Four-inch, stainless steel nails have been hammered into the hands of Filipinos who have chosen to be nailed to wooden crosses to re-enact Jesus Christ’s Good Friday suffering.

24 men in total have been crucified in the Philippines today, in a ceremony which is frowned upon by the Catholic Church in the country, but which has become something of a tourist attraction.

50-year-old Ruben Enaje reportedly screamed in pain as villagers dressed as Roman centurions hammered the nails through his palms and hoisted the cross for a few minutes in the village of Cutud in northern Philippines. Enaje has been crucified 25 times. He says he does it to thank God for saving his life when he fell from a three-storey building in 1985. He also says he prays for more work.

The Catholic Church has criticised the organisers of the ceremonies for commercialising Good Friday. The Philippines is a staunchly Catholic country, although it boasts a unique brand of the religion, mixing Catholic traditions with folk superstitions.