Stations of the Cross at WYD...

[Petergee]

Would someone please explain to me what is it exactly about the deleted Stations, and NOT the retained Stations, which might “cause anti-Semitism”?

And as we will presumably keep using the standard form for everyday occasions, then if someone thought that the standard form is “anti-semitic”, wouldn’t that make him even angrier if he thought we were using the supposedly “anti-semitic” form when no jews were looking, but a cleaned-up or “suitable for exhibition to Jews” version at big public events?

Remembering that before Gibson’s film was released some self-appointed experts said it would “cause anti-semitism”, and now tens of millions have seen the film and not one reported case of anti-semitism.

It sounds to me like what the critics are really afraid of is that the standard format of the stations might cause too much “pro-Catholicism”.

As for protestants, sure they claim to believe in “the Bible alone”. But I’ve never heard of a protestant who believes that if an incident from Jesus’ Passion is not recorded in the Gospels, it must not have happened! Every protestant I know would either object to any form of the Stations on principle as “pointless ritual”, or else he would not object to any form of the Stations. Whether they are incidents recorded in the Gospels or not would make no difference.

Can you imagine the reaction if we asked the protestants or jews to change their rituals and devotions to make them more in line with Catholic beliefs and practices?

 

[Petergee]

Well even the Mass changes as the NO is a lot different from the TLM. I personally don’t mind some change, so as long as its for the RIGHT reason.

Exactly, it would be fine if they said they were cutting out some Stations because it would take too much time and be too unwieldy with the massive crowds, but to announce that they’re doing it to avoid “offending” anyone, implying that the standard version is “offensive”, is totally wrong.

I would really like to know what Protestants would be offended, as the article quoted the Bishop saying we don’t want to offend, by the current form of the Stations of the Cross?

Me too, but no protestant or Jew, or Catholic, will say what is supposedly “offensive” about them.

why is the Bishop kowtowing to Jews, who I would imagine are not going to be in attendance in any significant number.

You may not be aware that despite its relatively small population, Australia has about the sixth-largest Jewish community in the world. More than a third of whom live in Sydney.

And Australia has a long and proud history of friendly relations between Jews and Gentiles. There were Jews on the First Fleet. We had a Jewess as our First Lady more than 200 years ago. A Jew commanded our armed forces in World War One. A Jew was our first Australian Governor-General more than 70 years ago. And in the 1930s when other countries were turning away boatloads of Jewish refugees fleeing from anti-semitic atheist dictators, Australia was welcoming them here. In fact the Western Australian government officially invited the world’s Jews to set up a Jewish homeland here instead of, or in addition to, Palestine. Anti-semitic violence which has occurred so often in the rest of the world has been extremely rare here. And of course 99% of the anti-semitism in the world in the last 100 years has been committed by atheists and Moslems. So it’s absolutely absurd to suggest that Australian Catholics are about to burst into anti-semitism at the slightest pretext and that we therefore have to change our devotions to exclude supposed “anti-semitic” inspirations in them.

 

[Steeltemplar]

You may not be aware that despite its relatively small population, Australia has about the sixth-largest Jewish community in the world. More than a third of whom live in Sydney.

And Australia has a long and proud history of friendly relations between Jews and Gentiles. There were Jews on the First Fleet. We had a Jewess as our First Lady more than 200 years ago. A Jew commanded our armed forces in World War One. A Jew was our first Australian Governor-General more than 70 years ago. And in the 1930s when other countries were turning away boatloads of Jewish refugees fleeing from anti-semitic atheist dictators, Australia was welcoming them here. In fact the Western Australian government officially invited the world’s Jews to set up a Jewish homeland here instead of, or in addition to, Palestine. Anti-semitic violence which has occurred so often in the rest of the world has been extremely rare here. And of course 99% of the anti-semitism in the world in the last 100 years has been committed by atheists and Moslems. So it’s absolutely absurd to suggest that Australian Catholics are about to burst into anti-semitism at the slightest pretext and that we therefore have to change our devotions to exclude supposed “anti-semitic” inspirations in them.

That is very interesting and a good point.

Isn’t this exaggerated concern, then, actually a little lacking in trust of the good Catholics of Australia?

 

[puzzleannie]

Am I a Jew? How would I know if the traditional Stations of the Cross are offensive to Jews? Even if they are to some, I would never change it for that.

I have given a very sound rationale for my objection, whether you think its of merit is entirely up to you.

since you state that your reason for objecting to alternate stations commemorating alternate gospel events is that, according to you, the change was made to avoid offending Jew I naturally fell into the mistake of thinking you indeed think the traditional stations are offensive. Forgive my misreading of your words. You have not stated why you object to commemorating gospel events in this fashion, nor has anyone else stated their problem with it.

 

[childofmary1143]

since you state that your reason for objecting to alternate stations commemorating alternate gospel events is that, according to you, the change was made to avoid offending Jew I naturally fell into the mistake of thinking you indeed think the traditional stations are offensive. Forgive my misreading of your words. You have not stated why you object to commemorating gospel events in this fashion, nor has anyone else stated their problem with it.

My reasons for objecting to this is enumerated in post #6. I don’t mind change so as long as its for the RIGHT reason. Changing the stations so as to avoid offending non-Catholics is a bad reason and should not be done.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

To make the event more appealing to all Christians, a Vatican-approved scriptural version, founded entirely on passages from the New Testament, will be adopted when it is staged in the streets of Sydney on July 18.

In order to more accurately represent Scripture, Pope John Paul II introduced a new form of devotion, called the Scriptural Way of the Cross on Good Friday 1991 and celebrated that form thereafter at the Colosseum in Rome. Later Pope Benedict XVI approved this set of stations for meditation and public celebration.

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemani,
Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested,
Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin,
Jesus is denied by Peter,
Jesus is judged by Pilate,
Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns,
Jesus takes up his cross,
Jesus is helped by Simon to carry his cross,
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem,
Jesus is crucified,
Jesus promises his kingdom to the good thief,
Jesus entrusts Mary and John to each other,
Jesus dies on the cross,
Jesus is laid in the tomb.

The history of the Stations of the Cross has included a variety of numbers of Stations. Here, St. Catherine Emmerich describes in one of her visions that Our Blessed Mother Mary had 12 Stations of the Cross at her home in Ephesus.

Behind the house Mary had built a Way of the Cross soon after her arrival…It had twelve Stations… Mary paced out the measurements herself… At each Station she set up memorial stones - eight smooth stones with many sides, each resting on a base of the same stone… The stones and their bases were all inscribed with Hebrew letters… These Stations were all in little hollows, except the Station of Month Calvary which was on a hill… The Station of the Holy Sepulcher was in a little cave over this hill…"

The use of the Stations did not become at all general before the end of the seventeenth century. For hundred of years there was a considerable variety in the number and title. For example:

Those at Nuremburg, which were carved by Adam Krafft, as well as some of the others, consisted of seven Stations, popularly known as “the Seven Falls”, because in each of them Christ was represented either as actually prostrate or as sinking under the weight of His cross.

There is a very interesting account of the history and development of the Way of the Cross at Catholic Encyclopedia quoted above and found here.

With regard to the particular subjects which have been retained in our series of Stations, it may be noted that very few of the medieval accounts make any mention of either the second (Christ receiving the cross) or the tenth (Christ being stripped of His garments), whilst others which have since dropped out appear in almost all the early lists. One of the most frequent of these is the Station formerly made at the remains of the Ecce Homo arch, i.e. the balcony from which these words were pronounced. Additions and omissions such as these seem to confirm the supposition that our Stations are derived from pious manuals of devotion rather than from Jerusalem itself. The three falls of Christ (third, seventh, and ninth Stations) are apparently all that remain of the Seven Falls, as depicted by Krafft at Nuremburg and his imitators, in all of which Christ was represented as either falling or actually fallen. In explanations of this it is supposed that the other four falls coincided with His meetings with His Mother, Simon of Cyrene, Veronica, and the women of Jerusalem, and that in these four the mention of the fall has dropped out whilst it survives in the other three which have nothing else to distinguish them. A few medieval writers take the meeting with Simon and the women of Jerusalem to have been simultaneous, but the majority represent them as separate events. The Veronica incident does not occur in many of the earlier accounts, whilst almost all of those that do mention it place it as having happened just before reaching Mount Calvary, instead of earlier in the journey as in our present arrangement. An interesting variation is found in the special set of eleven stations ordered in 1799 for use in the diocese of Vienne. …only five of these correspond exactly with our Stations. The others, though comprising the chief events of the Passion, are not strictly incidents of the Via Dolorosa itself.

I think the key here is that “a Vatican-approved scriptural version” will be used for WYD '08. Let’s remember this is a devotion and one that many protestants are beginning to adopt as well.

 

[Petergee]

Thank you, RachelsAlumni, that’s all very interesting and informative. But what we are objecting to is not the new format of the Stations itself, but the fact that it was officially announced that this format and not the standard format is being used “to avoid inspiring anti-semitism or offending protestants”. Thus clearly implying that there is something anti-semitic or offensive to protestants about the standard version. There is not.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

Thank you, RachelsAlumni, that’s all very interesting and informative. But what we are objecting to is not the new format of the Stations itself, but the fact that it was officially announced that this format and not the standard format is being used “to avoid inspiring anti-semitism or offending protestants”. Thus clearly implying that there is something anti-semitic or offensive to protestants about the standard version. There is not.

I don’t think it’s at all clear that they are “implying that there is something anti-semitic or offensive to protestants about the standard version” (which as I’ve pointed out earlier the most common used version of the 14 Stations is not all that traditional or standard as it has varied considerably throughout time and region.)

It’s not the Stations of the Cross that could be considered anti-semitic or offending. They are choosing scriptural texts that are **less likely to be misinterpreted **by people:

"We want to make it very clear to people that the Passion of Christ celebrated in the Stations of the Cross is not intended to be, is no excuse for being, an attack on anybody and certainly for nurturing any prejudices that people may have in their hearts.

“In the choice of scriptural texts you can choose ones that are **less likely to be misinterpreted **by people to encourage that kind of feeling and we’ve chosen those texts carefully and in consultation with others.”

There are no official prayers to say with the Stations of the Cross. For many centuries, pilgrims in Jerusalem were even prevented from praying the devotion publicly along the Moslem-controlled Via Dolorosa, and so groups and individuals passed silently and quickly along the holy way.

There is no real standard devotion either. Many people have preferences. I prefer the St. Alphonse Ligouri prayers myself.

The Scriptural Way of the Cross, by Pope John Paul II is an alternative to the traditional stations reflecting on the **scriptural accounts **of the Passion of Christ. Protestants may be more comfortable observing a Scriptural account of the Stations which are attested in scripture.

(Out of the fourteen traditional Stations of the Cross, only eight have scriptural foundation - Stations 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 being unattested in any of the gospels; and Station 13 being a misrepresentation of the gospel account since it represents Jesus’s body being taken down off the cross and laid into the arms of Mary, while all four gospels state that Joseph of Arimathea alone took Jesus down from the cross and buried him.)

The 6th Station, Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, unattested in Scripture, and among non-Catholic Christians is thought to be a myth as the name Veronica itself means “True Image” or “See Icon”.

The Catholic Encyclopaedia newadvent.org/cathen/15362a.htmhas this to say about the growth of the legend

The belief in the existence of authentic images of Christ is connected with the old legend of Abgar of Edessa and the apocryphal writing known as the Mors Pilati (Death of Pilate). To distinguish at Rome the oldest and best known of these images it was called vera icon (true image), which ordinary language soon made veronica. It is thus designated in several medieval texts mentioned by the Bollandists (e.g. an old Missal of Augsburg has a Mass De S. Veronica seu Vultus Domini) (of the holy Veronica/Saint Veronica, or the Face of the Lord), and Matthew of Westminster speaks of the imprint of the image of the Savior which is called Veronica: Effigies Domenici vultus quae Veronica nuncupatur (effigy of the face of the Lord which is called a Veronica). By degrees, popular imagination mistook this word for the name of a person and attached thereto several legends which vary according to the country.

It’s logical to conclude that there are some devotions that we, as Catholics, accept on faith but that others faiths and Protestants may desire more Scriptural evidence for. It’s not a betrayal to focus on those Stations for which there is Scriptural evidence, or to de-emphasize areas where there may be misunderstandings as have happened in the collective memory of the Jews.

 

[Petergee]

Again RA, that’s all very interesting, and I and I’m sure most people already knew most of it; but your info doesn’t really answer my question.

By calling it the “standard” format we are not implying that it has been always and everywhere used, or even for very long, just the only one I and most others have experienced in our lifetime.

I know some protestants who would object to ANY form of the Stations as “pointless ritual”. Other protestants would be happy to pray any form of the Stations. I don’t know any protestant who thinks that the Stations are good if they’re all “attested in scripture” but bad if some are not. Even the most extreme fundamentalist “sola scriptura” protestants do not claim that if something is not “attested in scripture” then it cannot have happened! (And no, the Gospels do NOT say that Joseph of Arimathea buried Christ “alone”. How did the three Marys have known where to go to His tomb? They were there. The Gospel specifically states that the three Marys and St John were there when He died. Do you really think they then just chooffed off home leaving Christ’s body hanging there? )

Yes it is well known that “Veronica” is most unlikely to have been the actual name used by the woman we know by that title, if indeed she existed. That is not the point.

OK, so what exactly is it about the Stations deleted from the standard format which are “more likely to be misinterpreted” as “an attack” on someone or to “nurture prejudices in people’s hearts”? I’ve been attending the Stations for many years and for the life of me I can’t work out what if anything this is supposed to mean.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

OK, so what exactly is it about the Stations deleted from the standard format which are “more likely to be misinterpreted” as “an attack” on someone or to “nurture prejudices in people’s hearts”? I’ve been attending the Stations for many years and for the life of me I can’t work out what if anything this is supposed to mean.

I can’t tell you “exactly” since I’m not there and not part of the inner workings. I can’t 'assume as true the moral fault of my neighbor without sufficient evidence, and (CCC 2478) "To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it.

Given that, here’s the breakdown of the changes:

The 13 WYD Stations of the Cross:

1. 
   *]The Last Supper
   *]The Agony in the garden
   *]Jesus before the Sanhedrin
   *]Jesus before Pilate
   *]Jesus is whipped and crowned
   *]Jesus carries his cross
   *]Jesus helped by Simon of Cyrene
   *]Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem
   *]Jesus is stripped and nailed
   *]Jesus and the Good Thief
   *]Jesus speaks to Mary and John
   *]Jesus dies
   *]Jesus is buried
   
   The 14 Traditional Stations of the Cross:
   
   1. 
      *]Jesus condemned to death
      *]Jesus takes up His Cross
      *]Jesus falls 1st time
      *]Jesus meets His mother
      *]Jesus is helped by Simon
      *]Veronica wipes Jesus’ face
      *]Jesus falls the 2nd time
      *]Jesus speaks to the women of Jerusalem
      *]Jesus falls the 3rd time
      *]Jesus is stripped of His garments
      *]Jesus is nailed to the cross
      *]Jesus dies on the cross
      *]Jesus is taken down from the cross
      *]Jesus is laid in the tomb
      
      It’s interesting to note that the WYD format actually *ADDS TO *the Stations the following:
      
      I. The Last Supper
      II. The Agony in the garden
      III. Jesus before the Sanhedrin
      V. Jesus is whipped and crowned
      X. Jesus and the Good Thief
      XI. Jesus speaks to Mary and John
      
      All of these additions are powerful witness and testimony to our faith are they not?

 

[Petergee]

I can’t tell you “exactly” since I’m not there and not part of the inner workings. I can’t 'assume as true the moral fault of my neighbor without sufficient evidence, and (CCC 2478) "To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Nobody’s talking about finding fault with anybody. It was asserted that the Stations which have been deleted from the standard format are “more likely to be misinterpreted” as “an attack” on someone or to “nurture prejudices in people’s hearts”. I merely asked an objective question as to what is it exactly about the deleted stations that would do this and how they would do it. Nothing to do with accusing anyone of having sins on his soul. .

All of these additions are powerful witness and testimony to our faith are they not?

Certainly, I’m sure you’ll get no argument from anyone about that, but it’s irrelevant to my question.
Btw not sure where you got your info that there are 13 Stations at WYD. All the official programs I have seen say that there are eight.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

It was asserted that the Stations which have been deleted from the standard format are “more likely to be misinterpreted” as “an attack” on someone or to “nurture prejudices in people’s hearts”. I merely asked an objective question as to what is it exactly about the deleted stations that would do this and how they would do it.

I think the confusion lies in a misunderstanding in the reporting by the Press and the use of the term “deleted stations”.

Unless there are two separate Stations of the Cross Events at WYD 2008, then what they are talking about is not the praying of the Stations of the Cross, but rather a Passion Play or Re-enactment of the Passion based on the Scriptural Stations of the Cross by Pope John Paul II and authorized by the Vatican:

An article in The Sydney Morning Herald says:

To make the event more appealing to all Christians, a Vatican-approved scriptural version, founded entirely on passages from the New Testament, will be adopted **when it is staged **in the streets of Sydney on July 18.

It is not the only concession the church is willing to make in the name of interfaith unity: scriptural texts, reflections and video commentaries will be carefully worked so that the scene at the Sydney Opera House in which Jesus is condemned does not incite anti-Semitic feeling.

The World Youth Day 2008 Website/Stations of the Cross Event says:

The Stations of the Cross is a prayerful **re-enactment **of the last days of Jesus’ life, and will take place in Sydney on Friday 18 July. This is one of the highlights of WYD08, a live **theatrical **and devotional event which will be held in the afternoon. The city will be transformed into an outdoor cathedral for the vast re-enactment.

This event will be held across a number of venues: St Mary’s Cathedral, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Domain between 3.00-6.00pm.

It will commence with the 1st Scriptural Station: The Last Supper with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI in attendance at St Mary’s Cathedral and a performance by St Mary’s Cathedral choir then will move on to the next Station at Barangaroo and so on throughout Sydney ending at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt.

So what they are talking about actually is revising some of the scripts used by the actors in the re-enactment of the Passion Play. It’s not a deleting of this or that Station or a failure to use as you say “The Standard Version” of 14 Traditional Stations.

The World Youth Day co-ordinator, Bishop Anthony Fisher said,

"We’re very conscious of the fear some people might have that **enacting the Passion **of Christ could incite anti-Semitic feelings and so we’ve had a long dialogue about how we can minimise any risk of that.

I’m certain most of us are aware of what a touchy subject Passion Plays are for Jews but for those who are unaware here’s a Christianity Today article simply entitled “Why some Jews fear The Passion “

“For almost 2,000 years in Western civilization, four words legitimized, rationalized, and fueled anti-Semitism: ‘The Jews killed Christ,’” Foxman told the ADL national executive committee during a February meeting. “For hundreds of years those four words—acted out, spoken out, sermonized out—inspired and legitimized pogroms, inquisitions and expulsions.”

When Foxman envisions Christ’s crucifixion, he does not think about love, forgiveness, or hope. He recalls the Holocaust and Hitler’s chilling praise for the famed Oberammergau Passion Play in 1934. He does not weep with unexplainable sadness and joy at the sight of humanity’s Savior suffering an undeserved death. He’ll never forget the horrifying tales of czarist-era Russian Jews fleeing bloodthirsty gangs bent on Holy Week revenge.

It’s a very touching article that ends with “Now is the time for Christians to disavow the history of Passion-linked hatred and show Jews “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Eph. 3:18).”

Now back to what Bishop Anthony Fisher said,

“In the choice of scriptural texts you can choose ones that are less likely to be misinterpreted by people to encourage that kind of feeling and we’ve chosen those texts carefully and in consultation with others.”

The Bishop’s concern is well founded in Nostra Aetae:

Even though the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ, neither all Jews indiscriminately at that time, nor Jews today, can be charged with the crimes committed during his passion.

Since the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews is thus so great, this Sacred Synod wants to foster and recommend that mutual understanding and respect which is the fruit, above all, of biblical and theological studies as well as fraternal dialogues.

as well as in the Bishops Committee for Ecumenical Religious Affairs "Criteria for the Evaluation of Dramatizations of the Passion.”

And last here is a A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO
CONTEMPORARY PASSION PLAYS with sound advice on the use & selection of texts:

Because gospel texts are not documentary recordings, any artistic presentation of them usually involves the weaving of a single narrative from the different sources producing an artistic version of the narrative. Regarding Passion Plays, it is important to remember that any or all versions of the gospels may be drawn on to “weave the story.”

In terms of the Passion Play, when the artist begins to construct it, a decision is made about which aspects of which text to emphasize. Therefore, no Passion Play can be understood as a factual, historical reconstruction of the Passion of Christ.

A Passion Play is primarily used to teach and evoke feeling, using the awesome influence of image, whether live or on film. When we view a Passion Play, we are not just examining a word for word transcription of a text, but how that text is staged, costumed, choreographed, and orchestrated through music. When using art to present the story of Jesus, one needs to be especially aware of the power of the presentation, and cautious about how the play evokes responses.

Btw not sure where you got your info that there are 13 Stations at WYD. All the official programs I have seen say that there are eight.

I referenced it above. Here it is again.

 

[Petergee]

I think the confusion lies in a misunderstanding in the reporting by the Press and the use of the term “deleted stations”.

Unless there are two separate Stations of the Cross Events at WYD 2008, then what they are talking about is not the praying of the Stations of the Cross, but rather a Passion Play or Re-enactment of the Passion based on the Scriptural Stations of the Cross

Sorry but you’re playing word games here. There is only one big public “Stations of the Cross” at WYD and it is the one you refer to. Admittedly the use of the word “theatrical” is misleading and inappropriate, probably used to try to explain to non-Catholics what the stations are. Yes they use live actors (as we do too on Good Friday in our parish) but it is basically the Stations of the Cross., not a play.

So what they are talking about actually is revising some of the scripts used by the actors in the re-enactment of the Passion Play. It’s not a deleting of this or that Station or a failure to use as you say “The Standard Version” of 14 Traditional Stations.

But you yourself just gave us two lists showing that they had deleted nos. 3,4,6,7,9 and 13 of the standard format and combined nos 10 & 11 into one.

The World Youth Day co-ordinator, Bishop Anthony Fisher said,
I’m certain most of us are aware of what a touchy subject Passion Plays are for Jews but for those who are unaware here’s a Christianity Today article simply entitled “Why some Jews fear The Passion “
It’s a very touching article that ends with “Now is the time for Christians to disavow the history of Passion-linked hatred and show Jews “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Eph. 3:18).”

Now back to what Bishop Anthony Fisher said,

The Bishop’s concern is well founded in Nostra Aetae:
as well as in the Bishops Committee for Ecumenical Religious Affairs "Criteria for the Evaluation of Dramatizations of the Passion.”

And last here is a A VIEWER’S GUIDE TO
CONTEMPORARY PASSION PLAYS with sound advice on the use & selection of texts:

Again true and I’m sure all here are aware of it (though very few Jews seem to agree with Mr Foxman’s outlandish exaggerations) but irrelevant. (And few would be puerile enough to conclude that because Hitler once [no doubt for his own ulterior motives since he was resolutely anti-Catholic] praised a Passion reenactment, we must condemn it.)
Every part of that criticism applies to BOTH the standard and the new formats of the Stations. If someone professes to be “offended” by a presentation of Christ’s Passion and death, they will be equally “offended” by any version. As indeed the Sydney protesters have indicated that they are STILL not satisfied with the new version. (Presumably the only thing that would not “offend” them would be deletion of any reference to the fact that Christ died.) And anyone who was “inspired to antisemitism” by one version would be equally inspired by the other (or by anything else.)

 

[RachelsAlumni]

Sorry but you’re playing word games here.

what they are talking about is not the praying of the Stations of the Cross

I disagree that I’m “playing word games” (pardon the pun), as you wrongfully accuse.

The most traditional, common, or standard as you like to say, form of praying the Stations of the Cross (SOC) involves the *pilgram walking *to each stationary Station, mimicking the actual walking the Via Crucis or Way of the Cross in Jerusalem. That’s what it’s all about, a pilgrimage to the site of the Passion. That’s the basis for the devotion, it’s a re-creation in our parishes of the Via Crucis, the specific, stationary locations Christ walked in His Passion so that we can do a pilgrimage to the Way of the Cross without having to travel to Jerusalem to do it.

As an aid in visiting these stationary stations we pray and meditate on a written gospel account (and where there is no actual gospel account some complementary bible passage or prayer) of that event of the Passion of Christ from our own missal or meditation. These Stations of the Cross (SOC) are usually sculptured images of the scene depicting that Station placed at intervals inside the Church or in a prayer garden outside the Church, Rectory, or Retreat Center. These forms of the SOC follow the Traditional (not Scriptural form instituted by Pope John Paul II) of 14 Stations. (btw: these also carry an indulgence)

Sometimes, almost exclusively during Lent, there will be a *group of *pilgrims praying the SOC together with a group leader, usually the Deacon, leading the group in prayer wherein the *Deacon will choose the form and text of which scriptures he will read *and choose the meditations or prayers the group will use. This is not a re-enactment, rather the Deacon will recite his chosen scripture and prayer and the pilgrims will give a ‘scripted’ responsorial prayer.

Another much less common form of devotion used almost exlusively only during Lent, is the Stations of the Cross Processional Re-enactment (which from all appearances is most likely the form that’s being used at WYD). In this instance, instead of the visual of stationary, sculptured images hanging in the Church, there is a live, dramatic re-enactment of the Passion of Christ that follows a scripted format with props, costumes, and with actors saying certain parts and the pilgrams saying their part (very similar to a play). The scripts the actors and pilgrims will recite are chosen ahead of time or “scripted” for them. These scripted texts are chosen from among the gospel narratives on Christs’ Passion. The Procession moves from one pre-determined location to another and as they arrive at each separate Station they stop and re-enact that Station by following the script. The Processional Re-enactment can either be based on the Traditional 14 Stations or as is happening with greater frequency these days the “Scriptural Stations of the Cross” by Pope John Paul II since the “Scriptural Stations of the Cross” lend themselves more to an accurate respresentation of the Gospel.

IMO, from what I’ve gathered from reading it is the scripts used in the re-enactment that the Bishop is choosing in due consideration and sensitivity to participants of other faiths, especially with regards to the history of the violence and prejudice against Jews that have hisorically resulted after Passion Plays.

(Presumably the only thing that would not “offend” them would be deletion of any reference to the fact that Christ died.)

If you had read any of the links I gave you would know that it is the “Blood Libel” & the way in which Pilate is portrayed that have in the past been misinterpreted by some that the Jews alone were guilty of the crime of Deicide, and that Jews today share in this crime of Deicide.

anyone who was “inspired to antisemitism” by one version would be equally inspired by the other (or by anything else.)

Only one of the Four gospel accounts of the Passion of Christ mentions the Blood Libel (Matthew 27:25) refered to above.

Now you’re probably gonna say gain, that that’s all nice info you already know but it doesn’t answer your question, but your quesion is entirely the wrong question.

The choice of which text to use in a re-enactment is entirely up to those who are in charge of the Procession, in this case Bishop Anthony Fisher. The Bishop has chosen to base the Stations of the Cross Procession/Re-enactment on the Gospel (a very good thing) and the Scriptural Stations of the Cross instituted in 1991 by Pope John Paul II (another VERY GOOD thing).

So can we drop this whole nonsense of “deleted Stations”?

As you can see from the link I gave to the WYD 2008 Website they are using the entire “Scriptural Stations of the Cross” format and none of the Scriptural Stations of the Cross have been “deleted”.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

I’d like to correct my last statement:

“they are using the entire “Scriptural Stations of the Cross” format and none of the Scriptural Stations of the Cross have been “deleted”.”

According to the Scriptural Stations of the Cross at the USCCB website, the WYD SOC does not include the following two SOC:

1. 
   *]Jesus, Betrayed by Judas, is Arrested
   
   *]Jesus is Denied by Peter
   
   but adds:
   
   The Last Supper
   
   Neither of these stations is specifically refering to Christ; One is referring to Judas, the other refers to Peter and may be why they were not included.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

The Scriptural Stations of the Cross are also the ones used and led by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on Good Friday at the Colosseum in Rome this year

[OFFICE FOR THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS
OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF

WAY OF THE CROSS
AT THE COLOSSEUM

LED BY THE HOLY FATHER
POPE BENEDICT XVI

GOOD FRIDAY 2008
MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS BY
His Most Reverend Eminence
Card. JOSEPH ZEN ZE-KIUN, S.D.B.
Bishop of Hong Kong
](http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2008/documents/ns_lit_doc_20080321_via-crucis_en.html)

 

[Petergee]

OK, looks like you’re determined to avoid my substantive questions and instead swamp us with extraneous information. Maybe I’ll have to find the answers somewhere else, if they exist. But I would like you to apologise for your assertion that I said that someone has guilt on their soul, as you wrongfully accused me.

No one is disputing that the choice is up to Bishop Fisher. No one asserted that any of the “Scriptural Stations” has been deleted. But you yourself showed us that six of the standard-format Stations have been deleted, and I merely would like to know why, as the reasons given don’t make any sense.

 

[RachelsAlumni]

OK, looks like you’re determined to avoid my **substantive questions **

No one is disputing that the choice is up to Bishop Fisher. No one asserted that any of the “Scriptural Stations” has been deleted. But you yourself showed us that six of the standard-format Stations have been deleted, and I merely would like to know why, as the reasons given don’t make any sense.

I have not shown “six of the standard-format Stations have been deleted.” I have simply listed the differences in title and number between the Scriptural SOC and the Traditional SOC.

They’ve simply chosen to use the Scriptural Stations at WYD rather than the Traditional Stations. So also did the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, on Good Friday this year at the Colloseum. So do you want to claim that the Holy Father chose to “delete” some Stations of the Cross from the Good Friday Way of the Cross?

 

[friendofGODs]

Dear Blind Catholic Sheeple,

The Highest ranking member of the New Order is scared to offend. Okay now what does that tell you? Hmm is he emulating Jesus, noooooooooo. I went to WYD it was teen age partying with/without parents stewards. Condom machines sold out!

Here is another spin. Ratzinger said no more WYD at the beginning of his papacy, becasue he knows the iniquity that goes on. He didn’t want his face on a body tattoo between two large or small breasts like JPII.

Now he is supporting WYD…did anyone see Star Wars. Think on this. Pope Palpatine, say one thing, unenforce it while slowly destroying the church. Do New Order(Novus Ordo) Catholics think satan is dumb?

 

[GemmaRose]

Dear Blind Catholic Sheeple,

The Highest ranking member of the New Order is scared to offend. Okay now what does that tell you? Hmm is he emulating Jesus, noooooooooo. I went to WYD it was teen age partying with/without parents stewards. Condom machines sold out!

Here is another spin. Ratzinger said no more WYD at the beginning of his papacy, becasue he knows the iniquity that goes on. He didn’t want his face on a body tattoo between two large or small breasts like JPII.

Now he is supporting WYD…did anyone see Star Wars. Think on this. Pope Palpatine, say one thing, unenforce it while slowly destroying the church. Do New Order(Novus Ordo) Catholics think satan is dumb?

**No.

Do I think you’re stupid for trying to drag in the N.O. Mass into this discussion?**