The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-11
TERRIBLE PENANCE,

Monks Scourge Their Bare Backs Until
Blood Flows From the Wounds.
In the old days all nuns and monks
in Mexico were compelled by the rigid
rules of the order to use the discipline
on their own naked persons every night
and morning before retiring to and ris-
ing from the iron bedsteads that were
purposely made too short and supplied
only with block of wood for pillow.
Nine. Calderon de la Barca, in her
book on Mexico, written forty years
ago, tells us all about it. Says she:
The discourse appeared like prepa-
ton for the execution of a multitude of
condemned criminals. After it they
all joined in prayer with much fervor
and enthusiasm, beating their breasts
and falling upon their faces. Then a
monk stood up, and in a very distinct
voice read several passages of Scripture
descriptive of Christ's sufferings The
organ then struck up the ''Miserere,"
and all of a 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 on 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
leave the church, but it was perfectly
sickening, and had l not been able
to hold Sonora IS hand, and
thus feel something human be-
side me in the darkness, l could
have fancied myself transported into
Dante's inferno. Now and then a sup
pressed groan was heard, and OCCASION
ally the voice of the monk encouraging
them by CALCULATIONS or by short pas
sages from the Bible. Sometimes the
organ struck up, and the poor wretches
tried in faint voices to join in the
"Miserere. The sound of the scourg-
ing was indescribable. At the end of
half an hour little bell was rung. and
the voice of the monk was heard call
ing upon them to desist; but such was
their enthusiasm that the horrible lash
ing continued louder and fiercer than
ever. In vain he entreated them not
to kill themselves, that heaven would
be satisfied. and that human nature
could not endure beyond certain point.
No answer but the loud sound OF the
scourges as their sharp iron points
entered 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 CROPPED
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 hood
after one of these penances, and that
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-five 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 adj
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 a
cross. very painful position after the
first five minutes. Fannie b. W9rJ, IN
Philadelphia Record.