UST aims for world’s largest human cross

MANILA, March 9, 2011–As many as 24,000 Thomasians formed a cross, aimed at setting a Guiness World Records for making the world’s largest human cross.

Students and teachers in black and white T-shirts made the human cross at the University of Sto. Tomas grandstand in Manila on Ash Wednesday.

“At the beginning we tried the biggest human rosary right? So the students requested that we also do something for Guinness. So we thought for Ash Wednesday we could do the attempt for the biggest human cross and this is the reason for that,” Fr. Winston Cabading, vice-rector of UST’s Office on Religious Affairs, said.

“But at the same time we thought of the cross as a perfect symbol for Ash Wednesday the beginning of Lent. The symbol of the cross is not simply the cross but a Dominican cross so that it will symbolize better the Dominican and Catholic identity of Santo Tomas,” he said.

The UST official also said that since the cross “is the tree for life,” they also want to convey a message to the world that they are against the reproductive health (RH) bill.

“This is to say to the world that we Thomasians are for life. If one considers the RH bil as something as anti-life then a message is being sent…,” he said.

The students, Cabading said, were made aware that what they are going to do is not only for a world record but also to manifest their Catholic position.

Although there is no official record yet of the number of participants, it seems the UST may have already made the world record, judging by the huge crowd.

“Once the Sycip Gorres and Velayo (SGV) & Co. releases the certification they’ll send it to Guinness and it will be Guinness who’ll make the decision. Hopefully that would not take long,” he said.

The previous record was by 935 participants at the Oslo Opera House in Norway in May 2010.

Last December, the UST also tried to set a world record by mounting the world’s largest “living rosary” but later decided to temporarily dropped its quest due to lack of time to process and get the approval of the Guinness World Records. (CBCPNews)