New-York tribune., 1907-09-29
ODD RELIGIOUS PAGEANT.
Where Fashionable Men and Women Do
Penance for Their Sins.

Where the light is sharpest the shadow is
deepest: and it is close to Ostend-the bright.
the naughty the fashionable and the gay-that
most solemn reHious ceremony is annually
observed and that at the moment when this
queen OF watering places with all her at
fractions Is at her fullest.
The scene is Furnes. a small town not far
from Dunkirk on the French frontier. within
easy reach of Ostend. and the time is the last
Sunday in July. the date-orgnally in May
having been changed. perhaps in order TO con-
venience summer visitors.
The religious ceremony. which brings hundreds
Of peopIe-into the little town in pilgrims garb.
consists OF penftential procession through the
Streets. the story of Christ's life and passion
being set forth by living characters as described
in the New Testament, with certain Introductory
elements from the Old.
What makes the procession especially striking
is the part played by the penitents. who pub
Hcly play many Of the characters or perform
other acts of coutrition. and who for hours
tramp through the i'll paved streets under q
broiIinr- SIMMER sun or stumble barefoot through
water and mud in wet weather. ThuS the part OF
Christ at the moment of His Crucitixion has for
many years been taken by a burgomaster OF an
important neighborng town. and. like his great
PTototype. he dTa gS an enormous cross behihd
him comes a crowd of men and women VINO
also carry great solid crosses. when are p0rhe
in different positions according 10 vow. 1hey
are completely disguised. these men and women
being covered with black garments from head
to foot so that except for height it IS impos-
sible to tell man from a woman.
More leaders of fashion of both sexes than
any, one realizes slip away quietly from Ostend
and elsewhere when the Furnes procession
comes on. and. completely disguised take their
places among the penitentS. having previously
obtained a certificate of repentance from their
religious adviser. and the secret OF ldehtlty IS
closely kept. Only the finer turn OF woman 5
sbapelv ankle the extra care bestowed on the
mans feet the glimpse of fine lace under the
coarse black skirt the cultivated tone IN a voice
of prayer give any Indication as 10 the poSltlOn
of those who pasS along in the procession All
are copapIetelv covered, with merely holes for
the features: all black gloves 50 that
the hands NAV afford no clew, ana ostehta-
tiously carry white handkerChiefS. large ana
coarse presumably Tor penitehtitii 'et'iS'' anu
all are barefoot.
This curious penitential procession seems 10
have originated in 100. when Count Robert OF
Flanders came from Palestine, bringing nome a
piece of the true cross He toundeu IOC.i
branch of the Society of the Cross, which adopt
cd this method-then much in vogue IKE nyS-
terry plays-of teaching the ignorant the blDle
story by complication 90
The great F'urnes procession starts az d-.u
o'clock from a small street behind the church.
SO as TO allow OF pilgrims coming from some
distance Playing the penitent in the Furnes
procession is. Ii must be explained. no lsht ana
easy task 1t means downright hard work. Tor,
,nufHaa as the pigrinis are it involves replacing
horses and dragging great carts and lorries. or
bearing on the shoulders awkward, heavy plat
forms which are placed the wooden hsures
that represent the stations OF the cross with
which the procession of living characters is
diversified II means staggering along with
topheavy banners without seeing where YOU are
going the hard stones bruiSing delicate feet; II
means carving metal explanatory notices in
aching arms for hours at time and all the
while reciting penitential psalms No: playing
the repentant sinner at Furnes is far too ar