Pope Benedict XVI prays shrine of the Virgin Mary at the pilgrimage chapel in Etzelsbach, eastern Germany

Marian sanctuary of Etzelsbach

Dear Fr. Edward,   
Thank for your Email and its sermon for  the Saturday Our Lady.
I am happy with the peroration which fills up the News of the Marian Shrine at Etzelsback and the illustrating , illuminating the German pictures.
Yours,
Donald

Etzelsbach Shrine of Our Lady, East Germany

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: edward booth . . .
To: Donald . . .
Sent: Sunday, 25 September 2011, 22:24
Subject: Benedict XVI in Germany

Dear Father Donald,
I have checked that the whole sermon with photographs for the Sisters
has been attached, and I hope that it arrives safely.
The TV transmission from Etzelsbach was beautiful ! I think that if
you hit the "Germany" Medallion on the first page of the Vatican
web-site you will find a connection. If not try the document as
provided by the the Bulletin of today of the Press Office.

Blessings in Domino,

fr Edward O:P.

 +++

Saturday of Our Lady 24 September

By Fr. Edward Booth OP

          It is possible to bring together the gospel of today with some very pertinent thoughts about Our Lady. We can approach the matter like this. Those prophesies about the coming passion of Our Lord: were they known to Mary? Had they been discussed together by her and the apostles, especially after the death of Jesus, because they did not share the same privileges. Those of Mary were very great.... 

Wallfahrtskapelle Etzelsbach

. . ..

          This is why it is so difficult to portray Mary's sufferings. One feels that Michelangelo had reflected on this question and how she would have reacted when the dead torso of Jesus was placed, with all of its still flowing blood on her lap. Michelangelo shows her face as virginal but without pain. I was watching the visit of the Holy Father yesterday afternoon to a Marian place of Pilgrimage at Etzelsbach just outside Erfurt. The Pope gave a beautiful and most perceptive meditation based on the pietá which was there. This was published by the Vatican Press Office in the course of today. It is of carved wood, not stone like the marble of Michelangelo's statue. The body of Christ with the Crucifixion wounds lies on her lap stiffly.  Her face is that of a middle-aged woman. The eyes are clear and still, but are not touched searing pain because she sees more deeply than that. All credit to the artist (probably local) who had not solved the problem by making her virginal, but pure, wise and experienced and communicating deeply in the sufferings of her Son.

Etzelsbach had already found its way before the day's end into Google images, and I found an image of the statue which proved difficult to reproduce. Also pictures of the chapel itself and of the Pope arriving SCV1 from the nearby landing site with an impressive group of German army helicopters: the Pietá had been transferred from the chapel to a specially raised altar in a large field, and a very large photograph of it was also displayed next to it.

On Saturday morning, together with more photos of the Pope's visit, I had found a better photograph of the statue in itself and a photograph of Benedict XVI with the statue.  

Pope Benedict XVI prayes at a shrine of the Virgin Mary during a vesper service at the pilgrimage chapel in Etzelsbach, eastern Germany on September 23, 2011, the second day of the Pontiff's first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope,...

Holy Father address at Vespers, Etzelsbach Germany 

Etzelsbach-Marian-Shrine