By Pierre R. Berastain

Photography by Joey Horton

“Every time I think of the crucifixion of Christ, I commit the sin of envy.”

–Simone Weil

I came across this quote during my first year at Harvard Divinity School. At first, I was shocked.  Then, I grew angry.  Weil’s conceptualization of suffering seems deeply rooted in a long-standing Christian tradition that dates to the Middle Ages.  As philosopher and historian Pierre Hadot argues about the time, “Penitence, inspired by the fear and love of God, could take the form of extremely severe self-mortification.  The remembrance of death was intended not only to make people realize the urgency of conversion, but also to develop the fear of God.”  I am afraid such conceptualization has transcended the Dark Ages and pervades in much of today’s practices.

An extreme example rests in today’s practitioners of self-flagellation such as the late Pope John Paul II who, according to a recent book–Why he is a Saint– whipped himself with a belt.  What is perhaps more shocking is what a recent Times article expressed—that “the physical suffering he inflicted on himself may in fact help propel him to sainthood faster than anyone before him.”

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