Dear Blog Readers,
Just a quick follow up to the “Tired Pope Post” yesterday. Last night I covered the Via Crucis at the Colosseum. As I mentioned yesterday, it is one of my favorite events on the Vatican calendar because of the intermingling of the violent history of the Colosseum with gladiators battling to the death, the cruelty of the Roman Emperors with their famous thumbs-up or thumbs down to decide the fate of a gladiator – the brutality and the spectacle in the Roman tradition. Then mix that with the brutality and the spectacle of the death of Christ, and it is quite discouraging.
The Colosseum is stunningly beautiful on this occasion. Huge crosses are lit up with candles, whose flames blow and flicker in the wind inside the Colosseum and on the Velian hill facing it where there are the remains of the ancient Temples of Venus and Roma. Two people carrying meter-long white blazing torch-candles accompany the individuals who take turns carrying the large cross. Among those who carried the cross last night were men and women from Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Egypt, China and Latin America, and there were families, nuns and people with handicaps all taking turns.
The Pope sat up on the hill facing the Colosseum in and took part in the readings as the participants made their way through the stations.
Each station marks a moment in the route Jesus took towards his crucifixion and the readings linked several moments of Christ’s agony to current events. At the second station the reading spoke of Jesus being dressed up as a king and a crown of thorns placed on his head. The soldiers made fun of him and spit on him. The reading went on to say, “even in our day there are men and women who are imprisoned, condemned, and even slaughtered just because of their beliefs or because of their work for justice and peace.” The reading then recalled the words of Shahbaz Bhatti, a Pakistani Christian who was assassinated by armed men on March 2, 2011. He was serving as Minister for Minority Affairs and was trying to change Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. The “Way of the Cross” readings quoted a letter Bhatti wrote in which he said he wanted to give himself “to the service of Christians, especially the poor, the needy and the persecuted…”
At the 10th station the soldiers remove the clothes of Christ, violating his dignity. The reflection in the reading spoke of modern day violations of dignity—“human trafficking, the condition of child soldiers, work that becomes slavery, children and adolescents robbed of themselves, wounded in their intimacy, barbarously profaned.”
(I think they were referring to children and adolescents who are victims of pedophiles.) The reading went on: “You (Christ) push us to humbly ask forgiveness from those who have endured these offences and to pray so that finally the consciences may be awakened in those who have darkened the sky in the life of these persons.”
At the 11th station when Christ’s hands and feet are nailed to the cross, the reflections said, “And in our consciences urgent questions arise. When will the death penalty, still practiced in numerous countries, be abolished? When will every form of torture and the suppression of innocent people be cancelled?”
After the 14th station the Pope said his brief words. What struck most of us listening were his comments apparently referring to the Christians recently massacred in the Middle East and his J’accuse of our silent complicity. He said, “we see even today, before our very eyes, and often with our silence and complicity, our persecuted brothers and sisters, decapitated, crucified for their faith…”
Pope Francis has been vocal in denouncing recent tragedies calling this week’s massacre students at a Kenyan University “senseless brutality”, and the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIS militants in Libya in February a “barbaric assassination”.
So from the brutality of the ancient Romans in the Colosseum, to the cruelty and humiliation of Christ in Jerusalem, and to modern day massacres and decapitations, the Way of the Cross was a grim reminder of the horrors humans can inflict on each other.
Note: Tomorrow is Easter and certainly that is a more uplifting event at the Vatican. When I cover it, I love to get the Vatican press office’s list of the different flowers on display around the altar in St. Peter’s Square and learn where they have come from. The TV crews are positioned up on the top of Bernini’s Colonnade and get a fabulous bird’s eye view of the Easter Mass below. But I will not be covering it this year. Instead, I have 11 people for lunch. One friend is a vegetarian and I am using her as an excuse to avoid cooking lamb. After all the references in the Via Crucis last night about taking the lamb to slaughter, I am definitely not up for it. So, I am making Eggplant Parmesan, which I have never done before. My cameraman colleagues and Mamma friends – all excellent cooks, unlike me– have been giving me conflicting advice on whether it is better to fry or grill the eggplants. My Marcella Hazan cookbook is telling me to fry. Any suggestions foodie friends?
And once again, a big thank you to AP photographers Gregorio Borgia and Alessandra Tarantino for handing over their beautiful “throw-away” photos to Mozzarella Mamma after they filed for AP.
What a fascinating post, Trisha. I am unfamiliar with this celebration, but it sounds like reason enough to visit Rome at Easter. I bet the Colosseum is a sight to see. I especially like that first shot of the Pope. It really captures, I think, the depth of his belief. He just looks so serious, and I find that truly moving.
I hope you and yours are having a wonderful Easter, and I hope you are enjoying some tasty candies and treats.
As for those eggplants – grill ‘those babies or roast ’em!
Damn — didn’t read this comment in time and made a bit of a greasy mess. See my response to Joan’s comment. Roasted or grilled will definitely be the way I go next time.
And in response to the first half of your comment, if anyone Catholic or not, is in Rome at Easter, the Good Friday event at the Colosseum is worth seeing. And it is free!!
Thanks for another moving blog. I am glad the Pope did not try to carrry the cross.
I hope your eggplant was a success. I still use Marcella’s first cookbook for some recipes. Ever tried cipollini agro-dolce? (Spelling could be off here.)
Buon Pasqua!
Thank you Joan. Well the Eggplant Parmesan was a semi-success. I made two and I was trying to go slowly and follow the Marcella Hazan directions carefully but I missed one key line which said to dredge the slices of eggplant in flour before frying them. So, I forgot to do that and I think the eggplants absorbed too much oil. I used a whole roll of paper towels patting them down. So, the Eggplant Parmesans were greasier than they should have been. However, with 7 hungry teenagers they devoured one and a half, plus half a lasagna — so I guess they were ok. Next time I will do the flour part though.
And on the question of the Pope carrying the cross, he apparently has a bad knee, so it was a good thing he didn’t. I noticed in the Celebration of the Passion Mass when he lay on the rug on the floor in St. Peter’s Basilica, two men had to help him quite a bit lying down and getting back up. Gosh, poor guy he is 78, I don’t think many people are very limber at that age and having to lie down on the floor in the middle of St. Peter’s with about 5 cameras filming you and putting it out live cannot be easy. He has all my sympathy.
Trisha
Happy Easter. Your dinner is already done. It is early in California still. I am sure your eggplant was perfect. Amazing how much oil eggplant can soak up, isn’t it?? I try to go in-between, by baking with just a little oil. But there is no bad way. (And yes, I am a vegetarian, for just that reason that you are sensitive to today.)
Thank you for your wonderful story of the ceremony. I don’t feel so bad about missing church today – traveling, schedules – no good reason.
Peace,
Lin
Thanks Lin — yes Easter Dinner is done and dusted, or dishes washed I should say. See my response to Joan’s comment below on the Eggplant. A little too greasy, but not bad. Live and learn. Will definitely try again. Happy Easter to you!
You make Easter much more immediate with these two blogs. Thanks for your wonderful insights, interpretations and reporting.
And a very happy Easter to you!
L/D
Happy Easter to you Dad!! Thanks for reading my posts and being so supportive.
I think he is exhausted and it is interesting that since the first days of his papacy, every person he meets, every group he speaks to, he always says “pray for me”. It is as though he knows he has little time and wants all the support and help he can get. I agree with you courageous world leaders are hard to come by and we certainly need them now.
Thanks so very much for the moving description of the Via Crucis. The Coliseum, with its history of savage rituals, reverberates with the text. And I am moved to know that contemporary illustrations accompany the reading of the ancient words. Also, the choice of those who carry the cross is so meaningful. Thanks for all this deeply spiritual pageantry, which transforms the whole city into a church, really. And best of luck in your cooking. I have no advice, not being a fan of eggplant! But I am sure it will go well, and I would guess the sauce is the main thing here! Well, on the table. The friendships and love are the main things in this gathering. Brava, Trisha! the meal makes Easter real, in a very important way!
Thank you Nancy. It would nice if you could come to Rome some time and see the Via Crucis in person. You would find it very moving.
Liked reading the posts with your insider info Trisha. The ceremonies are always so full of symbolism and interesting. Must be a whole other experience to be there. Thanks for writing them.
As for the eggplant I gave up frying it years ago. Took way too much oil! Buona Pasqua.
Thank you Jane. Yes, the frying was big mess, and I forgot to dredge the eggplant in flour first. So super greasy. Sigh.
What a lovely ceremony. How fortunate you are to have had the experience.
I have been fortunate to cover the Via Crucis now with three different Popes — John Paul II, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis!! The only one who I saw actually carry the cross and walk a piece of it was Pope Benedict XVI.
Thank you for this and thank Cesare for the awesome pics (just kidding). But seriously, the pictures are stunning. The Stations of the Cross always move me so much, but your descriptions of the reading this year especially so and how they were brought current to reflect the issues of today. Just love this Pope.
Your dinner sounds wonderful. This makes me anxious for my upcoming trip to Italy in May. I am taking two intensive cooking classes in Rome – learning to make pizza dough and Italian bread (I suck at bread) and several other dishes including traditional eggplant parm! lol
I will let you know what I learn! :-)
I will pass on your compliments to AP’s resident Borgia!! And you will have a blast in your cooking course. Sounds like something I should be taking.
Nobody does Easter like the Italians. I haven’t been in Rome at Easter time, but this definitely sounds worth making the trip. What a moving and heart-wrenching experience. I remember being in Sicily during Good Friday and Easter and will always remember the solemn processions through the town, with the somber music of the local band filling the air, and so many different groups of people participating in different gear – everything from innocent little girls in white dresses to old women in black carrying lanterns, to people carrying the statues of Christ and Blessed Mother through the streets. As for the eggplant parmigiana, by now it’s too late for my two cents, but I’ll bet everyone loved yours no matter how it turned out. Eggplants do soak up that oil, and though I’ve grilled it or broiled it, my favorite way remains fried.
Thanks Linda!! I am sure Easter in Sicily is even more spectacular, emotional and dramatic. I would love to go sometime.
This is so beautiful, Trisha! Thank you for writing about it. It’s one of my dreams to spend the Holy Triduum in Rome and in the Holy Land. Hopefully, I can make it happen in the near future :) Happy Easter to you and yours!
Great to hear from you Pauline. If you do come to Rome for Holy Week, be sure to look me up.