One Ukrainian and one Russian family they will carry the cross in one of the stations of the Via Crucis that will be held next Friday, after two years canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, at the Colosseum in Rome with the presence of Pope Francisco and will call for “reconciliation” between these two nations.
It is the families of two nursesIrina, from Ukraine, and Albina, from Russia, who work at the Rome Bio-Medical Campus and who they will express what they feel these days of war, after the Russian invasion, according to the texts of the Via Crucis published this Monday.
Before the Roman Colosseum, symbol of the persecution of the first Christians, They will explain how “winter snow, picking up the children from school, work, hugs, friendships” and all that is overand they will ask God why, “in the midst of finished tears and anger has given way to resignation.”
The celebration of the Via Crucis in 2018. Photo: AP
Aware of the difficulty of reconciliation, they invoke the Lord so that taught them “to make peaceto be brothers and sisters and to rebuild what the bombs wanted to annihilate”.
In particular, the meditation that will be read during the tour of the Ukrainian and Russian families, when Jesus dies on the cross, says:
“Death all around you. Life that seems to lose its value. Everything changes in a few seconds. Existence, days, carefree winter snow, picking up the kids from school, work, hugs, friendships… everything. Everything suddenly loses its value. Where are you Lord? Where are you hiding? Why all this? Why did you abandon us? Why did you abandon our peoples? Why did you divide our families like this? don’t we want to dream and live?”
And continues:
“The tears have stopped. Anger has given way to resignation. We know you love us, Lord, but we don’t feel this love and it drives us crazy. We wake up in the morning and for a few seconds we are happy, but immediately we remember how difficult it is it will be reconciling us. Lord, where are you? Speak in the silence of death and division and teach us to make peace, to be brothers and sisters, to rebuild what the bombs wanted to annihilate.”
immigrants and families
In the last of the stations, the cross will be carried by a family of migrants who will explain that after hard journeys, they are now perceived as a burden in the host country.
“Here we are numbers, categories, simplifications. However, we are much more than immigrants. we are people“, is read in the reflections of the Via Crucis.
Pope Francis presides over the celebrations for Good Friday, in the Basilica of San Pedro, in 2019. Photo: EFE
The words of the Via Crucis this year have been written by familiesbecause the Catholic Church celebrates the Year of the Family, and will feature a young married couple, a family on mission, elderly husbands without childrena large family or parents of adopted children.
After the two years of pandemic, in which the Way of the Cross on Good Friday Was held in an empty San Pedro square, this time the act will once again be massive.
Pope will witness the Via Crucis from the Palatine Hill and some final message is expected, although he did not do so in the last two years, preferring silence.
EFE and ANSA
ap