ROME (AP) — During his inaugural Good Friday as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV will personally bear the wooden cross throughout all 14 stations of the Way of the Cross ceremony at the Colosseum, becoming the first pope in decades to carry the cross for the complete procession.
Speaking to reporters this week outside the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, Leo explained his decision: “I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in the world today, and for this voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says Christ still suffers. I carry all of this suffering in my prayer.”
Historical records show that John Paul II bore the cross throughout the entire ceremony from his inaugural Good Friday in 1979 until undergoing hip surgery in 1995, after which he carried it only partially through the procession.
During his papacy’s first two years, Benedict XVI carried the cross solely for the opening station within the Colosseum, then walked behind other carriers in the procession that concludes on a platform atop the Palatine Hill.
Pope Francis never bore the cross during the ceremony but took part in the procession until his declining health prevented participation. Francis passed away following an extended illness last year on Easter Monday, which occurred on April 21.
When John Paul II assumed the papacy at age 58, he was recognized as an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast. His two successors began their papal terms in their late 70s, and Francis had lost part of a lung due to a respiratory infection during his youth.
Leo, now 70, maintains excellent physical condition as a dedicated tennis player and swimmer. Prior to becoming pope, Leo maintained a regular workout routine at a Vatican-area gym, following a fitness regimen typical of someone in their early 50s, his former trainer reported.
Large crowds are anticipated to assemble outside the Colosseum for the Way of the Cross ceremony, which honors the final hours of Jesus’ earthly life, spanning from his death sentence through bearing the cross to his crucifixion, death and entombment. The procession concludes outside the Colosseum on the Palatine Hill.
Rev. Francesco Patton, who served as custos (custodian) of the Holy Land from 2016-25 and was responsible for overseeing sacred sites, authored the meditations that will be recited at each station.
In his introduction, Patton wrote: “The Way of the Cross is not intended for those who lead a pristinely pious or abstractly recollected life. Instead, it is the exercise of one who knows that faith, hope and charity must be incarnated in the real world.”
On Holy Saturday, the pontiff will oversee Easter vigil ceremonies at St. Peter’s Square and guide Roman Catholics into Christianity’s most celebratory observance honoring Christ’s resurrection.
Easter Sunday will see the pope celebrating an outdoor Mass in St. Peter’s Square before delivering his Easter message and offering the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to the city of Rome and the world.
