Pope Leo XIV will carry the cross through all 14 Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum on his first Good Friday as head of the Catholic Church. This will be the first time in several decades that a pope will carry the cross during all seasons.
“I think it will be an important sign for what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in today’s world, and for this voice that says that Christ still suffers,” said Leo XVI this week, at the retreat he held in Castel Gandolfo, cited by AP. “I carry all this suffering in my prayers,” he added.
John Paul II was the last church leader who carried the cross throughout the procession. He did this from his first Good Friday as pope in 1979 until his hip surgery in 1995. At that time, he carried it only part of the way, according to reports at the time.
During his first two years as pope, Benedict XVI carried the cross at the first station inside Rome’s Colosseum, then followed other bearers in the procession that ends on a platform on the Palatine Hill.
In turn, Pope Francis never carried the cross, but participated in the procession until the moment his health deteriorated, which led to his death last year, on Easter Monday, April 21.
It should be noted that Pope John Paul II was only 58 years old when he assumed his pontificate, when he was known for his fondness for hiking and outdoor activities. his two successors were in their late 80s when they took office, and Francis was missing part of a lung due to a lung infection in his youth.
At 70 years old, Leo XVI is in excellent physical shape, being a tennis player and swimmer. Before becoming pope, he used to exercise regularly at a gym near the Vatican.
Crowds are expected this Friday, April 3, around the Coliseum for the Way of the Cross, which commemorates the last hours of Jesus’ life, from his condemnation to death to the moment he carried the cross, his crucifixion, death and burial. The procession ends outside the Colosseum, at the top of Palatine Hill.
Leave a Reply