Mar 29

Mar 29 Way of the Cross

Chicago, Demonstrations, Performance, Protest, Public Declarations

On Good Friday, groups throughout the world gather to re-enact Christ’s Triumphal March to Crucifixion. Probably the most extreme re-enactment takes place in the Philippines, where they literally nail people to crosses. As John Lennon once sang, “Whatever gets you through the night.”

In Chicago, there is a massive re-enactment in Little Village, where the participants are appropriately costumed, but no one undergoes physical torment. So, when I saw that there would be a procession of the cross originating in Daley Plaza, I decided to check it out, hoping to photograph a barefoot man with a crown of thorns carrying a large cross. My only question was whether he would be attired in a loin cloth or a flowing white robe-like garment.

When I arrived shortly before the 9:00 AM start time, I was disappointed. No Roman soldiers with whips. No bare-chested Christ figures. Just a bunch of people wearing puffy parkas, gloves, and head coverings. Spring might have arrived on the calendar, but cold was in the air. Even the officiants were plainly attired. No silk-embroidered robes or mitres. As for the Christ figure, just a regularly attired guy holding a large wooden cross. Throughout the next 2.5 hours, the cross-carrying honors shifted among other similarly attired men.

If not clear, I have a strong preference for theatrical religious ceremony, which may explain why I once found myself inside a store behind the Pantheon in Rome that dresses Catholic Church officiants—it has since changed locations. They kicked me out—you needed a letter from an archbishop or other high-ranking official to purchase the merchandise. I was not going be an archbishop for Halloween that year.

Had I been a peasant during the Middle Ages, I would have been the model church goer—overwhelmed by the majesty of the architecture and music, while staring, with my mouth agape, at the stain-glass windows depicting key moments in the Bible for us illiterates.

This re-enactment was sponsored by Communion and Liberation (CL), a lay ecclesial movement that dates to 1954. The Chicago chapter gathers weekly for catechesis and discussion, and then monthly for an assembly.

I had assumed the group would march around the block, but I was in for a pleasant surprise given recent events. Over the last six months, the world has been bombarded by horrifying images coming out of Israel and Gaza—first the slaughter in Israel on October 7, 2023, followed by six months of death and destruction in Gaza, with over 30,000 Palestinians killed to date, including many children. Even if a permanent ceasefire went into effect today, the death toll would still grow astronomically once recovery teams combed through the concrete rubble that once comprised apartment buildings.

Add to the actual devastation, all the fallout throughout the world. Rallies, marches, street shut downs, and other forms of civil disobedience. Anger is in the air, and not just from the war in the Middle East. Donald J. Trump continues to inflame his base with offensive rhetoric and imagery. The War in Ukraine rages on, and Vladimir Putin continues his autocratic reign of suppression, with Alexei Navalny being his latest victim. Let’s not forget Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who today celebrated the one-year anniversary of his arrest by Russian authorities. Oh, did I mention the war in Sudan?

Bottom Line: I don’t recall a period filled with anywhere near the negativity that the world is experiencing today, which is why what started as a visually boring procession turned into an uplifting event, even for those of us who aren’t Catholic. The group immediately won me over in Daley Plaza. Despite a portable sound system, the choral group sounded fantastic—rich, harmonious tones, with the Latin adding an air of mystery.

After a rather short service, the group proceeded to march toward the river. One of the television cameramen asked me if I knew where they were headed. I had no idea, but started following the processional. As I quickly deduced, they were headed to Holy Name Cathedral, but before arriving, the group stopped in front of the re-opened Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, the Wrigley Building Plaza, and Jane Bryne Park, the site of the Old Water Tower.

As we walked, I thought to myself, they are doing the stations of the cross, Chicago style. Turns out I was in tune with the organizers. When I later read the 36-page pamphlet filled with songs and readings, I noticed that it referred to each stop as a ‘station.’ There seems to have been a misprint in the pamphlet, but Daley Plaza was the First Station, with Holy Name Cathedral being the Fifth Station. At each station, there was prayer, singing, and reading.

Of the four Gospels, the group apparently has a strong preference for the Gospel of St. John. At each station, someone read a portion of the one non-Synoptic Gospel.

Over the last nine years, I have been enrolled in a Great Books Program at the University of Chicago (Graham School), so I have been exposed to the gospels, the Bible, Plotinus, Boethius (Consolation of Philosophy), St. Augustine (the Confessions and the City of God), Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologiae), Hildegarde of Bingen (Scivias), Dante Alighieri (Divina Commedia), and James Joyce (Ulysses) among other philosophers and religious writers. Something rubbed off, because although I am not a Catholic, the words that people were speaking had far more resonance than they did when I would stumble into a service while visiting one of the great cathedrals in Europe or the Holy Land. The references to the Church Militant, the Church Triumphant, the crowing cock, Golgotha, and Judas made much more sense, particularly in the context of Good Friday.

Apparently, the group shares my distress over our troubled times. I believe it was Bishop Jeffrey Grob who read the following words in Daley Plaza:

There is noise and confusion in the streets today. It is the very noise and confusion of our city, where we spend our days. We need to desire great attention in order to follow Jesus and to fix our gaze on the event of his passion. . . . This is why we suggest maintaining silence all along the Way of the Cross, a silence in front of God dying for us, a silence that isn’t merely not speaking, but is the simplest, purest way to beg to recognize His presence in our daily life.

In other words, put down your screens so that you can use the walk for reflection. Everyone present did just that, which created a hopeful atmosphere during the procession. While the event lacked the visual spectacle on display in the Philippines and Little Village, it packed a far greater punch.

When the group arrived at the Wrigley Building, there was evidence of the “noise and confusion in the streets” awaiting them. The pro-Palestinian forces have been using sign trucks at their demonstrations for the last five months. Today, a pro-Israeli sign truck was parked on Michigan Avenue outside the Wrigley Building. I asked the driver whether his truck’s presence was orchestrated to coincide with the Way of the Cross processional. He told me it was purely coincidental.

Even though I don’t buy into the religious doctrine, I left the event feeling a bit more hopeful, which makes perfect sense after attending over 30 demonstrations during the last six months that were filled with angry chants and rhetoric. I had not planned to stay for the full service, but it was an enjoyable and uplifting experience.

Both WGN-TV and ABC News 7 covered the walk, as well as the Little Village processional. When the two stations aired their stories, 90% of the footage was devoted to the Little Village processional. While CL obviously isn’t seeking spectacle, there are several things that they could do to improve the visuals if they are interested in wider media coverage and the increased attendance that might follow. Specifically, the group should:

Lose the fluorescent vests—maybe two or three for safety, but there were far too many vests.
Position the choir in a line rather than a circle so more faces are visible.
Use ceremonial dress. Officiants should look like officiants.
Lose the bluejeans.

For my money, I would love to see the person holding the cross outfitted with a crown of thorns. But my suggestions and wishes are mere quibbles. Keep up the good work.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]