Corpus-less crosses

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A week ago, at a Catholic book-and-gift store, I bought a cheap silver cross on a black rope to hang on my rear-view mirror. (I have never been a big fan of fuzzy dice.) That Sunday, the pastor of my parish wrote in his weekly bulletin that he did not like crosses without the body of Christ on them. He explained in his letter that it was a Protestant tradition to have a cross without the corpus, and Catholics should have crucifixes.

I took the weekly bulletin in spirit, rather than literalistically. I already knew that many Protestants don’t like the crucifix, because they don’t believe in worshipping idols or maybe it’s just an aesthetic preference. And I know that it’s good to have a crucifix in the home and other places you may frequent, because it serves as a more effective reminder of Christ’s suffering. However I feel almost certain that the cross, just the geometric symbol, would have seen use among Christians prior to the Reformation some 1500 years after the Church was founded. I find it hard to swallow that Protestants have a monopoly on the cross, so I have not taken my cross down.

Tell me where I’m wrong?
 
I don’t think you are wrong but look at it this way. Is there some reason you can’t have a crucifix in your car. In todays world even in our own Church there is a movement to “edit” Christs suffering. There seems to be a view that says, “don’t show it to me it is too graphic or too in your face” Which is the ultimate Irony if you look at what TV, music, and society have to offer. You might ask yourself what message does each convey to you and to the world. Protestants do seem to push the cross a lot. And I know that it can be frustrating to view it as a Hijacking of one of Christianities original symbols. But the Crucifix more identifies who you are, and what you believe if you are Catholic.
IMHO it is saying to the world and to you, “I am Christian and I have a full understanding of what that means. I understand what Christ did and I am prepared to suffer as well for others.”
The Cross seems to say, Hey, look at me I am christian, I have a pretty non offending cross and I think it is cute"
But again, that is not fact but just one extremely wise persons opinion.🙂
 
As a former protestant, I can tell you that they say the reason for a cross without Jesus on it is because he is risen, and the empty cross represents that. A Messianic Rabbi I studied under said that the first symbol was a fish/menorrah–the tail of the fish was the base of the menorrah, where the menorrah was upright and the fish facing downward. I had a book about some archeologists who found the remains of this, but loaned it out, never to be seen again, so I can’t look it up to get the particulars. (This wasn’t what your post was really about but thought I’d tuck it in anyway.)

When I see an empty cross OR a crucifix, I immediately think “Jesus.” And it’s a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say!!👍

Marquette
 
ESimmons said:
A week ago, at a Catholic book-and-gift store, I bought a cheap silver cross on a black rope to hang on my rear-view mirror. (I have never been a big fan of fuzzy dice.) That Sunday, the pastor of my parish wrote in his weekly bulletin that he did not like crosses without the body of Christ on them. He explained in his letter that it was a Protestant tradition to have a cross without the corpus, and Catholics should have crucifixes.

I took the weekly bulletin in spirit, rather than literalistically. I already knew that many Protestants don’t like the crucifix, because they don’t believe in worshipping idols or maybe it’s just an aesthetic preference. And I know that it’s good to have a crucifix in the home and other places you may frequent, because it serves as a more effective reminder of Christ’s suffering. However I feel almost certain that the cross, just the geometric symbol, would have seen use among Christians prior to the Reformation some 1500 years after the Church was founded. I find it hard to swallow that Protestants have a monopoly on the cross, so I have not taken my cross down.

Tell me where I’m wrong?
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Your pastor may have been expressing a personal preference OR outright ignorance (the Carmelite order of our own Church traditionally have crosses without the Corpus, as a sign that they are to take up their cross and follow Christ). Such a line of thought as his is surely as misinformed as those Protestants who denounce the Crucifix because Jesus isn’t ON the Cross anymore. Both symbols are CATHOLIC (we used to have a feast called the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross”) and conversely, I’ve know of Protestants who treasure the Crucifix. If you like your cross, then keep it.
 
Marquette said:
As a former protestant, I can tell you that they say the reason for a cross without Jesus on it is because he is risen, and the empty cross represents that. A Messianic Rabbi I studied under said that the first symbol was a fish/menorrah–the tail of the fish was the base of the menorrah, where the menorrah was upright and the fish facing downward. I had a book about some archeologists who found the remains of this, but loaned it out, never to be seen again, so I can’t look it up to get the particulars. (This wasn’t what your post was really about but thought I’d tuck it in anyway.)

When I see an empty cross OR a crucifix, I immediately think “Jesus.” And it’s a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say!!👍

Marquette
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I have heared this protestant explination before and I fail to usnderstand it. How does the cross symboliz the “Risen” Christ? Christ died on the cross he was physically removed from it and buried. The empty tomb and “easter” are what symbolize that He is risen, a cross would symbolize His death and suffering, an empy cross… well every criminal that was crucified has an empty cross but an empty tomb now there is a symbol of Christ’s victory and accomplisment. Maybe a symbol of the ascention of Our Lord would also symbolize the “Risen” Christ but a cross symbolizes sacrifice and obediance and suffering that Christ did for us. An empty Cross much like the empty electric chair would portray a vision of someone has just or is just about to, face death.
 
ESimmons said:
A week ago, at a Catholic book-and-gift store, I bought a cheap silver cross on a black rope to hang on my rear-view mirror. (I have never been a big fan of fuzzy dice.) That Sunday, the pastor of my parish wrote in his weekly bulletin that he did not like crosses without the body of Christ on them. He explained in his letter that it was a Protestant tradition to have a cross without the corpus, and Catholics should have crucifixes.

I took the weekly bulletin in spirit, rather than literalistically. I already knew that many Protestants don’t like the crucifix, because they don’t believe in worshipping idols or maybe it’s just an aesthetic preference. And I know that it’s good to have a crucifix in the home and other places you may frequent, because it serves as a more effective reminder of Christ’s suffering. However I feel almost certain that the cross, just the geometric symbol, would have seen use among Christians prior to the Reformation some 1500 years after the Church was founded. I find it hard to swallow that Protestants have a monopoly on the cross, so I have not taken my cross down.

Tell me where I’m wrong?
Click to expand...
Well the Cross is an instrument of death and torture. Christ’s death on a Cross is the sign of our redemption from sin.
 
Well, I remember when my mother visited EWTN and the monastery that one of the friars said something like “a cross without Christ is a curse”

I think it is good to use the crucifix as opposed to a plain cross because the cross did not become a good thing until Jesus died upon it. Prior to the death of Jesus, the cross was a symbol of torture and I believe the Jews considered it a curse to die by crucifixion.
 
CathMass said:
Well, I remember when my mother visited EWTN and the monastery that one of the friars said something like “a cross without Christ is a curse”

I think it is good to use the crucifix as opposed to a plain cross because the cross did not become a good thing until Jesus died upon it. Prior to the death of Jesus, the cross was a symbol of torture and I believe the Jews considered it a curse to die by crucifixion.
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The cross, with or without a corpus, is STILL a symbol of redemption and Christianity. This isn’t reflective of the whole of Catholic teaching or practice. We are required to have crucifixes in our sanctuaries for the celebration of Mass. We are free to have plain crosses OR crucifixes anywhere else.

Such arguments beg the question as to why some of the saints were so devoted to the Holy Cross (Saint John of the Cross, for example) or why we name churches after the cross (Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston).

When I was growing up Baptist and heard their arguments as to why the cross should be empty (“because Jesus isn’t on the cross anymore!”), I thought the arguments dumb (Jesus isn’t a Baby in the manger any more, nor is He in agony, at prayer, in the Garden of Gethsemane, so why is it ok to regularly portray those things in Prostestant buildings?). As a Catholic, I’m embarassed that we harbor the same ignorance (esp. of our OWN faith tradition) in reverse.
 
Christ died for our sins. He did not rise for them. The corpus is a reminder of that sacrifice. I don’t live my life to be worthy of His resurection, I live my life to be worthy of His sacrifice and suffering.

If I saw a plain cross in a car window I would assume (be it right or wrong) that the person was Protestant. If I see a crucifix, I assume (right or wrong) that the person is Catholic. Take that for what it’s worth, just my opinion. 😃

~Liza
 
I was schooled by Capuchin Franciscans who, like many religious, wear a rosary on their cincture as part of the habit. But the rosary is supposed to have a plain wooden cross, rather than a crucifix, to remind the friar that he must carry his own cross.

I always liked that symbolism.

tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
I was schooled by Capuchin Franciscans who, like many religious, wear a rosary on their cincture as part of the habit. But the rosary is supposed to have a plain wooden cross, rather than a crucifix, to remind the friar that he must carry his own cross.

I always liked that symbolism.

tee
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I think the Carmelites have a bare cross in their cell for the same reason. It is a new cross, no nail holes, no blood, Unused, waiting and ready.

I have my RCIA people wear a bare cross for Lent to remind them to pick it up and carry it.
 
Potato1 said:
I have heared this protestant explination before and I fail to usnderstand it. How does the cross symboliz the “Risen” Christ? Christ died on the cross he was physically removed from it and buried. The empty tomb and “easter” are what symbolize that He is risen, a cross would symbolize His death and suffering, an empy cross… well every criminal that was crucified has an empty cross but an empty tomb now there is a symbol of Christ’s victory and accomplisment. Maybe a symbol of the ascention of Our Lord would also symbolize the “Risen” Christ but a cross symbolizes sacrifice and obediance and suffering that Christ did for us. An empty Cross much like the empty electric chair would portray a vision of someone has just or is just about to, face death.
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I was just offering the “official party line.” The church I grew up in taught that the crucifix just offered the death part of Jesus. I am now a Catholic and was just saying that, to me, any cross (crucifix or ‘empty’) says “JESUS.”
 
lizaanne said:
Christ died for our sins. He did not rise for them. The corpus is a reminder of that sacrifice. I don’t live my life to be worthy of His resurection, I live my life to be worthy of His sacrifice and suffering.

If I saw a plain cross in a car window I would assume (be it right or wrong) that the person was Protestant. If I see a crucifix, I assume (right or wrong) that the person is Catholic. Take that for what it’s worth, just my opinion. 😃

~Liza
Click to expand...
Many Rosaries just have the plain cross.
How about on top of the roofs of our churches? The crosses are plain crosses.
 
thistle said:
Many Rosaries just have the plain cross.
How about on top of the roofs of our churches? The crosses are plain crosses.
Click to expand...
My comment was not intended to convey that I ONLY and exclusively prefer the crucifix, but to say WHY I believe it is more Catholic than a bare cross. Certainly the cross in any presentation is a sign of our Faith, I personally choose to prefer the crucifix for the reasons I stated above.

~Liza
 
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