Jesus In Pain On Good Friday Not His Own But Those Across The Border And In Kashmir, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.
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PRESS RELEASE
Thousands Pray for Government Intervention
Prayer, Fasting and Mortification Mark Huge Silver Jubilee
India's Only Good Friday Dramatization on Mumbai's Streets
Focus on Kashmiri Christians - Good Friday is not a holiday in J & K
Hundreds of Christians trudged a grueling and arduous walk, over around 7 kilometers in scorching heat, starting out from Sacred Heart Church in suburban Mumbai's Khar West, while a troupe of Christian activists enacted scenes, believed to have happened on the first Good Friday. The walking pilgrimage which started in the morning at around 10 am concluded in the evening at around 4 pm and the procession with tableaus wended its way through the lanes of Khar, Santacruz, Vakola and Kalina. The crucifixion dramatization near St. Anthony's Church, Vakola, moved many to tears, even as they stood still barefooted at the end of a fulfilling spiritual experience. The march was organised by The Catholic-Christian Secular Forum (CSF), which also drove home a political message to the government, praying for its attention. Good Friday for instance, which is internationally a holiday, has not been declared so in J & K, where Christians are being religiously cleansed.
The silver jubilee was marked with almost double the number of pilgrims, with even children, women, priests and nuns joining in to partake in portrayal of the torture and death of Jesus Christ, enacted through a musical played out on the streets. The faithful prayed and mourned for the intention of the day - Christians as victims of governmental neglect and persecution. Speaking on this 2012 theme, Joseph Dias, who started this tradition 25 years ago, which has not found a parallel in the country said, "even though the community contributes majorly towards ameliorating the lot of the poor and needy, the government apathy towards Indian Christians is taking its toll. A Christian way to deal with the issue is to first solemnly fast and intercede with God, which is what we are doing today. Jesus told us to pray for our persecutors and this is a public display of our hurt sentiments and a cry justice. The community being ignored is determined not to take it lying down".
Thousands of passer-byes were witness to the Calvary (place where Jesus was crucified) story, with biblical characters acting out the arrest and the last few hours before Jesus's death. Similar enactments are known to happen in the Philippines and Latin America, with a couple of Christians actually being nailed to a cross, to experience in a small way the suffering of Jesus on the first Good Friday. In India though, Joseph Dias, general secretary of The CSF, pointed out that it was the only one of its kind and was also started since many non-Christians believed that Good Friday is a feast, rather than a day of mourning. He pointed out that "while fundamentalists of various hues and colours are persecuting Christians, the inaction and official neglect by the government is appalling; as Christians have their human rights violated and are not given their due. But, the example of Jesus and Christianity commands us not to retaliate, but express ourselves in a non-violent manner. As a micro minority, with miniscule numbers to be politically influential; the government seems to take us for granted. This march signals the heralding of Christians as politically active citizens".
The annual Lenten observance was the culmination of over 40 days of fasting, sacrifice, abstinence and religious fervour, as many pilgrims looked forward to a new hope, that the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday brings, which was also enacted. The Stations of the Cross, as the devotion is called stopped still at 3 pm, believed to be the time, when Jesus died or the moment of grace to pray for the intentions and the theme. The focus was also on Christians in Kashmir, who were being purged from the valley and undergoing severe persecution from fundamentalists and anti-national forces. Other forms of discrimination faced by the community mentioned were those of Dalit Christians, anti-conversion laws, targeted violence, economic deprivation, social boycott, etc.
The 15 Stations of the Cross enacted sequences such as - the arrest of Jesus, Jesus being sentenced by Pontius Pilate, the falls of Jesus, Jesus meeting the women of Jerusalem, his mother and disciples at the cross, Veronica wiping the face of Jesus... This, the community felt was a dignified Christian way protesting against the subtle and not so subtle attacks on the community.
For more info or photos, contact:
The Catholic-Christian Secular Forum (CSF)
Joseph Dias, Gen. Sec. +91 9769555657
