Stations of the cross depicted in pictures of injustice from around the world

Chilean photo journalist Carlos Reyes Manzo has put together a remarkable set of pictures from around the world representing the stations of the cross.

The stations, on display at Harecourt United Reformed Church in north London, begin with Jesus in condemned to death depicted with the picture of a prisoner bound in South Africa at the funeral of 21 other prisoners who died in a cell fire during a protest for the right to vote in the 1994 elections.

The fourth station: Jesus meets his mother is reflected in a picture of Rosa Elvira Franco Sandoval, mother of María Isabel Velíz Franco 15, who was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered in Guatemala in December 2001. 

The scene of Simon of Sirene taking the cross is reflected in a 1996 picture that Carlos took of people migrating Nepal to India in search of work.

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem is reflected with a picture of mothers marching for justice for their missing and murdered daughters on VDay  Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in 2004.

The crucifixion scene is captured with a picture of a man terminally ill in Uganda with HIV/Aids.

Jesus dies on the cross is represented by a picture of eight crosses in the desert in Mexico. These crosses were put up in Lomas de Poleo, Mexico, where the bodies of eight young women were found in 1996.

The Salvation Army hostel for the homeless Mumbai, India 1996 is used to represent Jesus being taken down from the cross.

The final image of Jesus being laid in the tomb is reflected in a picture of  the family mourning the death of a teenager  killed by the paramilitary police in Brazil.

The pictures are drawn from Carlos work documenting scenes of injustice across the world over the past 40 years, from Latin America, the Middle East and Africa to the streets of London.

Carlos recalled how Jesus became a refugee in Africa. “So why are we treating African refugees as criminals,” said Carlos.  

 *The station will be open for viewing at Harecourt URC, 12 St Pauls Road, N1 2LR during Holy Week Monday March 30th--Thursday April 2nd 2-6pm Good Friday from 12-6pm (service from 2-3.30pm)


13/3/2015
"Dramatic stations of the cross captured in photo exhibition" - see Universe
"Injustice stations of the cross" - see Catholic Times