By Philip Pullella
ROME – A Ukrainian and a Russian woman attended Pope Francis’ Good Friday ‘Way of the Cross’ service, but the meditation they wrote was canceled after Ukrainians protested, saying the war made it inappropriate.
The traditional procession of the Via Crucis in Rome’s Colosseum had been embroiled in controversy earlier this week when the program revealed the two friends, a nurse and a student nurse at a Rome hospital, would be taking part.
The candlelight service consists of the 14 Stations of the Cross, stations between Jesus’ condemnation to death and his burial. It is often adapted so that those who carry the cross from one station to the next reflect world events.
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Byzantine-rite Catholic Church in Ukraine, called their inclusion inappropriate and ambiguous because they “failed to take into account the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.”
The original text of the meditation written by the two women spoke of death, depreciation, anger, resignation and reconciliation despite the bombing.
Shevchuk said the Vatican-approved text was “incoherent and even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier attack by Russian troops on our towns and villages.”
Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican, Andrii Yurash, also expressed his unease.
On Friday evening, the original text of about 200 words was replaced with two sentences: “In the face of death, silence is the most eloquent word. Let us all pause in silent prayer and pray each in our heart for peace in the world.” .
The crowd of several thousand people then fell silent for about the time it would have taken to read the original, longer meditation.
Francis sat and watched the procession seated in a white chair.
In his own final prayer, he asked God to “allow adversaries to shake hands, that they may taste mutual forgiveness, to disarm the hand that brother has raised against brother, that there may be unity where hatred now lies.” reigns”.
The story goes on
Since the war began, Francis has only specifically mentioned Russia in prayer, such as during a special global event for peace on March 25. But he has made his opposition to Russia’s actions clear, using the words invasion, aggression and atrocities.
Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” aimed not at occupying territory but at demilitarizing and “denazifying” the country. Francis implicitly rejected this definition.
The war in Ukraine is expected to continue to cast a shadow over the Pope’s remaining Holy Week activities.
On Saturday evening, Pope Francis will lead an Easter Vigil Mass in the basilica.
On Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar, he will say Mass in St. Peter’s Square and then deliver his message and blessing “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) twice a year.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Nick Zieminski)