Pontiff resumes practice abandoned decades ago in ceremony that remembers the 14 final moments of the life of Jesus Christ
Pope Leo 14 carried a wooden cross throughout the Via Crucis procession at the Coliseum, in Rome, this Friday (April 3, 2026). The act marks his first time at the head of the Catholic Church and resumes a practice that had not been carried out by a pontiff for decades.
The ceremony recalls the 14 final moments of the life of Jesus Christ, from condemnation to burial.
Before the procession, the pope prayed on the floor of St. Peter’s Basilica for several minutes. The gesture demonstrates respect and adoration in the staging of the Passion of Christ. The pontiff also washed the feet of 12 priests.
Unlike other dates, there is no mass on that day. The celebration is centered on the liturgy of the Word, the adoration of the cross and communion.
Watch the moment the Pope carries the cross (1min10s):
Tradition resumed after decades
John Paul II carried the cross during the entire procession starting on his 1st Good Friday as pontiff, in 1979. He maintained the practice until 1995, when he underwent hip surgery. After that, he carried the cross only part of the way.
Benedict 16 adopted a different approach in the first 2 years of his pontificate. He carried the cross only at the 1st station, inside the Colosseum. Then he followed the procession along with other participants until it ended on Palatine Hill.
Francis never carried the cross. He participated in the procession until his health worsened. The pontiff after a long illness in 2025, on a Monday after Easter Sunday.
