The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-02-11
TERRIBLE peNANce.



Monks soourgo Their Bare Backs Until:
Blood Flows From the Wounds.
In the old days all nuns and monks
In Myxico were compelled by the rigid
rules of the order to use the discipline
on their own naked persons every night
aud morning before retiring to and rise
ing from the iron bedsteads that were
purposely made too short and supplied
only with block of wood for pillow.
Mine. Caldcron de In Barca, in her
book on Mexico, written forty years
ago. tells us all about it. Says she:
The discourse appeared like Nrcpa-
tion for the execution of q multitude OF
condemned criminals. After 1t they
all joined in prayer with much fervor
and enthusiasm, beating their breasta
and falling upon their faces. Tber :,
monk stood up, and in very distinct
voice read several passages of Scripture
descriptive of Christ's suffcrings. The
organ then struck up tho 'Misercre. {"
and all of q sudden the church was
plunged into profound darkness. Sud-
denly terrible voice cried out in the
dark: my brothers, when Jesus was
fastened to the pillar by the Jews he
was scourgedr At these words we
heard the sounds of hundreds of
scourges descending OH the bare flesh.
l can not conceive any thing more hor-
rible. Before ten minutes had passed
the sounds became splashing from
blood that was flowing We could not
cave the church, butit was perfectly
,kening, and had l not been able
hold Sonora rs hand, and
feel something human be-
me in the darkness. could
fancied myself transported into
e's inferno. Now and then sup
ed groan was heard. and OCCASION
he voice of the monk encouraging
by CALCULATIONS or by short pas
from the Bible. Sometimes the
'.struck up and the poor wretches
in faint voices to join in the
'rere.' The sound of the scourg-
rs indescribable. At the end of
Il hour little bell was rung. and
ice of the monk was heard call
pom them to desist but such was
enthusiasm that the horrible LASH
,ontinued louder and fiercer than
In vain he entreated them not
| themselves, that heaven would
.tisfed. and that human nature
not endure beyond q certain point.
nswer but the loud sound OF the
Iges as their sharp iron points
,tered the flesh. At length, as if they
were perfectly exhausted. the sound
grew fainter, and little by little ceased
altogether. We then got up in the
dark. and with great difficulty groped
our way through the galleries and down
the stairs till we reached the door and
had the pleasure of again feeling the
fresh air. They tell us that the church
floor is frequently covered with bood
after one of these penances. and that a
man died the other day in consequence
of his wounds.
This awful penance was known as the
desagravios, and it must be remembered
that each man scourged only himself; if
they had scourged each other the ter
rible energy displayed would seem less
astonishing. The season of desagravios
used to continue thirty-tive days of every
year. The women attended church in
the morning, no men having been per-
mitted to enter, and the men in the
evening. when women were not ad-
mitted. The penance of the women
was much less severe. and consisted
chiefly in kneeling for half an hour.
with arms extended in the form of
cross, a very painful position after the
first five minutes. .--Fannie 3. Ward, in
PHILADELPHIA Record