(ZENIT News / Rome, 03.26.2024).- 21 years after John Paul II himself drafted the text for the 2003 Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum, Pope Francis does so for the first time for the 2024 Stations of the Cross.
This was announced by Vatican media. Benedict XVI did not write a Stations of the Cross as Pope, but he was responsible for the text used in 2005, one of the most remembered for its denunciation of «dirt in the Church» (referring to sexual abuse). John Paul II was not only the author of the 2003 Stations of the Cross but also of the Jubilee Stations of the Cross in the year 2000.
The theme around which Pope Francis drafted the Stations of the Cross, which is not yet public, is «In Prayer with Jesus on the Way of the Cross.» These reflections will accompany the fourteen stations that recall Jesus’ journey to Golgotha, focused on meditation and spirituality with Jesus as the focal point.
Unlike previous years, where current issues such as human trafficking or war were addressed, this year’s meditations will have a broader focus, although they will still reflect situations of suffering.
Pope Francis’ decision to personally take on the drafting of the Stations of the Cross seems to be linked to the Year of Prayer proclaimed as preparation for the Jubilee of 2025.
Given the cold weather in Rome this Easter 2024, the presence of the Pope at the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum is expected, but not confirmed.
The texts of the meditations will be distributed on March 29, and more details will be revealed about who will carry the cross along the stations. Throughout Pope Francis’ pontificate, the meditations for the Stations of the Cross have been written by various authors: from young people to prominent figures in the Church, addressing different topics related to faith and humanity.
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