Pope Leo carries cross for all 14 stations during Good Friday procession

Pope Leo XIV carried a wooden cross through all 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum during Good Friday observances, completing the entire procession himself rather than delegating portions to other clergy. This marked his first Good Friday as pontiff and the first time in decades that a pope has walked every station of the traditional Catholic devotion commemorating Jesus Christ's path to crucifixion. The physical act underscores the new pope's commitment to hands-on participation in major liturgical observances and signals a departure from recent papal practice, where popes have typically shared the cross-carrying duties among multiple participants. Leo XIV's decision to carry the cross for the full 14 stations carries symbolic weight, particularly given the physical demands of the ritual, which involves a procession through Rome's ancient amphitheater and meditative stops at each station.