What is Good About Good Friday? A Response to the Question of God’s Goodness in Light of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross

“Do not be afraid to receive Christ and his Cross” — these words, uttered by John Paul II in his homily at the beginning of his pontificate on October 22, 1978, foreshadowed the direction of his entire life and teaching. For him, the cross was not a symbol of defeat, but a way to love. And Good Friday — not the end, but a mysterious passage towards the resurrection. The article The cross is not the end. About suffering and Good Friday in the lig…

What is Good About Good Friday? A Response to the Question of God’s Goodness in Light of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross

Over the years, I have been asked the question of whether God is truly good, knowing that He sent His Son to the earth to be tortured and killed. The thought of death as divine justice or a father approving the killing of his son in such a manner has challenged both the converted and the critic. Some notable figures have mocked the idea of Good Friday as “good”, due to Christ’s crucifixion. Friedrich Nietzsche famously declared, “God is dead,” s…