The Spanish festival known as El Salto del Colacho (the devil’s leap) has been a tradition since the year 1620. An annual celebration, the festival culminates in a man dressed as the devil, jumping over babies who are lined up on a mattress in the street.

The event is considered to rid the babies of original sin and to bestow them with guidance and protection through life. A Catholic feast celebrating Corpus Christi in the village of Castrillo de Murcia, it has caused a stir in the Vatican.

During his papacy Pope Benedict requested that Spanish priests distance themselves from the practice of baby jumping. The Church maintains that baptism by holy water is its practice for cleansing newborns of original sin, thus any connotation with the Church has been downplayed. The celebration took place on Sunday.