Leo XIV revives the tradition of carrying the cross in a crowded Via Crucis at the Colosseum

Pope Leo XIV on Good Friday revived the tradition of carrying the cross during all stations of the Via Crucis at the Colosseum, a gesture not seen since 1994, before thousands of faithful gathered around to witness one of the most spectacular ceremonies of Holy Week in Rome. In front of more than 30,000 faithful, according to local authorities, Leo XIV presided, for the first time in his pontificate, over one of the most solemn ceremonies of Holy Week, marked by a plea against war and abuses of power in the "meditations" along the fourteen stations of the Via Crucis. The rite, which commemorates Jesus's ordeal from his death sentence to his burial, began inside the Flavian Amphitheatre, a symbol of the martyrdom of the first Christians. The Pope walked inside the monument, illuminated by the dim light of candles, in an atmosphere of silence and contemplation, where only the traditional meditations at each station were heard. Dressed in the red mozzetta and stole, the American-Peruvian Pope walked the route flanked by a man and a woman carrying candles, followed by a religious procession that included the vicar general of the diocese of Rome, Baldassare Reina. After leaving the interior of the Colosseum, the pontiff headed towards the elevation of the Roman Forum, flanked by thousands of faithful who were waiting with lit candles. The ceremony concluded with Leo XIV in front of the cross in the Forum area, from where he imparted his blessing. The route, lasting more than an hour, was carried out entirely with the pontiff carrying the wooden cross, thus reviving a tradition not seen since 1994, during the pontificate of John Paul II. A message against war and abuses of power For his first year presiding over the celebration, the American-Peruvian Pope commissioned the "meditations" guiding the Via Crucis to friar Francesco Patton, who was the custodian of the Holy Land until last June. The text, read along the fourteen stations, served as a warning to the world against tyranny, authoritarianism, and the excesses of political power, although without citing specific names or countries. Through the prayers, the "disaster of war," "genocides" were denounced, and pleas were made for women victims of trafficking, migrants who drown in "desperate journeys," and "children without childhood" due to current conflicts. Patton's text also included a direct criticism of the entertainment industry and sensationalism, denouncing the "commodification of nudity" and the violation of people's privacy in search of an audience. The presence of Robert Prevost at the Colosseum also marks the physical return of a Bishop of Rome to the emblematic monument for this ceremony, something that had not happened since 2022, due to Pope Francis's health problems. Upon concluding the rite, Leo XIV greeted local authorities, including the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, and returned to the Vatican, where he will continue the Holy Week rites tomorrow with the celebration of the Easter Vigil.