Why a crucifix instead of a cross?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Holly3278
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
H

Holly3278

Guest
Why do Catholics use a crucifix instead of a cross? I get asked this question sometimes and the best answer I can give is that it’s not the cross that matters but who died on it.
 
Paul said he would preach nothing but Christ and him crucified. The crucifiction is ever before us as the price of sin and our call to die with Christ.

Those that display a barren cross fail to realize that the cross was never raised barren. It was was raised with the body of Christ. Jesus did not come down from or resurrect from the cross. It is not a good symbol of the resurrection. That would be an empty tomb.
 
From John Martignoni:

"First of all, you would want to check out 1st Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 23. Paul says, “…but we preach Christ crucified…” Why does Paul preach Christ crucified? Doesn’t he know Jesus has been raised from the dead? Of course he does! But, he knows that it is through the power of the crucified Christ on the cross that the bonds of sin and death are broken. As Paul says in verse 24, Christ crucified is the “power of God”.

1 Cor 2:2, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Again, didn’t Paul know that Jesus had risen from the dead? Of course, he did.

Paul preaches Christ crucified because an empty cross has no power. The cross that bears the beaten, battered, and bloodied body of Jesus Christ, however, that cross is the “power of God”. This is why, we “keep Jesus on the cross,” because we, too, preach Christ crucified. The Crucifix reminds us not only of God’s power, but also His love for us - giving His only begotten Son up for suffering and death.

Also, here in this life we do not share so much in the glory of the Resurrection, as we do in the suffering of Jesus on the cross; after all, we must take up our cross daily if we are to follow Jesus, as it says in Lk 9:23.

And, we must die with Christ in order to live with Him as Romans 6:8 tells us. Where did Christ die? On the cross. The Crucifix serves to remind us of these things.

One other passage to keep in mind is Galatians 3:1, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” Did you catch that? Jesus was publicly portrayed, before their “eyes”, as being crucified. Sounds kind of like they may have been looking at a Crucifix, doesn’t it?"
 
There are two reasons why the reformers got rid of crucifixes:
  1. some of the reformers became paranoid of the “graven images” those Catholics have in their churches.
  2. the reformers denied that the mass is a sacrifice, which is why there is a crucifix in the sanctuary of Catholic Church.
The second reason was the main reason.
 
all very good responses, but we’re missing something very important:

The main reason Catholic Churches use a crucifix in the sanctuary rather than an empty cross, is because of what happens in the Mass: Christ’s once-for-all Sacrifice is made present to us.
 
Psalm and UK have it. In the mass the same sacrifice as the crucifixion occurs. The sacrifice is bloodless in the mass, but it is the same sacrifice. The crucifix is there to remind us of this sacrifice.

matt
 
40.png
RyanL:
We would not have the cross emptied of its power. You may also read St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, where he says he would only preach Christ, and him crucified.

This link may help:
catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0010fea4.asp

Peace,
RyanL
Click to expand...

That is a really good answer 🙂​

There were lots of crosses - but only one Christ Crucified.

Every thing we enjoy as Christians come from that - because the Cross, in showing us the death of Christ, shows us the humility of God & the Love of God - that is what God was prepared to do to rescue sinners and to destroy sin, death, and the devil. ##
 
in my beady eyed little mind, the altar and the sanctuary are, literally a gateway to heaven, to God. (akin to a wormhole). when the priest offers the sacrifice to heaven, it is real. neato, eh?
 
40.png
pnewton:
Paul said he would preach nothing but Christ and him crucified. The crucifiction is ever before us as the price of sin and our call to die with Christ.

Those that display a barren cross fail to realize that the cross was never raised barren. It was was raised with the body of Christ. Jesus did not come down from or resurrect from the cross. It is not a good symbol of the resurrection. That would be an empty tomb.
Click to expand...
Now then here is another question:

In my parish the cross behind the alter is empty. The figure of Christ is the Risen Lord slightly above the cross and to the right of the cross facing us. Must say I don’t like it, just seems wrong to me IMHO.

Is this ok? If so where do we find the information of where and what is allowed and required?
 
Now I am confused; Pope John Paul wore a gold cross around his neck?
Dewman
 
40.png
KathleenElsie:
Now then here is another question:

In my parish the cross behind the alter is empty. The figure of Christ is the Risen Lord slightly above the cross and to the right of the cross facing us. Must say I don’t like it, just seems wrong to me IMHO.

Is this ok? If so where do we find the information of where and what is allowed and required?
Click to expand...
The “crucfix” of the risen Lord is not to be in the sanctuary, it goes against the rubrics. There must be a crucifix of the suffering Lord, because the mass makes present the sacrfice of Calvary. Not the resurrection, it is our faith in the ressurrection that makes us present Christ’s sacrfice.
 
40.png
Dewman:
Now I am confused; Pope John Paul wore a gold cross around his neck?
Dewman
Click to expand...
Catholics can wear or display in their homes or churches the empty cross. We are simply not supposed to do so in the sanctuary, according to liturgical guidelines. There, what is displayed must be a Crucifix. Some Catholics have the same reaction to the empty cross that some Protestants have to the Crucifix, ie, it’s bad. I don’t agree with this. I collect both crucifixes and crosses, as devotionals and artisitic expressions. Both can be equally valid, devotionally or artistically (bearing in mind that the Crucifix MUST be displayed in the Sanctuary, near to the Altar). We once kept as a feast of the Church (and may still in some places) the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
 
According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), the cross is to have a corpus present. This means that it should be a crucifix. References: GIRM 117, 122, and especially 308.

The GIRM dictates the way Latin Rite Catholics are to celebrate mass. Deviation is not allowed.

You may *very tactfully *remind your priest of these updates. This is a change from the GIRM of the '60’s, updated in 2002. It could, quite probably, be simply that your priest isn’t aware of the change.

For a longer explaination:
olow.org/GIRM%20pdf%20files/Should_Our_Church_Have.pdf

RyanL
 
Psalm45:9:
The “crucfix” of the risen Lord is not to be in the sanctuary, it goes against the rubrics. There must be a crucifix of the suffering Lord, because the mass makes present the sacrfice of Calvary. Not the resurrection, it is our faith in the ressurrection that makes us present Christ’s sacrfice.
Click to expand...
While I agree that aesthetically the altar is not a place for the risen Lord cross, I heard this question addressed on CA live once. They said the rubrics mandate that a crucifx (with the corpus) be present on the altar, but do not forbid the risen Lord cross. If the empty cross in present, it does not subsitute for the need of the crucifix, which still is required.
 
40.png
Dewman:
Now I am confused; Pope John Paul wore a gold cross around his neck?
Dewman
Click to expand...
His staff also had a cross with the Lord on it. It doesn’t mean we can have a cross without Christ on it. The GIRM says that at Mass, we need to have a crucifix displayed in the sanctuary.

None of this answers why, though. One of the reasons goes back to the Last Supper. In ancient Israel, the blood of the sacrifice was separated from the body. The Sacrifice was often eaten to seal a covenant between the priest and the Lord. The Jews felt that the body of the Sacrifice represented the life of the animal. The blood represented the death of the animal. By eating the flesh, we were taking part of the animal’s life, but not his death.

Now, Jesus instructs us to eat His Body and drink His Blood. By doing this, we are participating in Jesus’ sacrifice as well as His resurrection. This is a key fact that our separated brethren refuse to acknowledge! For it is Jesus’ sacrifice that ultimately freed us from Sin!

In Mass, we are to remember that fact that Jesus died for our sins, hence the Crucifix at Mass!

Thank you and God Bless!

NotWorthy
 
40.png
pnewton:
While I agree that aesthetically the altar is not a place for the risen Lord cross, I heard this question addressed on CA live once. They said the rubrics mandate that a crucifx (with the corpus) be present on the altar, but do not forbid the risen Lord cross. If the empty cross in present, it does not subsitute for the need of the crucifix, which still is required.
Click to expand...
Thank you newton, as I was reading this thread I was hoping someone would say it as you have. (Although, I must say, I prefer to have the full Crucifix as the major display above the Altar.)

Earlier you also posted:
Those that display a barren cross fail to realize that the cross was never raised barren. It was was raised with the body of Christ. Jesus did not come down from or resurrect from the cross. It is not a good symbol of the resurrection. That would be an empty tomb.
Click to expand...
You may not be aware, but the crucifix used by the Carmelites is a cross without a corpus because one is to remember that we are called to climb up onto the cross ourselves. So we need to be careful not to make assumptions when we see someone with an empty cross. I happen to wear a simple blue cross over a tiny miraculous medal. I’ve found that they are great conversation starters, as the Protestants don’t realize immediately that I’m Catholic. But I also wear a rosary bracelet with a crucifix.

CARose
 
And I think sometimes we need to gently remind our Protestant brethren when they ask Why the crucifix instead of a cross? is that they were the ones to change what Christians were doing, not the other way around as the question implies.

Kind of like asking why Catholics added books to the Bible. I now refer to them as the missing books that were removed.

Your sister in Christ,
Maria
 
An even better symbol for Christianity would be a Corpus without a cross behind it. It was Jesus who died for us and not the weapon He was killed with.

Jesus is our Faith, not the cross which is a weapon of death. Why use a cross at all? Why not a dove or a empty tomb or a risen Christ or a fish, etc.?

The cross and the crucifix are just symbols and reminders. One is a better representation than the other.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top