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Pope Carries Cross
Pope Leo XIV personally carried the wooden cross through all 14 stations at the Colosseum.
“Pope Leo XIV plans to personally carry the wooden cross through all 14 stations”
About 30,000 faithful gathered with countless more following worldwide.
He carried the cross for nearly two hours, the first pope to do so in decades.
John Paul II last carried it for the entire procession from 1980 to 1994.
Meditations on Power
The meditations directly challenged those who wield power.
Jesus unmasked every human presumption of power.
The power to start or end a war, to instill violence or peace.
All authority must answer to God for the way it is exercised.
Call for Peace
Leo's address was at the Colosseum, a symbol of martyrdom turned into prayer.
He called for peace in the Middle East and addressed the threat of escalating war.
The pope's self-presentation contrasted sharply with Trump's expansion of the war.
