Pope Leo Makes History Carrying Wooden Cross for All 14 Stations
Pope Leo XIV made history this Good Friday by being the first pontiff in decades to carry a wooden cross for the 14 Stations of the Cross.
Flanked by two torchbearers, video showed the Holy Father carrying the cross throughout the hour-long procession that took place inside the Roman Colosseum and continued through crowds outside before ending with a final blessing on Palantine Hill. Take a look:
“I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in the world today, and for that voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says that Christ is still suffering,” Leo told reporters this week. “I carry all this suffering in my prayer. »
Nearly 30,000 Christians gathered outside the Colosseum to watch the procession – the first in which the Holy Father carried the cross in its entirety since Good Friday in 1995, following Pope John Paul II’s hip surgery.
“Pope John Paul II was only 58 years old when he became pope, and was known as a hiker and outdoorsman. His two successors were in their 70s when they began their pontificates, and Francis was missing part of one lung due to a chest infection as a young man,” CBS News noted.
“At 70, Leo is in good physical shape and an avid tennis player and swimmer. Before becoming pope, Leo trained regularly in a gym near the Vatican, with a plan worthy of a man in his fifties, according to his former trainer,” he adds.
The Vatican published on its website the words spoken by the Holy Father during the Stations of the Cross procession.
“The Stations of the Cross wind through the narrow streets of the Old City of Jerusalem, allowing us to trace Jesus’ path from the place of his condemnation to that of his crucifixion and burial, which is also the place of his resurrection,” the introduction says.
“This route is not reserved for the devout or those seeking a quiet space to pray. On the contrary, as in the time of Jesus, we find ourselves walking in a chaotic, distracting and noisy environment, surrounded by people who share our faith in him, but also by those who ridicule or insult him. This is the reality of our daily life,” he adds.
The Holy Father also became the first pope in 13 years to wash the feet of priests on Maundy Thursday.
