Michael Kelly
Bishop Cullinan carrying the cross in Waterford. Róise McGagh
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan walked through an empty Waterford City yesterday morning carrying a large cross over his shoulder in commemoration of Good Friday.
He invited people to take out their own cross, crucifix or light a candle and spend some time in silent prayer.
“Some people stopped some knelt, there is something about the cross which strikes us all. The cross is always something awkward to talk about, in one sense its always out of place and yet, it is true to say it is also totally relevant no matter who we are, all of us know something about the cross, our burdens in life,” said Bishop Phonsie.
In an interview broadcast later that day the bishop spoke of how Easter is a time to remember Christ’s sacrifice and that suffering with love eventually leads to a greater glory.
“Our nations knows a lot about sacrifice these days,” he said on RTÉ, “but the sun will rise again, just as Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, rose from the dead on Easter Sunday almost 2,000 years ago.”
In his message of hope for Saturday, broadcast on the Waterford and Lismore Diocese YouTube channel he spoke of Our Lady and her sorrow at the death of her son.
“Her son is killed unfairly unjustly though he did only good he is treated horribly. How many people in our world are treated badly, unjustly unfairly?,” he said.
“For people of faith we know that resurrection will come but no matter who you are, with faith or without, we all struggle in life. We live in a tension a tension between the good and the bad; the tension between what we know life could be life and what life actually is like.
“We know deep down there is more,” said Bishop Phonsie, resonating with the difficulties of being restricted in this extended crisis.