Sorrowful Jesus Upon The Cross Vs. Triumphant Jesus Upon The Cross

[Errham]

So I’ve been reading up on Orthodoxy lately, and this seems to be the most commonly recurring criticism of Catholicism; namely, that Catholicism tends to view Jesus’s crucifixion as a very sober and pitiful event, willingly enduring unthinkable pain and suffering in order to atone for our sins. They then generally compare this to the Orthodox mindset, which is that of Jesus triumphant upon the cross, victorious in mankind’s battle against evil, as one hymn puts it, “trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life”. If you look at an icon of the crucifixion, you’ll never, ever see Christ looking painful or pitiable; he’s always with a face of triumph and victory. It certainly got me thinking, and to be honest - they’re at least objectively correct there - I’ve always encountered Jesus’s passion as being a sorrowful affair, but never as a triumphant one. That usually gets saved for the resurrection, not the crucifixion. But, I’m still pretty new to Catholicism to begin with, which is why I’m posting this in the first place. Is it correct of us to focus on the sorrows of the crucifixion rather than on the triumph of it? Have you ever encountered this triumphant cross in Catholicism? Does it have a place in the Catholic mindset at all?

Pax,
-Errham

 

[Neofight]

There are examples of the glorified body of Christ depicted on the cross in Roman Catholicism. The one that immediately comes to mind is the San Damiano Cross from Assisi, seen in many Franciscan Churches, and other non-Franciscan churches and chapels honoring St. Francis.

Understanding the paradox of the Gospel may make you see that one (the sorrowful) does not differ that much from the other (the joyous). For if we understand the paradox we see that in poverty there is true wealth, in weakness there is true power, and in sorrow there is true joy. These paradoxes are central in the teachings of Christ, and are plainly presented in the Beatitudes or the Sermon on the Mount.

Peace and all good!

 

[Seamus_L]

My favorite icon of the crucixion, which is in Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral in Chicago, appears more sorrowful than triumphant in my opinion.

 

[GEddie]

Western art often represents our LORD from the human, rather than the celestial side.

Humanly, there is nothing glorious about the cross, but everybody can relate to the “Man of Sorrows.”

ICXC NIKA

 

[Dorothy]

I have heard it described in Catholicism both ways. His total self-giving on the Cross is a triumph over sin and death; and, of course, it is sorrowful to meditate on the sufferings He took on for us due to our sins.

 

[OraLabora]

And of course, one could not have happened without the other…

 

[ByzCathCantor]

In the Byzantine tradition of the East (Catholic & Orthodox) we “celebrate the Divine Liturgy”. The liturgical focus is on the joy of the Resurrection.

 

[prodromos]

If you look at an icon of the crucifixion, you’ll never, ever see Christ looking painful or pitiable; he’s always with a face of triumph and victory.

I don’t believe that is an accurate description of Christ in Orthodox icons of the crucifixion.
Christ’s face does not depict any emotion because He is dead in the crucifixion icons, his face is at peace. However, He does not hang from the cross as someone defeated, but rather He stands on the cross because He is victorious over death, it has no power over Him.
Orthodox icons teach theology and are not just there to remind us of events. That is why, for example, the apostle Paul is depicted among the other apostles in icons of Pentecost and Holy Communion (not the Last Supper).

 

[Muzhik]

In Germany in the mid 1800’s there was a movement in churches to display Christ as a triumphant king. If you do an image search for “Christus Rex crucifix” you’ll see many examples of this style. It shows many examples of that style, which has Jesus transfixed to the cross, but instead of a bloody, beaten corpus, it shows Jesus arrayed in robes that show Him in His three roles of Prophet, Priest, and King.

I’m familiar with it because my small town in Iowa was settled by Germans from that time, and when our parish church was built that was the style of crucifix they used, life-sized behind the altar. I’m hoping and praying that when the newly-remodeled Christ Cathedral in California is opened, that they choose to use this type of crucifix over the main altar.