penitent

In Ecuador, thousands of penitents accompanied a statue of Jesus the Almighty in a march through the capital, while In Cuba, faithful marked Good Friday with a procession through the streets of Havana.

But it also happens to be Ash Wednesday, the solemn day of fasting and reflection that signals the start of Christianity’s most penitent season.

Blood splatters like raindrops from the tattooed body of a Filipino penitent as he flagellates himself to atone for sins.

The early brawler, the reformed sage, the repeat offender, the penitent observer of silence, the strategist, the troublemaker, the king of the kids, the petulant self-justifier, the granular cricket analyst, the late-career paragon.

In addition, while it is not absolutely forbidden, priests are strongly discouraged from directly asking whether a penitent has committed this or that particular sin.