Pope Leon XIV presided over the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome, the first papal participation since 2022, following Pope Francis’s health-related absence.
Papal Gesture of Solidarity
Pope Leon XIV explained that the gesture of carrying the cross at each station symbolizes bearing the suffering and pain of people worldwide. This marks the first Way of the Cross with papal participation since 2022.
For the past three years, Pope Francis was unable to attend the Colosseum ceremony due to health concerns.
Reflections on Global Conflict
Pope Leon XIV entrusted the preparation of the meditations for each station to Italian Franciscan Father Francesco Patton, former Custos of the Holy Land. This choice holds particular significance given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the substantial limitations on organizing Holy Week observances in Jerusalem due to security concerns.
A World Marked by Suffering
Father Patton’s reflections presented a stark image of the world, encompassing wars, massacres, genocide, and the grief of mothers mourning their children. He highlighted the suffering caused by the “cynicism of tyrants,” authoritarian regimes, and authorities who believe they can control the lives of others.
Accountability of Power
Father Patton also wrote that “Every authority will have to answer before God for the way in which it exercised the power it received: the power to judge, but also the power to unleash or end war, the power to educate for violence or peace, the power to fuel the desire for revenge or reconciliation, the power to use economics to oppress nations or liberate them from misery, the power to trample on human dignity or protect it, the power to promote and defend life or reject and destroy it.”
Inspiration from St. Francis
The author drew inspiration from the Gospel and the writings of Saint Francis of Assisi, commemorating the 800th anniversary of his death. The Pope delivered remarks at the conclusion of the service, held amidst the suggestively lit Colosseum, where extraordinary security measures were in place.
Papal Discussions with Israeli and Ukrainian Presidents
Pope Leon XIV, presiding over the Good Friday ceremonies for the first time, spoke by phone earlier in the day with the presidents of Israel and Ukraine, Isaac Herzog and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Calls for Peace and Solidarity
The Pope urged the Israeli leader to end the current conflict in the Middle East and assured President Zelenskyy of his closeness to the Ukrainian people. Zelenskyy reiterated his invitation to the Pope to visit Kyiv, and both expressed hope for achieving a “just and lasting peace.”
