Pope John Paul II holds a crucifix carved by Stanisław Trafalski on Good Friday 2005 / Screenshot from TV Trwam.
CNA Staff, Apr 2, 2021 / 05:00 am (CNA).- Days before Pope John Paul II’s death on April 2, 2005, Vatican television cameras captured extraordinary footage of the Polish pope.
He was sitting alone facing the altar of his private chapel. Beneath the crucifix and tabernacle was a television screen showing a torchlit procession at Rome’s Colosseum.
It was Good Friday and the 84-year-old pope was unable to lead that year’s Way of the Cross because of his infirmity. But he was still determined to take part.
Images of the pope in his chapel were broadcast live on video screens at the Colosseum. The thousands present there cheered as they saw him sitting silently with his back to the camera.
Near the end of the Via Crucis, John Paul II was seen holding a large wooden crucifix.
The crucifix originally belonged to a Polish woman called Janina Trafalska, who like the pope experienced great suffering.
Janina told her story to the Polish Catholic television station TV Trwam in a documentary entitled “The Holy Cross, Above All.”
In 1990, at the age of 29, she plunged from a window, damaging her spine. As she underwent months of medical treatment, her artist husband, Stanisław, spent time in the Bieszczady Mountains in southeast Poland, praying for his wife as he completed the Stations of the Cross.
After Janina finished her therapy, she fell into despair. She wondered why God had permitted an accident that shattered her life’s dreams. Confined to a wheelchair, she began to withdraw from those around her.
In 1996, Stanisław carved two crosses. He gave one to his wife and the other to a priest in Rzeszów, a city near the village of Stefkowa where the couple lived.
In the year 2000, the head of the local municipality was invited to the Vatican. He asked Stanisław for a gift he could present to the pope. Janina decided to donate her crucifix.
After the delegation presented the cross to John Paul II, he entrusted it to his secretary, Fr. Mieczysław Mokrzycki.
On Good Friday 2005, as pilgrims reached the 14th Station of the Cross at the Colosseum, John Paul II asked for a cross. Mokrzycki went to his room and brought back Janina’s crucifix for the pope to venerate.
When the images of John Paul II were broadcast worldwide, the Trafalski family recognized their crucifix. Janina later said that she felt unworthy of the honor, remembering her earlier rebellion against suffering.
The Polish pope died days later. In 2007, Mokrzycki was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Lviv in Ukraine. He took the crucifix with him from Rome.
According to the Polish Catholic website niedziela.pl, he gave it to his parents, who in turn presented it to Fr. Mieczysław Bizior, who installed it in his church in the village of Kraczkowa in southeastern Poland.
The crucifix is taken around neighboring parishes. Wherever it goes, it helps to inspire an intense atmosphere of prayer.
While John Paul II did not address the crowds on Good Friday 2005, he sent a brief message that was read out by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of Rome diocese.
The pope said: “I am with you in spirit at the Colosseum, a place that stirs up within me so many memories and emotions, in order to take part in the evocative rite of the Way of the Cross on this Good Friday evening.”
“I join you in the invocation, so rich in meaning: ‘Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi, quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum.’ Yes, we adore and bless the mystery of the Cross of the Son of God, because it was from his death that new hope for humanity was born.”
“The adoration of the Cross directs us to a commitment that we cannot shirk: the mission that St Paul expressed in these words: ‘[I]n my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church’ (Col 1: 24).”
“I also offer my sufferings so that God’s plan may be completed and his Word spread among the peoples. I, in turn, am close to all who are tried by suffering at this time. I pray for each one of them.”
He concluded: “On this memorable day of Christ’s crucifixion, I look at the Cross with you in adoration, repeating the words of the liturgy: ‘O crux, ave spes unica!’ Hail, O Cross, our only hope, give us patience and courage and obtain peace for the world!”
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Prisha Mosley is suing her previous therapists and medical doctors for facilitating a gender transition when she was a teen. / Photo courtesy of Independent Women’s Forum
Jonathan Price, a member of Jimmy Lai’s international legal team, appears on “EWTN News Nightly” with host Tracy Sabol on Dec. 19, 2023. / Credit: EWTN News Nightly
CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2023 / 11:55 am (CNA).
A lawyer representing embattled Catholic democracy activist Jimmy Lai said the Hong Konger is unlikely to receive a fair trial in the legal system that is now controlled by Chinese Communist Party authorities.
Lai’s trial in Hong Kong began this week. He was originally arrested in August 2020 under that year’s controversial national security law, which was passed by China’s communist-controlled government and sharply curtailed free speech in the region.
Lai has been imprisoned for over 1,000 days under the law. He has been accused of colluding with foreign adversaries and conspiracy to defraud and is facing a possible life sentence.
Jonathan Price, a human rights lawyer with the U.K.-based Doughty Street Chambers, which is representing Lai in international matters, told “EWTN News Nightly” host Tracy Sabol on Tuesday that Hong Kong — long a separate administrative region from the mainland Chinese government — is “now more or less indistinguishable from China.”
“Its legal system has been subverted” by the 2020 law, Price said; that law is controlled by a “politically appointed committee” rather than an impartial judiciary.
“The judges in Jimmy Lai’s national security law trial … are handpicked judges, licensed, in effect, to try national security law cases because of their political fealty to Beijing,” Price told Sabol.
“So in those circumstances, it is not how you or I would recognize fair judicial proceedings,” he said. “And you’ve got to remember as well that recently, the Hong Kong director of national security boasted that the national security law has a 100% conviction rate.”
In “any rule-of-law compliant jurisdiction, that would be a red flag,” Price argued. “It cannot be right that literally everybody accused of a crime is guilty, but that’s how they’ve been operating the national security bill. So I’m afraid we don’t think that he’s likely to receive a fair trial.”
Lai has been vocal in his faith. He was baptized and received into the Church by Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, in 1997. He said in 2020 that his decision to stay in Hong Kong and place himself in danger was informed by his belief in God.
Price on Tuesday echoed those remarks. He noted that Lai’s faith had “not been made a factor explicitly” in the trial against him. But “no doubt his faith played a part in the conviction with which he pursued his activities,” including pro-democracy activism.
Lai “saw that Chinese authoritarianism would ruin Hong Kong,” Price said. “And he made it his life’s work to try to hold onto the Hong Kong, and the freedoms in Hong Kong, that he loved, and those included the freedom for him to practice his religion.”
“So in many ways, his conviction [meant] that he stayed in Hong Kong when he could have left,” Price said. “He was a man of enormous means and huge international connections” and could easily have left the region to avoid arrest, Price said.
But “he chose to stay, and that is a mark of his conviction, a mark of his faith.”
Lai’s lawyers have asked the court to throw out sedition charges against the Catholic activist. The judges are expected to rule on that request by the end of the week, with the trial itself projected to continue for several months.
The sisters Madeleine and Marie-Liesse together with Louis Antona at the entrance of Greece. The three young people covered the distance from Paris to Jerusalem on foot, arriving in mid-May 2024. “I needed to walk 4,500 kilometers to understand that Jesus is not just in Jerusalem, but was by my side every step of the way,” Antona told CNA. / Credit: Photo courtesy of French pilgrims Madeleine and Marie-Liesse
Jerusalem, Jun 18, 2024 / 06:00 am (CNA).
On Sept. 17, 2023, two sisters left Paris and walked for approximately eight months to Jerusalem. Madeleine and Marie-Liesse, 19 and 22, who grew up in a Catholic family, decided to become pilgrims to grow in their faith.
“We needed to make the faith our own,” they told CNA. “This pilgrimage was to discover God, to truly search for him and deepen our faith. We learned that we can trust God; he takes care of us in everything. The Gospel is not a joke.”
Two months later, in mid-November 2023, Louis Antona, 24, also left Paris on foot, bound for Jerusalem. The three young people met providentially in Albania, walked together through Turkey, then parted ways and reunited in Jerusalem. They shared the story of their pilgrimage with CNA.
“I needed to walk 4,500 kilometers to understand that Jesus is not just in Jerusalem but was by my side every step of the way,” Antona told CNA. He walked a total of 189 days and arrived in Jerusalem on May 18.
Madeleine and Marie-Liesse — who asked that their last name not be used to protect their privacy — left from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre in the center of Paris with the blessing of their parents and a priest.
“It was a calling from God,” Madeleine said of the decision she and her sister made to leave. “There’s no need for reasons when God calls; you simply need to follow what he tells you.”
Madeleine and Marie-Liesse during a moment of their journey, between Slovenia and Croatia. “The faith of the people struck us: during Advent, tradition dictates that Mass be attended every morning at 6, and every time we went, the church was packed with people,” they told CNA. The two sisters left Paris on September 17, 2023, and walked for about eight months to Jerusalem. Credit: Courtesy of French pilgrims Madeleine and Marie-Liesse
The sisters created a simple blog to keep friends and family updated on their pilgrimage. The photos and brief stories reveal all the freshness of two young people on a journey while not hiding moments of doubt and difficulty.
“We chose to embark on this journey as beggars,” Marie-Liesse told CNA. “We left with just a few clothes and nothing else — no food, no money. We wanted to surrender ourselves into the hands of providence. Every evening, we knocked on people’s doors asking for shelter, a bed, and food. The Lord always provided.”
Their days were marked by walking and prayer.
“We didn’t have a strict rule because we had to adapt every day to the people who hosted us, the place, and the situation,” Marie-Liesse explained. “But we had a framework: We knew we had to pray in the morning, at midday, at night… It was important for us to be faithful to God. Every day, we also recited a rosary, praying for the intentions entrusted to us.”
The most challenging moment was making the decision to continue the journey after hearing that war had broken out in the Holy Land. “We were in Germany and full of doubts about whether to go on.”
Their journey led them to cross Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. In Croatia, “the faith of the people struck us: during Advent, tradition dictates that Mass be attended every morning at 6, and every time we went, the church was packed with people,” the sisters wrote on their blog.
They stopped for a month in Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), where their family joined them for Christmas.
“It was a difficult time. Again, we didn’t know what to do. But after a period of discernment, we realized that Christ was calling us back on the road again,” Madeleine said.
Madeleine and Marie-Liesse crossed Montenegro and arrived in Albania, where they encountered Antona.
“I had just finished my studies and wanted to offer something to God,” Antona told CNA. “I wasn’t sure what, but I thought that the best thing I had at that time was time itself. So, I decided to offer God a year of my life by embarking on a journey. It was a challenge; I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy walking and being alone.”
Louis Antona, 24, during a moment of his journey. “I had just finished my studies and wanted to offer something to God,” he told CNA. “I thought that the best thing I had at that time was time itself. So, I decided to offer God a year of my life by embarking on a journey.” Credit: Photo courtesy of Louis Antona
Antona decided to leave, despite the war. “I believe the hardest part of a pilgrimage like this is deciding to start. I knew that if I gave up because of the war, I would never do it again. Anyway, I thought that by the time I arrived, the war would already be over.”
Madeleine and Marie-Liesse are filled with wonder at the manifestation of providence in every detail of their pilgrimage, in the beautiful weather and in the rain, in every small encounter — those who hosted them after seeing them at the bus stop, those who taught them how to make bread, the gentleman who opened his door just before a downpour. “If we had arrived a minute later, we wouldn’t have met him,” they said.
The encounter with Antona wasn’t coincidental either. The two sisters had prayed to God to give them a travel companion.
“We planned to not go through Turkey because we were two women alone, but we would have liked to go that way. So we asked God to meet one pilgrim, and we met him,” the sisters explained.
The three crossed Macedonia and Greece, arriving in Turkey on Palm Sunday. In this predominantly Muslim country, they celebrated Easter, warmly welcomed by the small French-speaking community there.
The sisters Madeleine and Marie-Liesse together with Louis Antona received a blessing from a priest during a Mass in Turkey. They arrived in Turkey on Palm Sunday 2024. In this predominantly Muslim country, they celebrated Easter, warmly welcomed by the small French-speaking community there. Credit: Photo courtesy of Louis Antona
“Every day of this pilgrimage was a miracle,” Antona said. “Every day we have met people who smiled or were nice to us. I have to say that in Turkey we found the most welcoming people.”
“It is not uncommon for the Turks to spontaneously lend us a hand,” Madeleine and Marie-Liesse wrote on their blog. “In Turkey, we encountered an infinite respect for passing strangers and for Christianity, even though Christians here are forced to protect themselves from regular attacks.”
The arrival of Madeleine and Marie-Liesse in Albania. In the photo, Marie-Liesse is in front of a statue of Mother Teresa, who was originally from this country. “Every evening, we knocked on people’s doors asking for shelter, a bed, and food. The Lord always provided,” they told CNA. Credit: Photo courtesy of French pilgrims Madeleine and Marie-Liesse
Upon leaving Turkey, the paths of the three pilgrims split again. The sisters’ route went through Cyprus but they could not find a way from there to Jerusalem by sea due to suspension of transportation because of the war. Providentially, they met someone in Cyprus who offered to pay for airfare, and the sisters arrived in Tel Aviv on May 6. Three days later, on the feast of the Ascension, they were in Jerusalem.
“Many times, we thought we couldn’t reach Jerusalem,” Madeleine said. “We learned that the journey is even more important than reaching the goal. Being here is a great gift, just to be here.”
“We unpacked our bags once and for all, knelt before this Holy Land, and prayed. What peace, what a moment of grace! As we admired the sunrise and the golden light that brought color to the roofs of the old city, we could reread the wonders of God and meditate on the Gospels. His infinite love overwhelmed us,” the two sisters wrote on their blog.
The sisters Madeleine and Marie-Liesse received a blessing from a Franciscan friar at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher after their arrival in Jerusalem. “The greatest gift is to be here and understand what happened here, to see with our own eyes, to witness the actual places,” Madeleine said. “We were able to pause in every place, to pray and meditate in silence.” Credit: Photo courtesy of French pilgrims Madeleine and Marie-Liesse
Madeleine has no doubts: “Prayer is what carried us. When you’re weak, that’s when you’re strongest because that’s when God can act in you; you don’t take up all the space. Trusting in God can be challenging, but when you understand that God only wants you to be happy and will give you everything you need, then you realize you have everything to be happy in this moment; you can trust him.”
Ten days later, on the eve of Pentecost, Antona also arrived in Jerusalem. “Even if I had to stop somewhere else, at least I would have aimed to reach Jerusalem. This is a very important city for Christians, but the journey you take to reach it is also very important.”
French pilgrim Louis Antona arrived in Jerusalem on May 18, at the vigil of Pentecost. “Every day of this pilgrimage was a miracle,” he said. Credit: Photo courtesy of Louis Antona
The three pilgrims are still in the Holy Land. They have had the opportunity to participate in various celebrations and to visit the holy places in addition to many other sites in the area.
“The greatest gift is to be here and understand what happened here, to see with our own eyes, to witness the actual places,” Madeleine said. “We were able to pause in every place, to pray and meditate in silence.”
A journey like this isn’t for everyone, but all three of the pilgrims agree that “if God calls you, go in peace. If God helps you, everything becomes possible.”
The French pilgrims rest under the portico of the Church of the Beatitudes on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. In the photo is Louis Antona. A journey like this isn’t for everyone, but, the three young people said, “if God calls you, go in peace. If God helps you, everything becomes possible.” Credit: Photo courtesy of French pilgrims Madeleine and Marie-Liesse
Suffering whether emotional or physical purifies our will. Humiliation and shame are forms of emotional pain endured best by the spiritually strong. They know who they are. Physical pain challenges our endurance to persist. Dr Leroy Huizenga in his article The Violence of the Crucifixion alludes to the emotional shame Christ suffered as exceeding the physical. It’s a feasible perception. Now what was the driving force that made Christ endure excruciating physical pain if not his love for us? Similarly with the shame of the Cross. For the Lord of the Universe infinitely good deserving all our love to endure the outrage of insult, hatred, utter contempt and humiliation required heroic virtue, virtue perfected as Aquinas says upon the Cross. Cardinal Dizwisz notes in his article John Paul II bore his extreme infirmity and I may add disfigured appearance quite well, almost as a badge of courage as I perceived him in Rome. Whether endurance of physical or emotional pain differs I’m convinced either is won by love. That the contempt of that love was the cause of greatest suffering for God who is love. Now to the centurion who said, Surely this was the Son of God. Dr Huizenga perceives this as a contemptuous remark, a reasoned opinion by a scholar deserving consideration, whereas Mark and Matthew apparently paint a different picture. Mark, “When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, This man truly was the Son of God!” He witnessed a man who forgave the repentant thief, forgave his torturers, called out to God at the moment of death. No pleading for mercy, no anger. All the virtues perfected in a man as Man is called to be. That, I submit the recognition of the divinity in Christ’s manner of suffering indicated by the Roman centurion’s response reveals the saving power of the Cross begin its work of redemption for the gentile world. In like manner I’m convinced John Paul II was well aware of his heart rendering, even salvific example for priest and layman addressed by Dziwisz evident in his persistence in suffering the shame and physical pain of the Cross of Christ.
Suffering whether emotional or physical purifies our will. Humiliation and shame are forms of emotional pain endured best by the spiritually strong. They know who they are. Physical pain challenges our endurance to persist. Dr Leroy Huizenga in his article The Violence of the Crucifixion alludes to the emotional shame Christ suffered as exceeding the physical. It’s a feasible perception. Now what was the driving force that made Christ endure excruciating physical pain if not his love for us? Similarly with the shame of the Cross. For the Lord of the Universe infinitely good deserving all our love to endure the outrage of insult, hatred, utter contempt and humiliation required heroic virtue, virtue perfected as Aquinas says upon the Cross. Cardinal Dizwisz notes in his article John Paul II bore his extreme infirmity and I may add disfigured appearance quite well, almost as a badge of courage as I perceived him in Rome. Whether endurance of physical or emotional pain differs I’m convinced either is won by love. That the contempt of that love was the cause of greatest suffering for God who is love. Now to the centurion who said, Surely this was the Son of God. Dr Huizenga perceives this as a contemptuous remark, a reasoned opinion by a scholar deserving consideration, whereas Mark and Matthew apparently paint a different picture. Mark, “When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, This man truly was the Son of God!” He witnessed a man who forgave the repentant thief, forgave his torturers, called out to God at the moment of death. No pleading for mercy, no anger. All the virtues perfected in a man as Man is called to be. That, I submit the recognition of the divinity in Christ’s manner of suffering indicated by the Roman centurion’s response reveals the saving power of the Cross begin its work of redemption for the gentile world. In like manner I’m convinced John Paul II was well aware of his heart rendering, even salvific example for priest and layman addressed by Dziwisz evident in his persistence in suffering the shame and physical pain of the Cross of Christ.