The Via Crucis on Good Friday, which returns to the traditional scenario of the Colosseum after two years of Covid, risks turning into a diplomatic incident for the Pope and the Holy See.
In fact, confusion has spread among Ukrainian institutions over the decision to have a Russian and a Ukrainian family carry the cross together.
The Ukrainian embassy in the Vatican expressed the opposition to this decision by the Pope: "We understand and share the general concern in Ukraine and in many other communities about the idea of bringing together Ukrainian and Russian women in carrying the Cross during the Via Crucis on Fridays at the Colosseum, ”tweeted Ambassador Andrii Yurash. "We are now working on the issue trying to explain the difficulties of its implementation and the possible consequences," he added.
The inclusion of a Russian and a Ukrainian among the families carrying the cross, together in the thirteenth and penultimate station, was announced yesterday, the fact of having the representatives of the two countries at war travel jointly a stretch of the Via Crucis was to be a sign of closeness, sharing, the wish for harmony and peace. But a reaction was triggered on the Ukrainian side that perhaps had not been foreseen.
And now in the Vatican there is embarrassment, no official reaction to the ambassador's statements. The only comment is that of Father Antonio Spadaro, director of Civiltà Cattolica: “We need to understand one thing: Francis is a pastor not a politician. He acts according to the evangelical spirit, which is one of reconciliation even against all visible hope during this war of aggression defined by him as sacrilegious. "For this reason he also consecrated Ukraine and Russia together to the Heart of Mary", he explains.
The families chosen to carry the cross are those of a Ukrainian nurse, Irina, in the Palliative Care Center "Together in the care" of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital Foundation in Rome, and of a Russian student, Albina, of the degree course in Campus Bio-Medico University Nursing.
THE TESTIMONY - “Our friendship was born within the palliative care department 'Together in the care' - explains Irina -. From the first moment, our bond was very natural. A friendship was born spontaneously. When we met shortly after the war began, Albina came to the ward. I was on duty. Our gaze was enough: our eyes filled with tears. I always get excited when I remember that Albina has begun to apologize. At that moment he was truly inconsolable. I couldn't console her. She felt guilty and apologized. I reassured her that she had nothing to do with all this ".
