How Does Good Friday ("Veneration Of The Cross") Take Place In Your Parish?

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As a young kid growing up in the early 1960’s and well into my teens in the 1970’s right until the early 1980’s traditionally Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday was a similar to slightly larger hand held Crucifix in a priests hands with a purificator.
The crucifix was similar in size to that which one sees hanging on a wall in a Catholic home.

The Faithful in the congregation came up and humbly Venerated the Crucifix feet or legs with a simple kiss. (“To me this was very moving in my heart”) reflectively knowing I was one amongst all the guilty sinners of the world Past, Present Future who was responsible for having Jesus Our Savior crucified on a suffering Cross.

Today in my parish as has been for at least almost shy of two decades, a simple large scale painted black wooden cross with no corpse of Christ is used symbolically for the Veneration. Everybody follows up the center aisle and touches the black cross and returns to their pews.

The gesture seems almost empty compared to humbly leaning over to venerate a crucifix held by a priest with a purificator to clean the crucifix for the next Faithful Catholic to venerate. I feel saddened how meaningful traditions get trashed today for more modern ways. Any thoughts?

In Fraternal Peace
Chris
 
All catholic church do it still and the unveiling of the cross

: In nomine Patris, + et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Introibo ad altare Dei. R: Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
 
My home parish (which is a Cathedral) had a life-sized crucifix that was used for Good Friday. It took several men to hold it and we would come and kiss Christ’s hands, feet, side, or cheek. Or people had the option of simply placing their hand on the cross for a moment.

In my current parish, they use a simple wooden cross–not a crucifix. Most people will bow or touch the cross momentarily. Personally, I still kneel and kiss the foot of the cross. Getting up and down has been particularly trying for me during this pregnancy, so I am thinking I might kiss the hand of the cross instead, but… I will still probably kneel and kiss the foot. 😉
 
Ophelia23 said:
My home parish (which is a Cathedral) had a life-sized crucifix that was used for Good Friday. It took several men to hold it and we would come and kiss Christ’s hands, feet, side, or cheek. Or people had the option of simply placing their hand on the cross for a moment.

In my current parish, they use a simple wooden cross–not a crucifix. Most people will bow or touch the cross momentarily. Personally, I still kneel and kiss the foot of the cross. Getting up and down has been particularly trying for me during this I still kneel and kiss the foot of the cross, so I am thinking I might kiss the hand of the cross instead, but… I will still probably kneel and kiss the foot. 😉
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I agree with you about kiss the foot of the cross Its a beautiful way of showing your way of loving the lord. Hat off to you a when you where pregnant to I still kneel and kiss the foot of the cross a real way of showing that you love the lord god bless

In nomine Patris, + et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Introibo ad altare Dei. R: Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
 
Even when I attended what was considered a liberal bastion (20 years ago) they had the traditional veneration of the cross.

My current parish will have the same traditional veneration this year.
 
Very traditional veneration of the cross where I am. Except that there are at least 4 (actually, thinking about it, probably 5 or 6) crucifixes which are held at the exits (and probably in the halls that get used for ‘overflow’ worshippers at big services), as we leave, we kiss the feet or legs. No one kneels though as we need to clear the church as quickly as possible for the next service. (There will be 10 services between 5am and 6pm on Good Friday this year, for example.)
 
I believe the GIRM recommends only one cross be used. We use only one. DUring the service only the liturgical ministers adore the cross while others adore from their seat. After the service the cross is presented to those who choose to come up to adore it. It takes a LONG time so that is why we do it after. It is one of the options allowed.
 
For decades we used a large wooden cross, so large it required 3 or 4 men to carry it and set it in its stand. It stood at least 8 feet tall and was placed in the sanctuary for people to venerate by kissing or touching or simply bowing.

About a decade ago it was replaced by a lighter but still very large one. Than about 5 years ago we started venerating a crucifix in the traditional way, although we did our own wiping. This year I hear the new Pastor has insisted on a new all wood, 8’X6’ cross and doesn’t want the crucifix at all.
 
centurionguard said:
…a simple large scale painted black wooden cross with no corpse of Christ is used symbolically for the Veneration. Everybody follows up the center aisle and touches the black cross and returns to their pews.
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My parish does exactly this! Large scale painted black wooden cross with no corpse. People come up the center aisle, but they kiss the cross. I have always found this act very moving. I guess it’s all what we are used to.
 
My parish does the Traditional way, Cross with corpse and the normal practice is to kiss the feet. Some people touch the wounds as well.
 
centurionguard said:
As a young kid growing up in the early 1960’s and well into my teens in the 1970’s right until the early 1980’s traditionally Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday was a similar to slightly larger hand held Crucifix in a priests hands with a purificator.
The crucifix was similar in size to that which one sees hanging on a wall in a Catholic home.

The Faithful in the congregation came up and humbly Venerated the Crucifix feet or legs with a simple kiss. (“To me this was very moving in my heart”) reflectively knowing I was one amongst all the guilty sinners of the world Past, Present Future who was responsible for having Jesus Our Savior crucified on a suffering Cross.

Today in my parish as has been for at least almost shy of two decades, a simple large scale painted black wooden cross with no corpse of Christ is used symbolically for the Veneration. Everybody follows up the center aisle and touches the black cross and returns to their pews.

The gesture seems almost empty compared to humbly leaning over to venerate a crucifix held by a priest with a purificator to clean the crucifix for the next Faithful Catholic to venerate. I feel saddened how meaningful traditions get trashed today for more modern ways. Any thoughts?

In Fraternal Peace
Chris
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The way you describe it as it happened in the past is exactly how it happens in my parish now.

Have you ever asked your priest why he does it with a plain black cross? Perhaps knowing that will help you with the symbolism of the event.
 
Mrs_Sally said:
The way you describe it as it happened in the past is exactly how it happens in my parish now.

Have you ever asked your priest why he does it with a plain black cross? Perhaps knowing that will help you with the symbolism of the event.
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I suppose I haven’t really asked my present priest really. Since 1991 I’ve seen five new priest make the transition of becoming parish priest where I’ve made my home parish now. All of them have used the corpse-less black painted cross. Many changes in the Archdiocese restructuring along with new Liturgical commitees from an Archdiocesan level to a Liturgical parish sub-commitee level itself.

Honestly; I hate sounding negative but I am deeply rooted in Catholic traditions, customs, and symbolism from the past. As a former sacristan I took a strong interest of looking into the heritage of Catholic traditions, customs, and symbolisms some of which have disappeared from todays “modern” Catholic Church" for unexplained reasons which escape me, yet I am forced to accept humbly. Our beautiful Catholic Church has a deeply rich heritage of spiritual and liturgical history that shouldn’t easily be ignored for the sake of antiquity.

Fraternally In the Peace of Christ Jesus
Chris
 
centurionguard said:
As a young kid growing up in the early 1960’s and well into my teens in the 1970’s right until the early 1980’s traditionally Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday was a similar to slightly larger hand held Crucifix in a priests hands with a purificator.
The crucifix was similar in size to that which one sees hanging on a wall in a Catholic home.

The Faithful in the congregation came up and humbly Venerated the Crucifix feet or legs with a simple kiss. (“To me this was very moving in my heart”) reflectively knowing I was one amongst all the guilty sinners of the world Past, Present Future who was responsible for having Jesus Our Savior crucified on a suffering Cross.

Today in my parish as has been for at least almost shy of two decades, a simple large scale painted black wooden cross with no corpse of Christ is used symbolically for the Veneration. Everybody follows up the center aisle and touches the black cross and returns to their pews.

The gesture seems almost empty compared to humbly leaning over to venerate a crucifix held by a priest with a purificator to clean the crucifix for the next Faithful Catholic to venerate. I feel saddened how meaningful traditions get trashed today for more modern ways. Any thoughts?

In Fraternal Peace
Chris
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I also prefer to kiss the Crucifix. I’ve been to parishes where this is done! I think it really depends on the parish. However, I have read that it’s supposed to be a crucifix… according to the liturgical rules. Maybe not everyone knows.
 
I have just returned from Good Friday service in my parish. The crucifix was replaced with a bare wooden cross this year but, more distressing, - we did not receive the Eucharist.
 
We use a large bare wooden cross, supported by the altar servers, and we may kiss it, touch it, or show whatever reverence we deem appropriate. I am not sure about this, but I believe I was once told that the reason there is no corpus is because Jesus’ body was taken down from the Cross after His death.
 
CB_Catholic said:
We use a large bare wooden cross, supported by the altar servers, and we may kiss it, touch it, or show whatever reverence we deem appropriate. I am not sure about this, but I believe I was once told that the reason there is no corpus is because Jesus’ body was taken down from the Cross after His death.
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Liturgists invent all sorts of excuses for their pet changes.

I figure if all these years in Rome they’ve been using a crucifix, it’s not right to insist that they’ve been doing it wrong all along and we know better.

This year I think our new Pastor surprised everyone. I couldn’t figure out the noise I was hearing after the first “This is the wood of the cross…” until I realized that he wasn’t carrying the cross, he’d shouldered it and was dragging it up the aisle, alone. When he got to the front he placed it in a stand and that’s the cross we all venerated. I have to admit I would have preferred the crucifix we’ve used for the past couple of years.
 
We use a five foot crucifix, but I really do not see where this makes any difference. It is the wood of the cross that is being venerated in this action
 
I just attended my first Good Friday ceremony. It was about two hours long. There was some solemn singing, readings, a homily, the veneration of the cross, and then communion. We had large wooden cross with no body. We then each had an opportunity to venerate the cross. We were told to this however we were most comfortable - a kiss, a touch, a bow, or just standing. The majority of people knelt down on one knee and either kissed or touched the cross. Being someone who is questioning my faith, I did not feel comfortable touching it, but knelt down on one knee and bowed my head.
 
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