Pope says through Cross Man in Every Era God's Friend

(22 Mar 08 - RV) “On the Cross the Lord restored humanity ‘s dignity!”

“Let the sacrifice on the cross reach out to us, let it unsettle our human certainties and ask questions from those who do not know God, who “wish to seek freedom by excluding God,” and those “many who believe they do not need God.”


This was Pope Benedict XVI’s reflection at the end of the Via Crucis, the Good Friday ceremony marking the suffering and crucifixion of Our Lord.


The Way of the Cross, held as has become tradition at the ancient roman amphitheatre the Coliseum, was observed by thousands of pilgrims drawn from across the universal Church, who huddled under umbrellas clutching candles that wavered in the onslaught of driving rain.


Watching as the stations wound around the ancient stone, The Holy Father only took up the cross at the end of the procession. It was delivered him by his Vicar for Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini. Before the cardinal it had been carried through the crowds by an African nun from Burkina Faso, a family from Rome, a woman on a wheelchair, two friars from the Custody of the Holy Land, and Chinese man and woman bearing witness of the Church’s presence in that country, also evoked in the reflections of Archbishop of Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen who wrote the meditations for the rite.


In the Pope’s own words Good Friday “ends in the silence of meditation and prayer.” He asked the question whether we can one remain indifferent before the death of the son of God, urging that today’s world turn its eyes, often distracted by dispersive and ephemeral earthly interests, towards Christ”.


“Through the cross’ painful journey,” the Pope continued, “men in every era, reconciled and redeemed by the blood of Christ, have become God’s friends. Friend, Jesus called Judas, when he addressed him in a last dramatic appeal to conversion. Friend, he calls each one of us, because he is a true friend to all of us. Sadly, we cannot always perceive the depth of God’s unbound love for us. For him, no differences of race and culture exist. Jesus Christ died to release the whole of humanity from the ignorance of God, and the enslavement to sin.”


Pope Benedict XVI continued “Many are those who in our age do not know God, who cannot find him in the crucified Christ. Many are those who wish to seek freedom by excluding God; there are many who believe that they do not need God”.


Each station of the Cross was punctuated by meditations written by Cardinal Zen, which revoked the suffering and sacrifice of modern day martyrs who are persecuted for the faith. In his meditation for the first station -- "Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane" -- Cardinal Zen drew from Pope Benedict's June letter to Chinese Catholics to remind people that in many parts of the world, the church "is going through the dark times of persecution."


Cardinal Zen prayed in his meditation for the fifth station -- "Jesus is judged by Pilate" -- that God would give leaders "the courage to respect religious freedom." Cardinal Zen prayed the Lord would awaken the consciences of the many people in power so that they "recognize the innocence of (Christ's) followers. Give them courage to respect religious freedom." The cardinal decried the use of psychological and physical torture and wrote that Christ is able to bring meaning to and make all suffering holy.


In his meditation for the 14th, and last, station -- "Jesus is placed in the tomb" -- the cardinal recalled the long wait between Jesus' burial and his resurrection three days later. Even his strongest disciples grew weary in waiting”. He asked, "Are we not right in being in a hurry" and wanting to see an immediate victory of Christ over evil?


Cardinal Zen said perhaps "it is our victory we are eager to witness" and prayed for perseverance and patience, reminding the faithful that God promised to be with his children to the end of time.
Closing the ceremony to the silence and waiting of Holy Saturday Pope Benedict concluded:
After experiencing Jesus’ passion tonight, let his sacrifice on the cross concern us, let us let him unsettle our human certainties; let us open our heart to him; Jesus is the truth that makes us free to love; let us not fear. Dying, the Lord destroyed the old sin and saved the sinners, that is all of us.” “On the cross the Lord gave us back the dignity that belongs to us.”