15/04/2025
Holy Week in Bantayan: A Tradition Mistaken for a Fiesta
Contrary to popular belief, Holy Weekโespecially Holy Thursday and Good Fridayโis not the town fiesta of Bantayan. The actual town fiesta is celebrated on June 29, in honor of its patron saint, St. Peter the Apostle.
The widespread misconception that Holy Week is a fiesta may stem from the festive atmosphere that fills the town during this periodโgrand processions, decorated carrozas, an influx of pilgrims and tourists, and the widespread serving of food, particularly meat. These elements can easily confuse outsiders and even some locals. However, what truly makes Holy Week in Bantayan stand out is not a celebration, but a centuries-old religious tradition rooted in deep devotion and a special dispensation granted by the Holy See.
The Papal Indult: Why Meat Is Allowed on Good Friday
Traditionally, Good Friday is one of the most solemn days in the Catholic calendar, marked by fasting and abstinence from meat. Canon 1251 of the Code of Canon Law states:
โAbstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.โ
Canon 1252 makes this mandatory for all Roman Catholicsโmale and femaleโfrom age 14 up to 60. However, Canon 1244 gives the supreme ecclesiastical authority, i.e., the Holy See, the power to suspend, transfer, or abolish days of fasting and abstinence.
In 1829, Pope Leo XII granted a ten-year Papal Indult to Bantayan, allowing its residents to eat meat, milk products, and eggs even during Lent. This exception was made in recognition of the townโs fervent devotion to the Passion, particularly since most of the townspeople were fisherfolk, and Holy Weekโespecially with its bright full moonโmade fishing difficult. Priests, however, were still expected to observe the fast.
In 1831, Pope Gregory XVI extended the indult for another five years, until 1843. However, he required that Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Black Saturday still be observed as days of abstinence in 1842 and 1843.
Despite its expiration, the dispensation became a tolerated custom. A high-ranking Cebuano church official noted that this practice has been โtolerableโ because it has been observed for over 100 years, and because the townโs logistical and food supply challenges during Holy Week make strict fasting nearly impossibleโespecially with the large number of pilgrims visiting the island.
If the indult were not continued in practice, many locals and visitors would likely face food shortages during Holy Week.
A Tradition That Lives OnโWith Reminders
Today, meat is still freely served during Holy Week in Bantayan, especially to those involved in the preparation of the Pasos and the processions:
those who mount and clean the images,
those who arrange the flowers and decor,
singers and musicians in the procession,
and the countless devotees who follow the carrozas along their route.
Meals often include meat, but out of personal devotion, some still choose to observe abstinence on these holy days.
Importantly, mostโif not allโparish priests assigned to Bantayan have consistently reminded parishioners that the original indult had expired decades ago, and that its continuation is more of a tolerated custom, not a standing official Church decree. These reminders help reframe the mindset that Holy Week is a time for penance and reflection, not celebration.
Why the Mistake?
Because of the grandeur of Bantayanโs Holy Week traditionsโdramatic processions, colorful displays, public meals, and community gatheringsโmany people mistakenly assume it to be a town fiesta. The atmosphere is both solemn and vibrant, spiritual yet alive with people, sights, and sounds. But at its core, it remains a commemoration of the Passion and Death of Christ, not a celebration.
The true fiesta, honoring St. Peter the Apostle, is held every June 29.
Reposted from the Original post of
PARROQUIA DE SAN PEDRO APOSTOL BANTAYAN PAGE
