Mary Mourns in Larantuka

Tuesday, April 29, 2003

For over 400 years, a Catholic procession with Portuguese flavor has been part of an Easter Week observance in Larantuka, a coastal town of East Flores. Now boasted as the world's only rite of its kind, this procession draws thousands of people from all parts of Indonesia and the world to it. The ceremony is essentially a devotion to Lamenting Mary, a woman whose son, Jesus, gave His life to redeem the sins of man. Despite damage the town has sustained from a landslide, the Easter procession took place in a touching and solemn manner two weeks ago. TEMPO reporter Seno Joko Suyono and photographer Hariyanto followed closely the entire rite.

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"O Vos Omnes
Qui transitis...."

The woman dressed in blue and wearing a blue scarf came onto a small chair. At the roadside, she chanted a Latin song in a very lyrical intonation and pronunciation. Some 20,000 pilgrims in this procession, all carrying candles, halted. It was really quiet all over.

It was as if Larantuka was in deep sorrow although the full moon was hanging above. There was no sound but the bitter voice of the woman, uttering

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