Pope Leo XIV carried a wooden cross through all 14 stations of the Good Friday Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum, becoming the first pontiff in over three decades to bear the cross for the entire ceremony.
The 70-year-old American-Peruvian pope revived a tradition last observed under John Paul II, who carried the cross from 1980 to 1994. Subsequent popes abandoned the practice due to the physical demands and their advancing age.
More than 30,000 faithful gathered for the hour-long procession, which began inside the Colosseum and concluded at the Roman Forums. The ceremony, illuminated by torches and marked by contemplative silence, was punctuated only by meditations at each station.
The meditations, written by Franciscan Francesco Patton who served as Custos of the Holy Land from 2016 to 2025, delivered pointed messages to those wielding political and economic power. The texts warned that all authority must answer to God for how power is exercised.
Donde hay un sufrimiento o necesidad, allí están las mujeres: en los hospitales y en las casas de ancianos, en las comunidades terapéuticas y de acogida, en las casas hogar con los menores más frágiles, en los lugares más remotos de la misión para abrir escuelas y centros de salud, y en las zonas de guerra y conflicto para socorrer a los heridos y consolar a los supervivientes
Good Friday meditation — Infobae
The meditations challenged believers to recognize Christ's face in those whose dignity is violated, including prisoners, migrants, victims of violence, exploited women, and children affected by conflicts. References to contemporary tragedies such as migrant shipwrecks and human trafficking wove through the stations.
At the first station, representing Jesus's condemnation to death, Pope Leo emphasized that rulers must account to God for their use of power and resist the constant temptation to abuse authority or pursue glory.
Vatican officials noted that Pope Leo's physical fitness — he remains an avid swimmer and tennis player at 70 — enabled him to carry the cross throughout the lengthy procession. The decision marked a deliberate return to papal tradition after years of modified ceremonies.
The ceremony carried particular resonance as the first Holy Week following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, just after Easter Sunday. Francis had established the tradition of visiting prisons on Holy Thursday and maintained special connections with inmates throughout his papacy.
During each station, the Lord's Prayer was recited in Latin, accompanied by readings emphasizing that faith must translate into concrete actions. The procession route from the Colosseum, symbol of early Christian martyrdom, to the Roman Forums underscored themes of sacrifice and witness.
Pope Leo will celebrate his first Easter Mass as pontiff on Sunday, completing his inaugural Holy Week as the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics. The Good Friday ceremony established early signals about his approach to papal traditions and physical engagement with ceremonial duties.
Tagesschau presents the ceremony as Pope Leo's first Way of the Cross leadership, noting his personal carrying of the cross and including references to his warnings about current wars. The coverage focuses on the ceremonial significance and papal messaging.
Infobae provides detailed coverage emphasizing the revival of papal tradition and the ceremony's scale with 30,000 attendees. The outlet highlights the social justice themes in the meditations and connects the event to Pope Francis's legacy.
NOS Nieuws frames the story around the historical significance of a pope carrying the cross for decades, noting Pope Leo's physical fitness. The coverage includes Vatican highlights and contextualizes the tradition within papal history.