The Positivity of Christian Faith
... to New York

Three thousand people on the Brooklyn Bridge for the Way of the Cross all the way to Ground Zero. A sure testimonial of what it means to be Christian today. A firefighter’s words, the unexpected presence of the Mayor of New York, the unforeseen message from John Paul II… and a corner of The New York Times

Dearest friends:
his is the testimony that the Holy Father has given to the entire Movement and the entire world, a powerful and masterful testimony to the positivity of Christian faith in a violent and desperate world.
Through the Cross of Christ, the truth and force of the love of God rises up, invincible “in justice, in forgiveness, and in peace.”
Welcoming the Mystery of redemption, together with our great Pope, let us let the mercy of the Lord fill us with the grace and joy of Easter.
Fr Giussani

In union of prayer I shall be close to all who gather today for the Stations of the Cross beginning at St James’ Cathedral in Brooklyn and ending at Ground Zero, remembering before God the dead and the individuals and families affected by the terrible violence of September 11th last, with its aftermath of pain and suffering. Christ’s Cross stands as the profoundest possible divine word about God’s love for humanity: when we are weak, then we are strong (cf 2 Cor 12:10), with the very strength of God. It is this strength of love, justice, forgiveness, and peace that I invoke upon the American people and upon the world as we celebrate the mysteries of our redemption. May the hearts and minds of all making this journey in the footsteps of Christ be filled with the certainty of Easter grace and joy.
Joannes Paulus PP II