Filipinos nail themselves to cross to mark Good Friday

Catholic fanatics in the Philippines had themselves nailed to the cross in a bloody display of religious frenzy as the Christian world marked the day Jesus was crucified.

The gruesome real-life re-enactments of the crucifixion, which are held every Good Friday in the Philippines, are frowned upon by the Catholic church but have become freak tourist attractions.

Faith healer Arturo Bating, 44, spread his arms and maintained stoic calm as he was hoisted onto a wooden cross atop a sandy mound. He then had four-inch nails driven through his palms.