(03 Apr 10 - RV) Expressions of renewed anger from Jewish groups and clerical sex
abuse survivors greeted Capuchin Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa after his homily during
the Good Friday Passion liturgy yesterday in St. Peter’s Basilica. We have this report
on the cause of the controversy and the response of the Holy See Press Office…
The
preacher of the Papal Household delivered the homily yesterday afternoon at the Passion
liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica.
At the end of his remarks, he read a few lines
of a letter he had from a Jewish correspondent, which seemed to many to compare the
anger and outrage over the clerical sex abuse crisis in the Church, to the underserved
hatred of Jews that animates anti-Semitism and its ghastly consequences.
The
Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi issued a statement
to Vatican Radio explaining the position of the Holy See.
Fr. Lombardi said
the Holy See does not consider the recent criticism of the Pope over the Church’s
handling of abuse of minors by priests to be in any ways similar to anti-Semitism.
He
went on to explain that Fr. Cantalamessa himself intended only to share an expression
of solidarity from a Jewish brother.
After nightfall on Good Friday,
Pope
Benedict travelled to the Colosseum in Rome for the traditional via crucis devotion.
This
year, the meditations on the 14 Stations of the Cross were composed by the vicar emeritus
for the Rome diocese, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, who focused his reflections on the different
kinds of suffering Christ experienced on the Cross and how they contribute to our
salvation.
In his own remarks following the stations, Pope Benedict said the
Cross is the symbol of love without limits, which gives its whole self, and is the
source of grace, liberation, peace and salvation.
This evening, the Holy Father
shall lead the Church into the season of the resurrection with the celebration of
the Easter vigil Mass St. Peter’s Basilica.