TMCnet News
THE PASSION OF DOMINIK(Daily Record Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TEARFUL telly host Dominik Diamond yesterday backed out of being CRUCIFIED to prove his faith in God. The Scots presenter flew to the Philippines to be filmed taking part in a gruesome Easter ritual where devout Catholics mimic the Passion of Christ. After carrying his cross to the site of the bizarre ceremony, Dominik watched as seven Filipinos were crucified with four-inch nails driven through their hands and feet. But when his own turn came, he found he couldn't go through with it. He knelt in prayer instead, and broke down in tears as he pressed his head to the wooden cross. Dad-of-three Dominik, 36, was filming a Five documentary called Crucify Me. Producers say the show will follow him as he tries to rediscover his Catholic faith. Before he left for the Philippines, Dominik admitted: "I'm really scared." But he added: "It's about time I did something that didn't involve cheap gags. I'm hopeful this journey will help resolve my crisis of faith. "My religion was central to my life until five years ago, when a combination of public and private events made me question my beliefs. "If you're going to make the first serious programme you've ever done you might as well aim high. So I thought I'd try to find God." Dominik, of Arbroath, Angus, added: "I'm obviously not going to die doing it. There is wood supporting your arms and legs so you don't bear the weight of the nails. "But it is as real as possible. And if I go ahead with it, I will be the first person from western Europe they have allowed to take part." The Catholic Church disapprove of the crucifixion ritual, held each year since 1962. But thousands of people still turn up to watch. Penitents rip their skin with glass and lash themselves with bamboo whips on the way to the crucifixion site. Yesterday's volunteers spent five minutes on their crosses before being cut down and carried off on stretchers. The men say they do it to atone for their sins or bring blessings on their families. One man has gone through the ordeal every year for the last 20 years. |