You'd Think the Executioners Should be in Uniform Too







From Yahoo:

Emerito Baking remains emotionless as a nail is driven into his feet on Good Friday, April 18, 2003 in the village of Cutud, in Pampanga province, north of Manila, Philippines. Devotees have themselves nailed to the cross as part of their 'vow' on Good Friday which is admonished by the Roman Catholic church but drew thousands of foreign and local tourists.

Good Friday



And for your penance...







I'm surprised no one ever interviews any of the people who confess to the Pope to hear what their experience is like.

Pope Releases Eucharist Encyclical



Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucaristia

Wednesday of Holy Week



Pope John Paul II during his weekly Wednesday audience experiences a gust of wind.







Or he has joined the Spanish Penitents seen below...

Holy Week 2003



Veneration of the Cross Discouraged for Oriental Christians







From Yahoo:



Christian Malaysians have been told not to kiss the cross this Easter in order to prevent the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.



Just a note, Christians venerate the cross on Good Friday, not Easter.

Holy Week






First we have Palestinian women with their faces covered dragging the British and American flags through the streets of Nablus.They eventually burned the flags after dragging them through the streets. I guess the success of the coalition forces hasn't increased the love they feel for us.



And then...







Penitents in Spain await their own procession. The costume will strike our American viewers as Klu Kux Klanish but here we have people publicly repenting, albeit anonymously of their sins.



Two groups in procession. Both anonymous. One further inciting violence, the other repenting for their actions traveling on "way of peace." For those who hold this week sacred, let us follow the path of the penitents.

The Passion of Pope John Paul II







The pope once praised near and far nowadays seems to come under attack from every sector. Governments are critical of his pleas for peace. Once loyal Catholics now wonder loudly why he hasn't done more in response to clergy abuse cases world wide and many conservative Catholics ignore his questioning of the war in Iraq as nothing binding as they choose loyalty to country over and against loyalty to how he interprets Christ's message. Truly the John Paul's suffering on this Palm Sunday is not just physical but certianly he like Christ is undergoing a passsion where it seems that all are abandoning him. One can hear from the crowds, "we have no king but Caesar" as Catholics more and more choose to let the political realm guide their daily lives while ignoring the demands of the Gospel.



Less I like Peter claim my allegiance to fast, I will only say that I pray for the Pope daily and invite all the readers of this blog to do the same.