Havana, Cuba, Apr 17, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Huge numbers of Cubans turned out for Good Friday celebrations last week, including the Way of the Cross and processions, in the historic district of Havana, as well as in numerous other Cuban cities.
During the commemorations in Havana, Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, recalled that “we celebrate the One who came to do battle for love, for good and for justice,” and he emphasized that “all the crosses of our life find an answer in the Cross of Jesus.”
Large images of Our Lady of Sorrows and the Crucified Christ were carried through the streets, while hundreds of pilgrims followed in procession singing and praying.
The procession included the praying of the Way of Cross, with onlookers following from balconies above the streets. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Cardinal Ortega delivered a moving homily.
After being outlawed for almost forty years, the Cuban government finally re-authorized Holy Week processions after the 1998 visit by Pope John Paul II.
As of press time, exact figures of procession participants were not available.
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