Taking Christ out of The Stations of the Cross? (Earth instead)

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I’ve been introduced to a “Stations of the Cross for the Earth”, that was developed by a congregation of religious sisters. They are promoting these stations for parishes to use during Lent.

The stations place the Earth in the experiences of Christ. Examples of the titles of the stations…

The Earth Is Condemned To Death
The Earth Carries Her Cross
The Earth Is Nailed On The Cross
Earth Dies On The Cross

I understand the Stations of the Cross to be a devotion to help us to focus on the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord. It just doesn’t seem appropriate to me to instead focus on the Earth while seemingly trying to compare a suffering planet with a suffering Jesus. Some of the text also seems a bit “new age” to me and talks about how we are one with the universe and the Earth, sharing one origin and destiny.

Some of the commentary and phrases used:
  • “Jesus lived in that consciousness…”
  • “Earth, the Body of Christ, is suffering…”
  • Talks about how the Earth has cared for us, provided for us, and nourished us…
  • Refers to us a Earth’s children
  • “Creator Mother God”
  • "Earth’s Death is our own death. What happens to Earth, happens to us the children of Earth. Let us contemplate these words spoken by Earth/Christ on the Cross today:… Forgive them for they know not what they are doing!”
  • Christ Jesus, you speak today from the cross: “Earth, these are your Children. Humans, this is your beloved Source, your Life as her children.”
  • Mother God weeps for her unraveling creation
  • THE HUMAN SPIRIT / THE EARTH SPIRIT – THE ONE SPIRIT OF THE BODY OF CHRIST!
I’m uncomfortable with the whole concept and would like the forum’s opinion. Am I overreacting?

Thanks.
 
novusCatholic said:
I’ve been introduced to a “Stations of the Cross for the Earth”, that was developed by a congregation of religious sisters. They are promoting these stations for parishes to use during Lent.

The stations place the Earth in the experiences of Christ. Examples of the titles of the stations…

The Earth Is Condemned To Death
The Earth Carries Her Cross
The Earth Is Nailed On The Cross
Earth Dies On The Cross

I understand the Stations of the Cross to be a devotion to help us to focus on the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord. It just doesn’t seem appropriate to me to instead focus on the Earth while seemingly trying to compare a suffering planet with a suffering Jesus. Some of the text also seems a bit “new age” to me and talks about how we are one with the universe and the Earth, sharing one origin and destiny.

Some of the commentary and phrases used:
  • “Jesus lived in that consciousness…”
  • “Earth, the Body of Christ, is suffering…”
  • Talks about how the Earth has cared for us, provided for us, and nourished us…
  • Refers to us a Earth’s children
  • “Creator Mother God”
  • "Earth’s Death is our own death. What happens to Earth, happens to us the children of Earth. Let us contemplate these words spoken by Earth/Christ on the Cross today:… Forgive them for they know not what they are doing!”
  • Christ Jesus, you speak today from the cross: “Earth, these are your Children. Humans, this is your beloved Source, your Life as her children.”
  • Mother God weeps for her unraveling creation
  • THE HUMAN SPIRIT / THE EARTH SPIRIT – THE ONE SPIRIT OF THE BODY OF CHRIST!
I’m uncomfortable with the whole concept and would like the forum’s opinion. Am I overreacting?

Thanks.
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It boils down to nothing more than very sad silliness. I think it’s best simply to ignore it and pray for the pour souls who spend time coming up with these sorts of things.
 
No, you are not overreacting. This is nothing more than liberalism by religious run amuck.
 
  • Mother God?
  • The Earth Spirit?
    -Earth/Christ?
    -Earth on the Cross?
:bigyikes: This is horrible. Get away from it. Get your friends away from it if you can.
 
Adonia said:
No, you are not overreacting. This is nothing more than liberalism by religious run amuck.
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This has nothing to do with “liberalism.” It’s sad when people misuse terms like that. All it does is create confusion and dislike.

The product described in the first posting is simply wrong. It’s dissenting. It’s not “liberal.”
 
It sounds like pure New Age teaching to me.
Very sad that it was developed by religious sisters.

I think we should work to protect our earth that God has given us,
but this is crossing the line–Big Time.
 
Simca said:
It sounds like pure New Age teaching to me.
Very sad that it was developed by religious sisters.

I think we should work to protect our earth that God has given us,
but this is crossing the line–Big Time.
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^^^^This
 
Outrageous!! Letters to the Bishop in any parish that attempts to introduce heretical material such as this into our churches. We had Stations of the Cross yesterday and the entire service was so beautiful. The laity draw numbers upon entering the Church in order to be able to lead us in the reflection and prayers for each station… I carried one of the large candles alongside a server who carried the cross and another candle bearer. After four or five stations, I realized just how heavy the candle was and wondered if I would be able to hold it for the entire way of the cross, then I thought about Our Lord’s suffering and offered it up. We thank God every day for our wonderful parish priest who is always so reverent, respectful and inspiring in his ministry.
 
Simca said:
It sounds like pure New Age teaching to me.
Very sad that it was developed by religious sisters.

I think we should work to protect our earth that God has given us,
but this is crossing the line–Big Time.
Click to expand...
NewAge :sad_yes:
 
Worthy of the recycle bin. Period.
We are using the meditations from Blessed Cardinal Newman. Focusing on the Sacrifice of Christ and our sinfulness that required His sacrifice. Not some new age Gaia worship **** that amounts to nothing.
 
Reepicheep said:
It is both-- new age and sacrilege. And it is horrible.
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You left out eco-feminism run amuck. :rolleyes: This sort of thing is wrong on so many levels. Is there another parish with proper Stations of the Cross you can go to? Or at least go to EWTN and pray along. They won’t disappoint. It’s sad how some nuns have been misled, and it’s been going on for quite awhile. But there are also good orders that get it, that know it’s about Jesus. We should be good stewards of Creation - but to worship it in a neo-pagan way and substitute that for worshiping God? :nope: Run far and run fast from such nonsense.
 
JuniperoSerra said:
It boils down to nothing more than very sad silliness.
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This goes way beyond silliness. It turns the focus of the passion of our Lord into a eco-political statement. Christ’s passion is turned into nothing but a stage prop to frame prayers to Mother Earth, serpents and naturalistic religion.

Yes, they need our prayers, but not for wasting time, but in degrading the passion of Christ to make a political statement.
 
3DOCTORS said:
You left out eco-feminism run amuck. :rolleyes: This sort of thing is wrong on so many levels. Is there another parish with proper Stations of the Cross you can go to? Or at least go to EWTN and pray along. They won’t disappoint. It’s sad how some nuns have been misled, and it’s been going on for quite awhile. But there are also good orders that get it, that know it’s about Jesus. We should be good stewards of Creation - but to worship it in a neo-pagan way and substitute that for worshiping God? :nope: Run far and run fast from such nonsense.
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Exactly. I mean, when St. John Paul II asked people to change the Stations of the Cross, they were to events that explicitly happened in the Bible (such as “Jesus forgives the good thief” and “Jesus is seen by Herod”, etc.). And though Pope Francis wrote about care of the environment in Laudato Si, it was not about worshipping the Earth, it was about realizing that damage that is done to the environment (especially through wastefulness) most affects people in poor countries - and realizing that these people who we never see, yet could be the most affected by our actions, are also created in the image and likeness of God, as are the unborn, the elderly, and the terminally ill. Nowhere does he ever suggest that we should give the creation (as the Earth was created by the triune God) the worship due to the Holy Trinity alone.
 
3DOCTORS said:
Is there another parish with proper Stations of the Cross you can go to?
Click to expand...
Our parish is not using these stations.

They were sent to the parish by the sisters. Maybe they didn’t intend for the parish to use them as a community during the Friday stations. It’s not clear. Obviously, they did hope that they would be shared with the parish.

“…for use in your own community’s Lenten prayer, practices, and sharing. It is hoped that these reflections will stir up in all of us the profound compassion of God for all people and for Earth…”

If they would like to offer reflections and information to get people thinking, then that’s fine. It just doesn’t seem appropriate to me to offer it in the form of Stations of the Cross as Lent begins.

Other versions of the stations were offered along with the Earth version. One, for example, was The Stations of the Cross in Light of Racism and Forced Migration. They aren’t nearly as bad as the Earth version, but the reflections still seem to shift the focus from Christ.

For example, with the 1st station, Jesus Is Condemned To Death, the reflection is about Africans who were forced into migration to become slaves and how today a person of color is still at risk for condemnation. For the 2nd. station, Jesus Accepts His Cross, the reflections talks about how “black people today must embrace the reality that they could become victims at the hands of law enforcement”.

You get the idea.

I understand that during the devotion of The Stations of the Cross, we should consider mankind’s sin. I also understand that there are issues to be discussed, for sure. However, it just seems to me that offering this material as versions of The Stations of the Cross (especially at the beginning of Lent) at best shifts too much focus from Christ and at worst is too “new-age” and/or political.
 
novusCatholic said:
Our parish is not using these stations.

They were sent to the parish by the sisters. Maybe they didn’t intend for the parish to use them as a community during the Friday stations. It’s not clear. Obviously, they did hope that they would be shared with the parish.

“…for use in your own community’s Lenten prayer, practices, and sharing. It is hoped that these reflections will stir up in all of us the profound compassion of God for all people and for Earth…”

If they would like to offer reflections and information to get people thinking, then that’s fine. It just doesn’t seem appropriate to me to offer it in the form of Stations of the Cross as Lent begins.
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It would be okay if the reflections were in line with Church teaching, but in the name of giving the benefit of the doubt, I looked at the link, and discovered that they seem more aligned with leftist social engineering than Catholic doctrine. This looks highly suspect, for starters:
Eighth Station: Jesus Speaks to the Women of Jerusalem
(Women and Education, Hunger, Poverty and Sustainable Population Growth)
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Reflection:
Christ, you look with compassion on women: the birth-givers, the nurturers, and the comforters. May we commit to sustainable world population growth by bringing women out of poverty; by providing adequate nutrition, health care and education, and by honoring the lives of all women.
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Point to Ponder:
Unsustainable population growth is a direct result of poverty, hunger and illiteracy, especially for women. Without food, economic security, and education, no amount of family planning programs will curb high birth rates.
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Now again, I could be reading into this, but I’m thinking the sisters may not be thinking only of Natural Family Planning-based programs here.
novusCatholic said:
Other versions of the stations were offered along with the Earth version. One, for example, was The Stations of the Cross in Light of Racism and Forced Migration. They aren’t nearly as bad as the Earth version, but the reflections still seem to shift the focus from Christ.

For example, with the 1st station, Jesus Is Condemned To Death, the reflection is about Africans who were forced into migration to become slaves and how today a person of color is still at risk for condemnation. For the 2nd. station, Jesus Accepts His Cross, the reflections talks about how “black people today must embrace the reality that they could become victims at the hands of law enforcement”.

You get the idea.
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This is blatant politicizing with a thin veneer of religion. Make no mistake - if anyone is wrongfully killed, it is a terrible tragedy, whatever their ethnicity. But to fan the flames of division between law enforcement and the African-American community does no good to anyone. What happened to building bridges? Why not pray for healing of all social ills according to the mind and heart of Christ? It is just as prejudicial to tar all law enforcement officers with the same brush as it is to be racist.
novusCatholic said:
I understand that during the devotion of The Stations of the Cross, we should consider mankind’s sin. I also understand that there are issues to be discussed, for sure. However, it just seems to me that offering this material as versions of The Stations of the Cross (especially at the beginning of Lent) at best shifts too much focus from Christ and at worst is too “new-age” and/or political.
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The point of the Stations of the Cross is to help us focus on Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins. It is a way of dramatizing those particular sufferings themselves. One does not take a documentary on the Holocaust, for instance, and turn it into a rally for a 2016 U.S. presidental candidate. If one were to attempt such, it would demean the reality of the Holocaust whilst revealing the political candidate as insensitive and foolish. Why can people not see this?! :mad:

Actually, I think I know at least some of the reason. These poor souls have drunk the Kool-Aid of radical eco-feminism and leftist political activism to such a point that if they’re not actively rejecting Jesus (as being too “patriarchal,” for example), they certainly have lost faith that His Death and Resurrection, and His teachings, are exactly the thing, the only thing, that, if followed faithfully, would bring about the very healing of social, ecological, economic, and every other sort of ill they claim to be so concerned about. Why? Because what Jesus defeated was SIN. And the root of all these other problems is SIN. But these activist types get hung up on politics and ideologies. They strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. They think they have all the answers and don’t need God.

For more about how radical feminist ideology has brainwashed nuns in Catholic convents, and Catholic laywomen as well over the last few decades, I refer you to Donna Steichen’s books Ungodly Rage which documents the earlier history of the phenomenon, and her later book, Prodigal Daughters, which is an anthology of conversion stories of women who realized the emptiness of the promises of radical feminism and returned to the Church.

Another link to an article about the phenomenon in Catholic schools: ewtn.com/library/NEWAGE/ECO-FEM.TXT
 
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