Crucifix or Plain cross? We Catholics leave the corpus on our crosses. When we stand before a crucifix, we stand with Jesus crucified, John the Beloved, Mary the Mother of Jesus,Mary wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalen. The other followers of Christ were absent. Being absent, they would not have seen the flowing of blood caused by thorns and nails, the wine mixed with gall. They would not have heard Jesus’ desperate cry to His Father. They would not have heard Jesus’ words to John, “Behold your Mother”, giving her status as the Church's Mother.The disciples who left the execution later witnessed the risen Christ, but not the suffering one. While both Protestants and Catholics worship a risen Jesus, we Catholics,using the crucifix, symbolize those who did not abandon Jesus.