Pope Leo the first pontiff in decades to carry the cross for full Good Friday procession

Pope Leo XIV carried a large wooden cross to observe the 14 Stations of the Cross, a Catholic tradition for the Friday before Easter. He was the first pope in decades to carry to cross for the full procession. 

The tradition is meant to symbolize Jesus Christ’s suffering during the final hours of his life, including his death sentence, carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem, death, and burial.

Thousands gathered in Rome to watch the Good Friday procession, which started near the city’s ancient Colosseum.

Pope John Paul, who was 58 when he became pope in 1978, carried the cross for the entire procession every year until 1995, when he had hip surgery. His successors — Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis — were in their late 70s when they were chosen as pope, never carried the cross for the full procession. But the sitting pontiff participated in the ceremony every until 2025, when the gravely ill Francis was bedridden in his final days. 

Pope Leo, 70, is an avid tennis player and swimmer. 

Along with Christmas, the week before Easter is among the most important periods on the Catholic calendar.