"This week, a cathedral in the French town of Gap displayed a sculpture that depicts Jesus Christ sitting in an electric chair.
Good Lord! (Or mon Dieu, in this particular case.)
The sculpture, by London artist Paul Fryer, is titled "Pieta," though anyone expecting a resemblance to Michelangelo's masterpiece of the same name (or any other pieta, for that matter) is definitely in for a surprise.
Made of wax, wood and human hair, the sculpture portrays Jesus in a quasi-crucifix pose except that instead of on the cross, he is slumped unconscious in a modern-day electric chair.
In an article in Le Monde, the Monsignor Jean-Michel di Falco explained that he wanted "to make us aware once more that someone being nailed to a cross is a scandal. Usually, we no longer feel any real emotions in the face of something truly scandalous, the crucifixion."
He added that he was overjoyed to see "a large number of people who normally don't step foot in a church line up at the cathedral."""This week, a cathedral in the French town of Gap displayed a sculpture that depicts... more
Orthodox Christian clergymen and pilgrims are marking Good Friday in Jerusalem's Old City, at the site where they believe Jesus was crucified on this date two millennia ago.
Protestants and Roman Catholics marked Good Friday last week. But members of Orthodox Christian churches follow a different calendar.
Black-robed Greek Orthodox clergymen held wooden crosses as they...(Continue Reading: http://linkbee.com/GoodFriday)Orthodox Christian clergymen and pilgrims are marking Good Friday in Jerusalem's Old... more
Catholics in the Philippines have been recreating the passion of the Christ for Good Friday.Catholics in the Philippines have been recreating the passion of the Christ for Good... more
A multi-faith room at HMP Lewes will not have a crucifix in case it offends people of other religions. The room will have a plain wooden cross and a portable altar which can be removed if others are using the room.
A new prison chapel has been stopped from having a crucifix in case it offends Muslims.A multi-faith room at HMP Lewes will not have a crucifix in case it offends people of... more
Is the Shroud of Turin -- which allegedly bears the image of a crucifixion victim -- the burial cloth of Jesus?
In 1988, science seemed to put that question to rest.
Radiocarbon dating by three separate laboratories showed that the shroud originated in the Middle Ages, leaving the "shroud crowd" reeling. Shroud skeptics responded, "We told you so." The Catholic Church admitted that it could not be authentic. Many scientists backed away.
But John Jackson, one of the shroud's most prominent researchers, was among those who insisted that the results made no sense. Too much else about the shroud, they said, including characteristics of the cloth and details in the image, suggested that it was much older.
Twenty years later, Jackson, 62, is getting his chance to challenge the radiocarbon dating. Oxford University, which participated in the original radiocarbon testing, has agreed to work with him in reconsidering the age of the shroud.
If the challenge is successful, Jackson hopes to be allowed to reexamine the shroud, which is owned by the Vatican and stored in a protective chamber in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.Is the Shroud of Turin -- which allegedly bears the image of a crucifixion victim --... more
Sebastian Horsley holds forth on his views on drugs, suicide, crucifixion and life and death in general.Sebastian Horsley holds forth on his views on drugs, suicide, crucifixion and life and... more
"The body of Padre Pio is on display for the veneration of the faithful in a part-glass coffin in the crypt of the old Church of St. Mary of Grace at San Giovanni Rotondo in the Apulia region in southern Italy on April 24, 2008. The Italian saint is a cult figure for millions around the world as many Christians believe had permanent sores on his hands similar to the stigmata, or the wounds of Jesus Christ's crucifixion." "The body of Padre Pio is on display for the veneration of the faithful in a... more
