THE ANNUAL WAY OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM
April 15, 2022
TEXT RELEASED FOR THE 2022 ANNUAL GOOD FRIDAY WAY OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM
This year, the meditations for Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome, were composed by several Families and, among other challenges that families frequently experience, they will reflect also on the pain of loss and horrors of war. The meditations deal with issues such as the financial difficulties of young couples to the sometime anxieties of parenthood and the pain of loss of loved ones and, of course, the extraordinarily difficult situations like war.
The series of fourteen stations do not follow the traditional set that have been used throughout the generations. For example, the 11th Station is, "Jesus promises the Kingdom to the Good Thief"
One of the meditations that will receive particular attention this year is for the 13th Station, "Jesus dies on the Cross", which was composed by a collaboration between two families - one Ukrainian and one Russian.... The text that the composed reads in part: "Death everywhere. Life that seems to lose its value. Everything changes in a few seconds. Our life, our days, the carefree winter snow, bringing the children to school, work, embraces, friendships... everything. Everything suddenly loses meaning and value. "Where are you Lord? ... Why do we no longer have the desire to dream and to go on living? Why has my land become as dark as Golgotha?" We have no tears left. ... Speak to us amid the silence of death and division,..."
Access PDF [HERE] [The Faithful will be able to livestream the event via their favourite Catholic online media source or TV network]
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HEAD OF UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH EXPRESSES DISAPPROVAL OF VATICAN'S "UNTIMELY" CHOICE OF 13TH STATION "INCOHERENT" MESSAGE
The Father and Head of the Ukrainian Catholic
Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, - on his own behalf and on behalf of "many of the faithful of the Church and civil society, both from Ukraine and abroad" - expressed his dismay to the Vatican for its gesture of combining a Ukrainian and a Russian family in a joint meditation with a dubious message.
"I consider such an idea untimely, ambiguous, and such that it does not take into account the context of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. For the Greek Catholics of Ukraine, the texts and gestures of the Thirteenth Station of this Way of the Cross are incoherent and even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier attack of Russian troops on our cities and villages. I know that our Roman Catholic brothers share these thoughts and concerns."
Read the whole statement on the website of the Ukrainian Catholic Church [HERE]
UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY ALSO WEIGHS IN VIA TWEET...
