It is his first Via Crusis after being elected the Pope in mid-2025.
On Good Friday (April 3) at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Pope Leo XIV led the Way of the Cross through the candlelit ruins of the ancient Roman building.
During which, there were around 30,000 faithfuls that joined the solemm occasion on site, which also marked the first time the Pope led the tradition since he was proclaimed the leader of the Catholic Church in May 2025.
He also made a record by becoming the second Pope to carry the Cross for the entire Via Crucis, which was last done by now-Saint John Paul II from 1980 until 1994.
As the Pope carried the Cross around the edifice, passages from the Gospel were read, along with brief excerpts from the writing of St. Francis and meditations, which were then written by Fr. Francesco Patton.
The Via Crucis is a tradition being held at the amphitheatre built in 80 AD, which was consecrated as a Catholic church.
Each year, the Pope and the faithful of Rome gather at the Colosseum to make the spiritual pilgrimage through the fourteen Stations of the Cross that recall Jesus’ death and burial.