Bloodied Filipino sign painter re-enacts the crucifixion of Jesus while British Christians watch the Passion of the Christ in Trafalgar Square as the world celebrates Good Friday 

London's Trafalgar Square was taken over this afternoon by 100 actors and animals performing 'The Passion of Jesus' to commemorate Good Friday. Pictured: James Burke-Dunsmore as Jesus Christ on the cross

The Wintershall Estate Players' annual and free Good Friday performance depicts the last hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Here, Jesus is pictured being tied to the cross

Mr Burke-Dunsmore, as Jesus, enters on a donkey through palm leaves. As well as a donkey, the ensemble includes a cast of actors and horses

One of Jesus' disciples is dunked in a fountain in Trafalgar Square during the performance, which took place at 12pm and 3.15pm today

According to The Telegraph, Mr Burke-Dunsmore (pictured centre) has been playing Jesus for 16 years in 57 separate productions. Here he is pictured with his disciples, who are all wearing blue

Jesus Christ shares bread at the last supper with his disciples. In a statement on The Wintershall Players' website, Boris Johnson wrote: 'As Londoners across the capital and beyond celebrate Easter I am delighted that The Passion of Jesus is returning to Trafalgar Square. It is a wonderful event that brings to life the Christian message and attracts people of all faiths right in the heart of our great city'

A bloody Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns, is dragged to the wooden cross to be crucified. Roughly 20,000 people attended one of the two performances held today

The Roman soldiers, wearing authentic costumes of Roman soldiers in the 12th Legion of the Roman Army, attach Jesus Christ to the cross

A pained-looking Jesus Christ, wearing a sign proclaiming him as 'The King of the Jews', is led away by Roman soldiers

Fortunately the sun was shining during the event, with many spectators - pictured here surrounding Jesus - having to don sunglasses to watch the performance

Jesus leads his disciples through the crowds of people who came to Trafalgar Square to watch the Good Friday show

The famous square was completely transformed for the event - with the hill of Calvary is erected under Nelson's column. Here Jesus raises his arms to the sky while the crowds look on

After being humiliated by the soldiers, a bloody Jesus is forced to carry a crucifix around. Many people in the crowd attempted to capture the moment on their mobile phone

Over in Italy, a man plays Jesus Christ in a crucifixion reenactment during the Good Friday procession in Palermo, Sicily

Well-dressed crowds headed to the streets to participate in the Way of the Cross procession, outside the St. Isidoro Agricola church

People dressed up in robes with capirotes - tall, pointed hoods with eye-holes - as they participated in the parade

Capirotes are worn during Easter observances and reenactments in some places during Holy Week

Ruben Enaje, who is portraying Jesus for the 30th time is nailed to a cross during a re-enactment of the crucifixion in Cutud town

Enaje, who is a sign painter, screams with pain as the nails are driven into his hands and arms and hoisted aloft 

Catholic authorities in the Philippines have called for an end to the annual ritual which as become a major tourist attraction 

Eneje cries out in pain as he performs on the cross for the 30th year in a row as part of an extreme show of devotion in the Philippines 

Dozens of people take part in the re-enactment of the crucifixion which has become a major tourist attraction in the Philippines 

Enaje, centre, said he wanted to pray for the people of Belgium, an end to Islamic extremism as well as getting a better job for himself

Willy Salvador, pictured, also had himself nailed to a cross in an extreme show of devotion in the town of San Juan, near Manila

Salvador, 59, looks on as one of the nails is driven into his hand before the cross is raised upright before the massive crowd 

The extreme form of devotion has been condemned by senior clerics in the Philippines but is popular with the people 

Salvador, pictured, looks in absolute agony after he is lowered to the ground following his ordeal on the cross 

The 59-year-old penitent from San Juan near Manila was taken away on a stretcher after spending time nailed to a cross earlier today

Two of the men involved in the bizarre ceremony, lay themselves on the ground having whipped themselves and drawing blood 

Other penitents cause themselves severe pain by whipping themselves and drawing blood in an effort to atone for their sins 

The participants flog themselves with sharpened bamboo in an effort to inflict pain upon themselves during the annual ritual

Precey Valencia, pictured, is nailed to the cross for the 20th year during her annual re-enactment of the crucifixion in Paombong

In Pasay CIty, the Philippines, Petron Gonzales, 70, carries a cross through the city as part of his role in the annual ceremony

Filipino flagellants are whipped as they take part in the Good Friday re-enactments of the crucifixion 

Across the Philippines, penitents whip themselves to atone for their sins in Pasay city which is on the outskirts of Manila 

In London, the Passion of Jesus is performed by actors such as James Burke-Dunsmore, who is not nailed to the cross or whipped 

In the Basque Country, a penitent drags a large cross through the town of Balmaseda as part of the commemoration of the crucifixion

In Jerusalem's Old City, Catholic pilgrims make their way through the Via Dolorosa (Way of Suffering) to commemorate the crucifixion  

However, the group was stopped a short while later by Israeli Security Forces who were blocking the way, pictured

In Lubeck, Germany, Christians take part in the Way of the Cross ceremony to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus 

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, pictured, delivered a sermon to worshippers during the March of the Witness in Kent

Pope Francis attended the Celebration of the Lord's Passion in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican earlier today 

Pope Francis presided over the liturgy of Our Lord's Passion in St Peter's in the Vatican earlier today as part of the Easter celebration 

Bending down: Pope Francis kisses the foot of a man during a foot-washing ritual at the Castelnuovo di Porto refugees centre near Rome

Blessing a baby: Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men at the Castelnuovo di Porto centre

Gesture: Francis washed and kissed the feet of Muslim, Orthodox, Hindu and Catholic refugees, declaring them children of the same God

Kiss: Pope Francis performed the gesture of welcome and brotherhood following the Brussels attacks

Rite: He re-enacted the foot-washing ritual Jesus performed on his apostles before being crucified, and it is meant as a gesture of service

Comparison: Francis contrasted his gesture with the 'gesture of destruction' carried out by the Brussels attackers

Pope Francis blows inside an amphora containing holy oil during a mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican yesterday

Pope Francis holds the famous Book of the Gospels during the Chrism Mass in the Vatican yesterday

Roman Catholics prostrate in front of a chapel while still bearing the wounds caused by a bloody flagellation ceremony in Manila

Hooded penitents wait for their turn to have their back wounds cleaned after the ceremony in the Philippines yesterday

An actor playing the role of Jesus Christ makes his way through the the streets of Manila during the city's Holy Week celebrations

Covered in blood and carrying a tunic, he was whipped by actors playing Roman soldiers during the religious re-enactment

There ceremony known as Cristo de las Injurias, or the Silent Procession, in Zamora, Spain sees its 2,300 members swear to keep silent in the city's cathedral

The penitents from the one of the city's Christian brotherhoods stand in formation with hoods and candles in the spectacular ceremony

The silent ceremony makes its way through the city streets in Zamora as the city celebrated the Holy Week of Easter

In nearby Alicante, an effigy of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross is carried through the city streets at night

Two members of the Cofradia de los Universitarios brotherhood in Granada take part in the deeply religious procession

Catholics in Jalisco, Mexico, take part in the 400-year-old ceremony known as 'The Bath of the Christ'

The pilgrimage involves a march during which members tend to an effigy of Jesus Christ lying bloodied on the cross

A man watches the ceremony take part during the week Holy Week - which runs for one week worldwide up until Easter Sunday

The bloody effigy of Jesus Christ was watched by hundreds as it was carried through the streets of the city

Catholic faithful participate in the pilgrimage known as 'The Bath of the Christ' in the municipality of San Martin de Hidalgo

In Costa Rica, Catholics tied coloured tape to a statue of Jesus inside the San Antonio de Padua Church

The taping ceremony forms the beginning of the procession known as 'Jesus Nazareno of the Tapes'

Penitents on their knees carrying the 'Christ tied to the column' during the Holy Week procession in Alcala de Henares near Madrid

Dressed in their burgundy capes with hoods, the 'Santa Veracruz' brotherhood mark Holy Week in northern Spain

Penitents of the 'Cristo de las Injurias' brotherhood wait inside a church before they take part in the 'Procesion del Silencio'

This lantern-holding group parade through Calahorra, Spain, as millions of people around the world mark the Holy Week