Where did Jesus go on Holy Saturday?
Shutterstock
After Jesus died on the cross, what happened next? What happened on Holy Saturday?
We all know that Jesus rose on the third day, but what happened in between? In fact, we profess every Sunday that Jesus, “descended into Hell,” or as it is sometimes translated, “descended to the dead.”
The Catechism offers some clarity on this much-misunderstood topic.
Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, ‘hell’ – Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek – because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into ‘Abraham’s bosom’:
‘It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham’s bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell.’ Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.
‘The gospel was preached even to the dead.’
The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
While the Catechism’s words bring light to this hidden period in Jesus’ life after death, there is an ancient homily from Holy Saturday, not attributed to any source, which animates the scene brilliantly and can help us enter into the mysterious events following Good Friday. Below is printed the full text of the ancient homily.
Awake, O sleeper
What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam’s son.
The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
Rise
‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.
‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.
See my hands
‘See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.
‘I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.
‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
‘The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.’
"Ratzinger's behaviour in the case of Father Kiesle and dozens of others where he denied sexual abuse, concealed it,"
ReplyDeleteGene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent: THIS NEVER HAPPENED.
Yes it did. Otherwise why did he apologise in the following terms:
“I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness. I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate." [Source: Politico website February 8th 2022].
Or are you claiming that Ratzinger lied?
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent: He did not apologise for the Kiesle case as he was not at fault.
Prove it - oops, sorry, you can't, as all the FACTS are against you.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent: Very sad history here in the Catholic Church.
VERY SAD HISTORY?? you blasphemous bastard - the rape and buggery of hundreds of small children is not VERY SAD HISTORY:
It is an appalling record of SYSTEMATIC INSTITUTIONALISED CRIME, emotionally if not physically murderous, EXCUSED, CONCEALED, MITIGATED AND ABETTED by Joseph Ratzinger and dozens of other members of the senior Catholic hierarchy whose Christian duty it was to seek out and extirpate the crimes at which they, in effect, connived. You smarmy, two-faced, bastard.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent: "especially when compared to the exemplary record of safeguarding in the Church of England".
Ah, yes, "whataboutery" - the last resort of someone who knows that he has been routed and can think of nothing else to say. The Church of England's record in safeguarding is disgraceful in many respects, and the recent attempts of the archbishops to prevent independent scrutiny of safeguarding complaints are a renewal of that disgrace.
But none of that excuses or mitigates Ratzinger's repeated criminality in his own backyard.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent: More lies. Cardinal Ratzinger never apologised for the Kiesle case. He did nothing wrong. Read the facts.
BOLLOCKS. He apologised in the following terms:
“I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness. I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate."
[Source: Politico website February 8th 2022].
When, in 1985, Ratzinger refused to unfrock Fr Stephen Kiesle, he shirked his "great responsibility" and abused his "mandate" for "the greater good of the church" - that is, to avoid at all costs any publicity for this man's continued rape and buggery of small children.
By doing so, he enabled Fr Kiesle to continue as Youth Minister at St Joseph's, Penole, CA, for three more years, which makes Ratzinger responsible for abetting the rape and buggery inflicted on defenceless small children in that parish.
FACT.
"By doing so, he enabled Fr Kiesle to continue as Youth Minister at St Joseph's, Penole, CA, for three more years, which makes Ratzinger responsible for abetting the rape and buggery inflicted on defenceless small children in that parish."
ReplyDeleteNO HE DID NOT. You are getting nowhere repeating these lies. Put the blame where it belongs - on the State of California.
Why are you refusing to accept he State of California's culpability?
Well, we all know why,
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent lies again: "NO HE DID NOT. You are getting nowhere repeating these lies. Put the blame where it belongs - on the State of California."
DeleteBollocks, Gene. Had Ratzinger unfrocked Kiesle in 1985, Fr Thomas Ryan of St Joseph's Church, Penole, California, would have been compelled to remove him from the Youth Ministry at his church. By refusing to do this, in the interests of keeping the rape and buggery of small children by his priests out of the headlines, Ratzinger enabled Kiesle's continued rape and buggery of small children at St Joseph's church for a further three years.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent lies again: "Why are you refusing to accept he State of California's culpability?"
I do not refuse to accept that the state of California shares the culpability in the case of Fr Kiesle.
But the key word is SHARED: had Ratzinger unfrocked Kiesle in 1985, the abuse of children at St Joseph's would not have continued for a further three years.
That is a FACT, no matter how often you deny it.
“I can only express to all the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness. I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate."
ReplyDeleteHas any Archbishop of Canterbury expressed such a humble apology for the horrendous paedophilia crimes and cover ups in the Church of England? No. Thought not.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent is caught out in yet another lie:
DeleteFrom The Independent, October 5th, 2022:
"Leading Archbishops have apologised and spoken of their “profound shame” after a review found hundreds of “new” cases of alleged abuse by Church of England (CofE) officials, mostly against children and vulnerable adults. The CofE said independent reviewers assessed 75,000 files, some dating back to the 1940s, as it published the national Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) on Wednesday. The report identified 383 “new” cases of alleged abuse, which included cases which had been dealt with previously but in a way which did not meet modern safeguarding standards. Of these cases, 168 related to children, 149 to vulnerable adults, and 27 cases were recorded as fitting both these categories.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued the following statement:
"It is always with great sadness and profound shame that we, again and again, come face-to-face with the brokenness and failings of our church in its day-to-day interactions and in its processes and leadership."
Up yours, you lying bastard.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York issued the following statement:
ReplyDelete"It is always with great sadness and profound shame that we, again and again, come face-to-face with the brokenness and failings of our church in its day-to-day interactions and in its processes and leadership."
Meaningless cant - and you know it.
"It is always with great sadness and profound shame that we, again and again, come face-to-face with the brokenness and failings of our church in its day-to-day interactions and in its processes and leadership."
ReplyDeleteHow could you present this shallow and canting waffle as anything to be compared to the humble and heartfelt apology from Pope Benedict XVI?
So you admit that Ratzinger owed the children raped and buggered by Stephen Kiesle an apology for his cowardly refusal to unfrock him in 1985. This enabled Kiesle to go on taping and buggering children at St Joseph’s Penole for three more years.
ReplyDeleteAt last you admit it, you mug.
"So you admit that Ratzinger owed the children raped and buggered by Stephen Kiesle an apology for his cowardly refusal to unfrock him in 1985. This enabled Kiesle to go on taping and buggering children at St Joseph’s Penole for three more years.
ReplyDeleteAt last you admit it, you mug."
I ADMIT NOTHING OF THE SORT! Pope Benedict XVI did not apologise for the Kiesle case. He was not to blame and you know it. It is so obvious why you are refusing to admit the guilt of California in this case.
In my opinion neither you or the fiendish Dawkins care two hoots about those who were abused. You just want to find a way to damage the Catholic Church.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent cited
ReplyDelete"the humble and heartfelt apology from Pope Benedict XVI"
offered in 2002 for his extensive role in excusing, mitigating and concealing the sexual abuse of children during his papacy 2005 - 2013, and previously to that as head of the Congregation of the Faith 1981- 2005.
By citing this apology as "humble and heartfelt", Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent acknowledges and concedes that Joseph Ratzinger had good reason to feel "profound shame [and] deep sorrow" and offer a "heartfelt request for forgiveness".
Among the transgressions for which Ratzinger felt profound shame and deep sorrow, and for which he made a heartfelt request for forgiveness was his inaction, as head of the Congregation of the Faith, over the crimes of Fr Stephen Kiesle, whose request for laicisation, brought to his attention in 1985, he ignored for three years, during which time Fr Kiesle, working as a Youth Minister in a church in Penole, CA, continued his criminal career as a sexual abuser of children.
Joseph Ratzinger's apology, issued in 2022, thus nobly, generously [but far too late] acknowledged his responsibility for prolonging Fr Kiesle's abusive career, one among many other cases dating back to his Archbishopric in Munich [1977 - 1982].
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent lies again: "It is so obvious why you are refusing to admit the guilt of California in this case."
As I have said several times already I do NOT refuse to accept that the state of California shares the culpability in the case of Fr Kiesle. But the key word is SHARED: had Ratzinger unfrocked Kiesle in 1985, the abuse of children at St Joseph's would not have continued for a further three years. That is a FACT, no matter how often you deny it.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent lies again: "In my opinion neither you or the fiendish Dawkins care two hoots about those who were abused."
As with your pathetic whataboutery regarding the church of England, this nasty personal insult is totally without foundation - a typical piece of Gene Vincent arseholery.
Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent lies again: "You just want to find a way to damage the Catholic Church."
I cannot speak for Dawkins, whom I regard as nearly as outstandingly an unpleasant piece of work as you. But for myself, the notion that I wish to damage the Catholic Church is beyond preposterous. It is the church of my wife, and the church into which my son was baptised and confirmed. But neither of those facts prevents me from facing the truth about its appalling record in the matter of the sexual abuse of children, and of the responsibility of Ratzinger, among others, for failing to do anything about it until doing nothing became an untenable position.
And not the least preposterous part of your accusation that I wish to damage the church is the self-importance that leads you to think that anyone actually READS this apology for a blog; or than anyone who reads it takes any notice of it. What damage can I, an anonymous nonentity like you, do to an organisation the size of the Catholic Church? you fucking idiot.
And in any case, if anyone damages the Catholic Church every time he opens his mouth, it is you - your dirty minded bigotry, your rancid sexual intolerance, your prurient obsession with sodomy, your unnatural interest in homosexuality and above all the bombastic dogmatism that you think entitles you to lay down the law as to how everyone else should live their lives. What a pompous, canting twat you are.
Had you faced the fact two weeks ago that, whatever his merits might have been, Ratzinger failed in his duty of care to the abused children in Fr Kiesle's "care" in California, then this dispute would have ended there and then. As it is, YOU have dragged it out, YOU have ensured that it sprawls across your blog and YOU are ensuring that it will continue to do so until you acknowledge the truth.
I will not apologise for telling the truth, and I will go on telling it until you acknowledge that it is the truth.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, I continue to wait for your answer to this:
"Detters can we leave A.N. WILSON and ARIANNA HUFFINGTON behind?"
Not until you have dealt honestly with this example of your lying bastardy:
'Gene writes beautifully - something not always the case with authors of trail-blazing literary works.' [A.N. WILSON]
'I was enthralled. A new star has shot into the literary firmament. [ARIANNA HUFFINGTON]
When you are going to admit that you have made these reviews and their authors up? Make no mistake: I am going to keep on asking until you tell the truth, or I lose patience, inform Mr Wilson and Ms Huffington and let nature take its course.
Reply
Cardinal Ratzinger made no apology for the Kiesle case. Why would he? He was not responsible for any wrongdoing - but the State of California was. Your failure to acknowledge this speaks volumes.
ReplyDeleteYou will always be a lying tosser Detterling.
"Cardinal Ratzinger made no apology for the Kiesle case. Why would he? He was not responsible for any wrongdoing - but the State of California was. Your failure to acknowledge this speaks volumes."
ReplyDeleteWould you like hyphens between the syllables, fuckwit?
"As I have said several times already I do NOT refuse to accept that the state of California shares the culpability in the case of Fr Kiesle. But the key word is SHARED: had Ratzinger unfrocked Kiesle in 1985, the abuse of children at St Joseph's would not have continued for a further three years. That is a FACT, no matter how often you deny it."
"Among the transgressions for which Ratzinger felt profound shame and deep sorrow, and for which he made a heartfelt request for forgiveness was his inaction, as head of the Congregation of the Faith, over the crimes of Fr Stephen Kiesle,"
ReplyDeleteShow me the text of the apology he made in respect of the Kiesle case. Oops! Sorry, I forgot. You can't because it doesn't exist.
Once again you are shown to be a lying tosser
Oh, dear, Gene, it must be really difficult being you at the moment. You have been factually refuted time and time again, and no matter how often you try to rebut those facts, I keep coming back to that bruise on your scrotum and keep hammering away at it:
DeleteHad Ratzinger unfrocked Kiesle in 1985, the abuse of children at St Joseph's would not have continued for a further three years.
That is a FACT, no matter how often you try to deny it.
As for this desperately ridiculous effort: - show me the text of the apology he made in respect of the Kiesle case. Oops! Sorry, I forgot. You can't because it doesn't exist. - dear me, Gene, can you really be that stupid?
Ratzinger's apology in full reads as follows [my footnotes}:
“I can only express to all the victims [1] of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness. I have had great responsibilities [2] in the Catholic Church. All the greater is my pain for the abuses [3] and the errors [4] hat occurred in those different places [5] during the time of my mandate."[6]
1 ALL THE VICTIMS, Gene: victimS, plural: you can tell this by the S on the end of the word. All the victims of sexual abuse that occurred during Ratzingers time as Archbishop of Munich [1977- 1982] and later head of the Congregation of the Faith and Pope - that is, 1985 - 2013. The phrase "ALL THE VICTIMS therefore must include the victims of Stephen Kiesle between the years 1985-1988, when Ratzinger failed to unfrock Kiesle.
[2] I HAVE HAD GREAT RESPONSIBILITES [see 1 above]: and one of those was to detect, root out and expel priests and others in the Catholic Church whose favourite hobby was buggering small boys and raping little girls. These GREAT RESPONSIBILITIES obviously include those children abused by Stephen Kiesle after Ratzinger failed to unfrock him in 1985.
[3] THE ABUSES - these must include the abuses committed by Stephen Kiesle after Ratzinger failed to unfrock him [unless you can prove differently, Gene?].
[4] THE ERRORS - these must include Ratzinger's failure to unfrock Kiesle in 1985 and probably his failure to alert Fr Thomas Ryan that he was allowing a convicted paedophile rapist to minister to the young people in his church.
[5] THOSE DIFFERENT PLACES - except, of course at St Joseph's Church, Penole, CA, where Stephen Kiesle, still a priest, continued to abuse children during the years 1985-1988 - Ratzinger made it clear that his apology did not include this, didn't he, Gene, and you can prove that, can't you? What's that? oh, you can't? Dear me, and YOU call ME a lying tosser...
[5] DURING MY MANDATE: that is, during the years 1985 - 2013.
It is clear to anyone whose mind has a greater ratiocinatory capacity than a pair of skid-marked underpants that Ratzinger was apologising for all the sexual abuse committed on his watch 1985-2013 by priests whom he failed either properly to oversee, accurately to diagnose and condignly to punish, as well as arranging for their being unable to access children and young people ever again.
"I can only express to ALL the victims of sexual abuse my profound shame, my deep sorrow and my heartfelt request for forgiveness."
It's that word ALL that gives it away, Gene: I'm sorry if it's confusing.
Oh, and don't bother with this kind of thing any more:
"Once again you are shown to be a lying tosser".
Do you seriously imagine that I care a two-penny fuck for what a monumental shit-bag like you, with a diseased mind and a rancid soul, thinks of me or anyone else? Stuff your pissy little opinions up your arse. I will not apologise for telling the truth, and I will go on telling it until you acknowledge that it is the truth.
He never mentions the Kiesle case. Because he was not to blame. And he apologises genuinely for the failures of the Catholic Church. Unlike the C of E Archbishops of Canterbury.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cheek you had in presenting that waffle and cant purporting to be an apology for the C of E failings.
To repeat: neither you nor Dawkins give a hoot about the abused. You just want to harm the Catholic Church.
I have said it before and I'll say it again: there are some out there who hate the Catholic Church so much that they would travel to the ends of the earth to find one Catholic priest with an unpaid parking fine so is their determination to hurt the Church
And here it is: Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent in all his grubby, petty, savage nastiness:
ReplyDelete"I have said it before and I'll say it again: there are some out there who hate the Catholic Church so much that they would travel to the ends of the earth to find one Catholic priest with an unpaid parking fine so is their determination to hurt the Church."
What kind of appalling human being opines that the buggery of small boys and the rape of little girls by Catholic priests is a sin morally equivalent to parking on a double yellow line?
I'll tell you who: Gene "Nominal Catholic" Vincent, the Russell Brand of theology.
"What kind of appalling human being opines that the buggery of small boys and the rape of little girls by Catholic priests is a sin morally equivalent to parking on a double yellow line?"
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of appalling human being posts such evil as this?
There are no depths to which you won't sink Detterling.
"He is apologising for ALL the abuse that went on during his mandate - 1985 - 2013."
ReplyDeleteYes, he apologized for all. That does not mean that he was involved in all or guilty for all.
You are not very bright are you Detterling?
Oh, piss off, you pompous cunt.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't take it then you shouldn't hand it out. The post above is exactly the sort of shit you have levelled at me for the past fifteen years and then smarmed out of it by claiming that it was "rip-roaring badinage in the spirit of good humoured to and fro." So stuff your faux indignation up your arse.