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Further to my letter, The Cross That Jesus Carried (April 3), some posted comments online without even bothering to read and understand the Gospels. In my study (The Sunday Times, March/April, 2009), I had gone in depth, quoting from the four Gospels and historical writings. Before taking me to task, those who bothered to comment should at least have checked the facts.

I must reply specifically to Bishop and Theologian Barry Harding-Rathbone and Francis Sammut. Both are mistaken when they treat this subject purely from the historical aspect while ignoring the Gospels. On His way to Calvary, Jesus was helped by “a man of Cyrene named Simon” who was forced to take up the cross. Thus, Jesus did not carry the cross all the way, even though the distance from the Praetorium to the hill of Calvary is relatively a short journey. It was standard practice for the soldiers to seek help in those cases where the accused was carrying the full cross. (Vide Mt 27: 35; Mk 15: 21; Lk 23: 26.)

The crossbeam on its own would weigh only 75-125 pounds (35-60 kilos) but a whole cross would weigh well over 300 pounds (135 kilos). This would explain why those made to carry the whole cross would have been given help, as was the case with Jesus when Simon of Cyrene was ordered to carry the cross on His behalf.

There are absolutely no historical references that any help was ever provided to those carrying the crossbeam only, apart from the fact that the condemned would already have been nailed to it.

Again, those carrying only the crossbeam would have been stripped naked. For the Romans and the Jews, the state of being paraded naked in public was already a punishment but, in the case of Jesus, the Gospels are very clear that Jesus was stripped of his clothes once He had arrived on Calvary and before he was nailed on the cross (vide Mt 27: 31).

Thus, it is not just a question of interpretation but of what the Gospels tell us. Therefore, if one has to depict Jesus with the cross this must invariably be done according to the Gospels.

Anything else would be heretical, independent of any artistic licence or inverted modern trends. The question is: what is going to happen to the paintings and statues that give this heretical depiction? Will pageants continue to give the wrong interpretation?

Anyone who would like to obtain a copy of my study can apply by sending an e-mail to saidfransh@yahoo.co.uk.