SYDNEY, Australia - A recreation of the crucifixion and last days of Jesus played out against the backdrop of some of the city's most famous landmarks Friday, as an actor playing Christ was strung upside down, dragged through the streets and eventually "nailed" to a cross.
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(Photo: AP Images / Rick Rycroft)The final scenes from the Stations of the Cross are played out at Barangaroo in Sydney, Friday, July 18, 2008. The Stations of the Cross, where actors recreate the biblical account of Jesus Christ's final days, has 13 acts in total and will be played out at sites across the inner city.
Pope Benedict XVI, in Sydney for the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day festival, offered a prayer before the grim three-hour performance, known as the stations of the cross. The pope attended the first act, a live recreation of The Last Supper, at St. Mary's Cathedral in downtown Sydney.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims lined the city's streets, many weeping openly along with Alfio Stuto, a 27-year-old advertising professional from Sydney who took on the role of Jesus.
Crowds of faithful jammed the steps of the Opera House and watched as the nearly naked actor was strung up by his feet, his body swaying slightly in the chilly wind. Stuto's face contorted in mock agony as men portraying Roman soldiers jammed a crown of thorns onto his head before forcing him to shoulder a giant wooden cross. Stuto then boarded a boat and sailed under the landmark Sydney Harbor Bridge to a waterfront site where he spoke to actors portraying the women of Jerusalem.
Pilgrims watched the crucifixion scene solemnly as darkness fell, some clutching each other for comfort and wiping away tears. As Stuto's limp, bloodied body was brought down from the cross and taken away, they broke into applause.
The reenactment had a uniquely Australian tone, with an Aboriginal man wearing a kangaroo skin and body paint taking the cross from Stuto to the strains of the didgeridoo.
Organizers said they expected 500 million people across the world to watch the television broadcast of the performance, which featured 100 actors.
Despite the dark subject matter, 19-year-old Alice Neville of Nottingham, England, said seeing the suffering Christ endured played out so dramatically was deeply moving.
"It's totally different to being in church," Neville said as she watched the crucifixion. "It's ... goosebumpy."
Comments
act11:17 tells us that Peter witness others recieve the Spirit just as he did
John 16: 5-15 tells us the Spirit guides our judgment(discerning Truth) I think you are confusing recieving Truth that the disciples got from the Spirit in in order to spread it to us, in which the spirit guides our judgement to know Truth from teachers and scripture following the departure of the apostles.
1 john 2:26-27 after talking about decievers and the anti-christ reassures us that we will be able to discern truth for ourselves by the spirit without teaching.
chris, I am very content being in the center of God's will for my life at this time so why would I want to be any where else but there since there is no better place to be and as a matter of fact tomorrow I leave to go be a counselor at a camp for kids whose Mom or Dad is in trouble because of substance abuse and I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to use me at this camp. Plus how do you know I'm not a better saint than the ones you mentioned and in fact what others think of my life doesn't matter anyways it only matters what God thinks of the way I lived my life and to be honest my only desire is to live my life in such a way that when I die and appear before the Judgement Seat of Christ, that Christ will say to me, well done my good and faithful servant. But that will be entirely God's call and no one elses.
Believer,
Do you have the chance to be saved as any Catholic? Yes. Does your life as a Saint compare to those like St. Brigid, St. Dominic and St. Francis. No. Does this mean their salvation is more than yours'? No.
What I am saying is that because you don't have the Sacraments with actual Grace within them and not just mere symbols, you are limited to the amount of work and the greatness of your witness for God.
Believer, you could be so much more for God if you came home. You love scriptures so much and that would only add to your gifts if you received the REAL sacraments which are tools of God's Grace.
The more access to Grace you have the more you can live in God's will and do more for His Glory. Protestants are not second class Christians at all. They are just limited because of the Grace they reject which is only available in Christ Church.
Here is an analogy to think of. Take two people of equal size and strength. Feed one of them the best organic food, highly oxygenated water and give them supplements for protein and vitamins. Take the other one and give them only regular food with no supplements. At the end of one year who will be in better shape internally if both excersize the same way? There is no comparison. The first person has better health because of what he puts in it.
You are no different. Put more Grace into your life through the Sacraments and see how your life will change for the better.
James,
But those who eat HIS FLESH AND DRINK HIS BLOOD have life. You don't eat his flesh or drink his blood do you?
"For my flesh is food indeed" "I am the Bread of Life".
The fact is God gave us many gifts and they all are important;Bible, Church, Sacraments, Morality, Church Hiearchy, laity, etc. You say that you are the bible alone, but you are not since the Bible is not self attesting. You are Bible plus your own interpretation. You can't help but interpret. This is why God gave only certain power to discern Truth to specific men.
I'm sure the Holy Spirit works in your life or otherwise you wouldn't love God and have faith in Christ, but not all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit were given to you. The gift to know ALL TRUTH, not just some truth was given to His Apostles, then to Bishops, through the laying of hands it was transmitted. You didn't get the laying of hands, so you do not have this authority or gift.
Msnchris70 said: "Try reading a book on the Saints of the Catholic Church. Their witness expounds Christ Truth within their lives." [End quote]
We need to be careful what we read and who we allow to influence us, lest we end up adopting dangerous beliefs or doctrines. Let's consider St. Bridget:
"This the blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: 'I am,' she said to her, 'the queen of heaven and the mother of mercy; I am the joy of the just, and the gate of entrance for sinners to God'" [End quote from The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori]
No matter how one may try to shuffle the word of God, Mary is not the joy of the just, nor the gate of entrance for sinners to God:
"...For the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Ne 8:10).
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Ro 14:17).
Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (Jn 10:9).
just another perspective
God told Isereal while it was in the desert to only eat manna. He provided for their physical needs with just one type of food in which he said not to store it up, but that He would provide daily for their needs. HE then gave them a land full of different kinds of foods, in which He told them to never forget who provided for them all those years. Today He provides for our spiritual needs with just Scripture which has in it all things needed for spirituality. he said His word would endure forever and it has in the form of the Bible. He said store it in your hearts and share this with all those you meet. He then will provide us a new earth with all things physical and spiritual. so yes God can provide us physically with one food, and with one book alone He provides for us spiritualy. remember Christ fought satan with scripture only.
Catholics think they deem who saints are, however Christ said that all believers are saints for they are set apart from the rest because the holy spirit dwells in them
Chris
yes many books are written for instruction by many pastors and degreed people, however it is with Bible scripture that they reference. I do not read and take direction from secular books. If a pastor wrote a book without clear reference to scripture for all thoughts I would not use it. This would mean in my case Bible alone. To me this would be a sermon in written form.
I am saved and have the Holy spirit within me and it is the Holy Spirit which helps me to descern Truth. I am commissioned by God as you are to spread the Truth.
Physical needs and spiritual needs are seperate, and it is God's word only that I need to live spiritually. That is a bad analogy to which I would say the same as Christ, I do not live by bread alone.
chris, why do you consider anybody who is not a catholic to be a 2nd class Christian, because the last time I checked the ground at the Cross was level, and the Bible teaches that there is neither Jew or Gentiile, male or female, slave or free, so it appears that in God's eyes all of His children are equal in His sight.
James,
Try reading a book on the Saints of the Catholic Church. Their witness expounds Christ Truth within their lives.
You can't help reading about these Saints and not clearly see what God has done in the Catholic Church. No Protestant Group could ever match this group of Saints who live their lives for God with discipline and Holiness.
I'm not saying there are not wonderful Saints within Protestantism, but the comparison between Catholic Saints is unmatched. Why? Because Christ lives more fully in these Catholic Saints because they have the fullness of Truth that help them to live these amazing lives. They have the Eucharist, confession and the Mass which Protestants do not have.
If you have more access to Grace, then you will have the opportunity to live more Saintly.
I think Protestants do amazing things with the Grace they have, but I think how much more these wonderful people could do if they had available to them the Sacraments of God's Holy Church.
James,
Since you are a Protestant, then please use Scripture when you say God says something so I don't just assume that you think you are God and that you are speaking for him. Thanks.
Only the Bishop of Rome in communion with all the bishops of the world can make the doctrines of faith and morals. If a specific bishop teaches something that is wrong, then he will be discipline. If he doesn't recant, then he will be removed over a period of time for prayer and reconciliation, if possible.
You are also assuming that Catholics are all just a bunch of Robots who do everything the Priest says and have no education. I hold degrees in Theology, and have read and studied scripture for 40+ years.
The reason I left being a Reformed Minister is because Protestants do not stick to all of Scripture. They have become an ala Carte version of Christianity. Each denomination picking and choosing what they follow and none of them agree with each other.
Authority is one of the many things I love about being Catholic.
James,
Take your statement to its possible end to see if it makes sense. You will find it is illogical.
Fruit is profitable for your body, but is fruit ALONE what you need?
Vegetables are profitable for your body, but are vegetables alone your only source of food?
Meat is profitable for your body, but is Meat alone your only source of food?
The Bible is profitable. The Scriptures are profitable for one's life. AMEN! But it is not the only thing that guides our life. Protestants read millions of books by Pastors that teach them things from the Bible and those books are good to read. They also teach things that are not directly from scripture like setting goals, being more financially responsible, etc.
When Jesus instructed His Apostles he gave them HIS authority over His flock. Jesus put them in charge. It was this same group of men who had authority to write the New Testament Scriptures. It was also these men who were given the power by Christ to forgive or retain sin. It was also these men who Christ gave the power to legislate, discipline and create doctrine. These men gave their authority to other men called Bishops. It was these Bishops who decided how many books belonged in the New Testament and how many Gospels were actually in it.
The Church hiearchy had the authority by God to decide what went into the Bible. You accept the authority of Scripture, and yet you do not accept the authority of men who were given this authority by God to determine which Scriptures were canonical. You cannot logically accept the authority of Scripture without accepting the authority of the Church that gave it to you.
None of the scriptures say that they belong in the Bible. There was no index before the Catholic Church decided what books were inspired and what were not.
You say that you go by the Bible alone, and yet no where in the bible does it tell you to do that. It says scripture is profitable and it is good and useful for reproofing and building up Christians, but no where does it say that it is the only source you should go by.
You should test all things by Scripture. Yes! You should keep the Traditions the Apostles handed down, and you must obey the Bishops who set doctrine for faith and morals for the Church. The Bishops have a teaching authority given by Christ.
If you reject the Bishops who have Christ authority, then you reject Christ.
James,
So you are an authority for what God says now? Could you show me where God says you have a right to interpret scripture?
Also, the bible is profitable but it does not say alone. Only you and old Luther put that in.
God says to be aware of false teachers to judge for yourself what is true as it is gridded through the word of God. As cotholics you are told what is true, what power do you have to remove false teachers in the catholic church.. None if the higher ups believe what is wrong then the church follows, you can not go to another church for they all are suppose to contain the same beleifs.
The Bible says through out that the teachings of the world are not profitable, therfore when it says all scripture is profitable it is clearly saying only scritpure alone. Since scripture is God's word(2 peter 1:20-21) and he said His word word last forever(1 peter 23-24)(the word endured through the Bible)and his word which is what is preached(1peter 1:25)has to some from the bible then yes it does clearly mean Bible alone