Pope Francis celebrated the Good Friday liturgy “Passion and Death of the Lord” in St. Peter’s Basilica. The head of the Catholic Church officially presided over the celebration, but the sermon was given by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the official preacher of the papal house. St. Peter’s Basilica was well attended on the occasion of the celebration on Good Friday commemorating the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The pontiff, wrapped in a red robe, was wheeled into St. Peter’s Basilica in a wheelchair, which he has been using for a long time because of his severe knee problems. He therefore also refrained from lying down in front of the altar and praying, as is actually customary at the beginning of the Good Friday liturgy. This gesture is considered a sign of worship and prostration to God. Instead, Francis remained in silent prayer for a few moments.
Not present at the Stations of the Cross due to cold temperatures
However, Francis did not take part in the traditional Way of the Cross devotion in front of the Colosseum. The pontifex gave up taking part in the procession against the backdrop of the ancient amphitheater at short notice. Because of the “great cold these days” he will not follow the Stations of the Cross on site, it said. The 86-year-old will join the prayers from the Vatican.
Francis was only released from the hospital last week after almost three days of treatment for bronchitis. A day after his discharge from the hospital, he was already leading the Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square. During his public appearances over the past few days, the pontiff has occasionally been seen coughing.
During the Way of the Cross prayers in the evening, messages of peace were read out by two young people from Ukraine and Russia. Part of the way, a young man with a Ukrainian flag around his neck carried the cross. The Vatican wanted to send a sign of peace on the evening of Good Friday. In general, the wars and suffering in the world were the focus of the devotions in front of the ancient amphitheater.
The devotional remembers the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. A procession leads past the Colosseum over 14 stations, which recreates the suffering of Jesus – from his condemnation to death to crucifixion and burial. The Colosseum was impressively illuminated in the late evening.
