World Report

Women Play a More Active Role in Religious Traditions

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ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: The season of Lent begins on the last day of February, the seventh Wednesday before Easter. The 40-day period of reflection and repentance is observed by Christians around the world. The season is marked in a variety of ways, and in many places, woman are on the sidelines as spectators. But as ABS-CBN Manila reports, woman there are taking a more active role in these religious traditions.

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MELISSA LOPEZ, ABS-CBN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thirty-three- year-old Maritas shoulders the cross every Good Friday. She retraces the foot steps of Jesus Christ by carrying the cross all of seven kilos for 12 hours. Maritas believes her sacrifice will heal the sick.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: God always comes first. This serves as my prayer for other people; and I have helped a lot already so it has been a devotion.

LOPEZ: Re-enacting Christ's crucifixion has been a Philippines tradition for years. In Pomponga (ph), a 59-year-old woman leads the crucifixion every year. Santos started this sacrifice in 1986. She believes this is her mission.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am doing this in the obedience of God's will -- I pray while nailed at a cross so God my forgive our sins.

LOPEZ: In this church in Pomponga (ph), a priest commemorates Christ's washing of his disciples feet. All of his apostles were men, but this group include women. Ed Panlilio explains.

ED PANLILIO, PRIEST (through translator): Women apostles spark controversy in our parish. Most Catholics disagreed the idea, because they haven't read it in the Bible.

Father Panlilio adds, apostleship has nothing to do with gender.

PANLILIO: We should open our minds that everybody is involved in strengthening the church, we must recognize the participation of women.

LOPEZ: These woman have indeed, have come a long way; they serve as a reminder so the church can move forward in recognizing potentials of women as soldiers of God. This is Melissa Lopez, ABS-CBN, for this CNN WORLD REPORT.

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