro Histórico is closed to vehicular traffic.
Jesus carries the cross a cuestas (on his back) to Calvary. More than 50,000 spectators stood along the entire route of Morelia's 2009 Procesión del Silencio.
Penitents from one of Morelia's confraternities carry their crosses the length of the procession. Many march barefoot through the city streets. The procession celebrated its thirty-third anniversary this year.
Robed and hooded members of another Catholic confraternity carry a small image of the crucified Christ. Hoods cover the faces of those who march as a sign of penitence.
Clothed in gold and black, these marching penitents carry huge metal torches.
Six men of all ages carry Cristo Muerto (the dead Christ), while six others follow as relief when the burden of the image, the platform, the lights, and the flowers becomes too heavy. The man at the far right of the photo carries one of two saw horses used to support the platform during occasional pauses in the procession.
At the end of the Procesión del Silencio, la Virgen de la Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude) follows the body of her crucified Son. The platform bearing her image holds burning candles, a purple and gold velvet canopy, and banks of fresh flowers.
I too agree, the hoods are creepy and evil looking. They look and remind one of the KKK straight off. NOT my idea of anything "Holy" at all!
Jay, just remember that you are viewing the hoods with a frame of reference that simply isn't applicable in this case. It's really hard to set that frame of reference aside, I agree, but these hoods truly are neither creepy nor evil and have nothing to do with the KKK. They are a different culture's expression of its faith and humility. Cristina
Posted by: Jay | June 20, 2009 at 08:55 AM
I have always wondered about the hoods and this is the first I have read of a reason for them. To me they look like the hoods of the Ku Klux Klan. Is there a connection between the two? Did one inspire the other? I can't see why they are a sign of penitence. They look like they are evil and trying to hide something. Maybe that is the KKK connotation coming through.
Joan, most natives of the USA compare these penitential hoods worn in Mexico during the Procesión del Silencio to the hoods used by the KKK. In fact, there is no comparison or common origin.
The penitential hoods used here in Mexico originated in Spain, where similar hoods are used in Holy Week processions. Nothing 'evil' is being hidden.
It's difficult to let go of preconceptions, but in this case it's really necessary to dispense with the idea of the KKK.
Cristina
Posted by: Joan Rulland | June 07, 2009 at 03:40 PM
Ok. It is my cultural heritage getting in the way, but I still find those hoods creepy -- no matter how penitental they are meant to be.
Posted by: Steve Cotton | June 06, 2009 at 10:48 PM