Original article (in Croatian) was published on 04/29/2025; Author: Ladislav Tomičić
The video shows one of the processions that takes place every year in Spain before the Catholic holiday of Easter, as part of Holy Week.
After the death of Pope Francis, Facebook users are sharing a 39-second video, claiming it shows the “Pope’s ritual funeral” (archived here and here). The video shows a procession of people wearing black hoods on their heads and holding staffs, walking in rhythm with the beating of a drum.
The description users are posting alongside the video is completely misleading; the footage does not depict a ritual funeral of the Pope, but rather one of the many processions that take place in Spain every year before the Catholic holiday of Easter, as part of Holy Week (archived here and here).
Tercio of the Ladies of Saint Peter
The video shows members of the Association of Saint Peter the Apostle from Cartagena, specifically the female section of the association – the Penitential Tercio of Saint Peter. According to the association’s website, it was founded in 1991, with its first procession taking place on Holy Tuesday in 1992. It also states that the association was “the realization of the wish of many generations of women of Saint Peter who wanted to participate in the processions as penitents, not just accompany their families and friends who were participating”.
Until 2003, the Saint Peter Tercio took part in the Holy Tuesday procession under the name “Tercio of the Ladies of Saint Peter”, and since 2004, they have been participating in the Holy Wednesday procession.
The members’ attire consists of a white wool tunic, a black silk cloak embroidered with the tercio’s golden coat of arms, a tall black silk hood edged with white cotton rope, a red velvet belt embroidered with golden details, black sandals with a cross strap, white socks, and white gloves with black stitching. The video being shared with the claim that it shows the Pope’s ritual funeral, was recorded in the Church of Santa María de Gracia, located in the historic center of Cartagena, which is a central site for processions during Holy Week.
The association’s website features numerous videos similar to the one being shared, depicting processions from over the years.
Nazarenes
Participants in Holy Week processions in Spain are called “Nazarenes”. In some Spanish regions, due to the hoods they wear, they are also referred to as “capuchones”. Wikipedia’s article on these processions states that as early as the 16th century, “there were processions of brotherhoods carrying insignia similar to today’s brotherhood banners, scrolls, and Christian religious symbols”. They are dressed in a tunic-like robe (thawb), tied with a rope or simple belt, and wear a Capirote, a pointed hood that covers the face and neck to ensure anonymity. According to Wikipedia, this type of attire later inspired the Ku Klux Klan’s uniforms in the early 20th century.
In conclusion, the video being shared by Facebook users does not depict a ritual funeral of the Pope, but rather a Holy Week procession in Spain. The procession features members of the Penitential Tercio of Saint Peter, recognizable by the symbol embroidered on their garments: a rooster on a red cross.
