Mumbai: Christians take pilgrimage walk on Good Friday

\Thousands of Christians walked the 5 km stretch in the scorching heat from Santacruz (west) to Kalina as part of a pilgrimage walk on Good Friday. Activists of the Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) performed a musical enactment on the streets of Mumbai, depicting the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, which according to Christians occurred around 2000 years ago inJerusalem.

The musical enactment of 'The Stations of the Cross service – Good Friday walking pilgrimage' began from the Sacred Heart Church, Santacruz (west) at 11.00 am and moved on through the streets of Santacruz (east), Vakola and Kalina, concluding at St Charles Conventin Vakola around 4.00 pm.

Joseph Dias, general secretary of the CSF – the activist community NGO that organised the march – said, “People gave up praying in the comforts of the church and undertook the exhausting walk. Many of the walked bare feet after a fulfilling spiritual experienceof 40 days of prayer, fasting and repentance."

Dias added that the enactment throughthe lanes of suburban Mumbai was similar to those in the Philippines, leading up to a tearful finale. "Initially it was started since many nonChristians believed that Good Friday was a feast, rather than adayof solemnmourningand quietintrospection,” he said.

Michael D'souza, who was part of the pilgrimage walk, said, “For me, Good Friday is very important as it symbolises what the power of love can do. Every year I make sure to attendthiswalkingpilgrimage because it reminds me of the suffering that Jesus had to undergo and the heat or the distance does not matter. Instead, it gives me a sense of peace at the end of this difficult walk.”

According to Cheryl Fernandes, who was also part of the walk, remembering the events that,took place onGood Friday encourages people to look forward to new hope, that is the resurrectionof Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday. “We believe that the crucifixion is notthe end,butitis the start of anew beginning,” she said.

There were citizens at regular intervals on the streets distributing water and juice for the pilgrims. There were also policepersonneldeployed who walked along with the people to maintain the crowd.

“It's true that this is a Christian communityeventandthewalk is long and tiring, but it is our job to look after the people so we do not mind walking with them. Also, the people are quite disciplined and peaceful so it makes our job easier,” said a police officer.

The highlight of the program was the musical enactment on the streets at various places depicting Jesus' torture and crucifixion, which was viewed by thousands of bystanders.

The 33rd edition of this exhausting annual walk was resumed after a break of two pandemic years. Along the way, activists dramatised the crucifixion story with biblical characters acting out the arrest, crucifixion and the last few hours before Jesus' death.

Similar enactments are known to happen in the Philippines and Latin America, with a couple of Christians actually being nailed to a crucifix, to experience in a small way Jesus' suffering.

The pilgrims stood still for a special prayer at 3.00 pm, believed to be the time when Jesus died on Good Friday.