Vatican Updates on Pope Leo XIV’s Role in Holy Week

Pope Leo XIV will carry the cross throughout the Via Crucis procession on Good Friday, a significant event in the Christian calendar, as announced on Tuesday. This marks his first Holy Week as archbishop of Rome; he became pope just after last year’s Lent and Easter.

Good Friday is a day of deep reflection and prayer for Christians, commemorating Jesus’s crucifixion. Believers worldwide participate in the Via Crucis, praying and contemplating the 14 stations that trace Jesus’s journey to Golgotha.

Traditionally, the Pope leads the Via Crucis at the Colosseum in Rome. In recent years, however, due to health issues, the previous Pope, Francis, shifted away from leading the processions. Instead, he offered meditations for each station. Previous popes, including Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II, did carry the cross during certain Good Friday ceremonies but not throughout the entire ritual.

Pope Leo XIV expressed to reporters that carrying the cross symbolizes the weighty responsibilities church leaders bear. “I think this will be an important sign, as it represents the spiritual leadership in our world today and reflects Christ’s ongoing suffering. I carry these sufferings in my prayers,” he shared. He emphasized the need for people of goodwill to unite in peace, inspired by Christ’s sacrifices.

This year, he highlighted that Easter should be a sacred time, although, unfortunately, many suffer from violence and hardship globally, affecting innocent lives, including children.

Even though it’s his first Holy Week leading the Church, Pope Leo has had opportunities to bear the cross in various Catholic events. For instance, he lifted the Holy Cross during the Jubilee Year of Youth last August and previously led a procession into St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Vatican also shared that Father Francesco Patton, a Franciscan who recently served as Custos of the Holy Land, will write this year’s meditation for the Via Crucis. His decision seems aimed at supporting Christians in the Middle East, particularly following the recent escalation of conflict in the region.

Father Patton noted, “Being a Christian in the Holy Land is a calling, especially where Christians face persecution. Our role is to show God’s merciful nature and uphold the dignity of all individuals, created in His image, regardless of their backgrounds.”

He added that his reflections are meant to inspire contemplation and potentially transformative change rather than cast judgment.

During his first year as pope, Leo has focused much of his attention on Christians facing persecution and those caught in wars in the Middle East. His inaugural international trips included visits to Turkey and Lebanon, where he commemorated the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and met with victims of ongoing conflicts.

“As we reflect on the Lord’s Passion, we must remember those who share in His sufferings today,” the Pope stated recently, stressing solidarity with Middle Eastern Christians enduring immense strife and often hindered from fully practicing their faith.