The Vatican modified part of the Stations of the Cross in Rome after comments from Ukraine. As a sign of brotherhood, two friends from Ukraine and Russia participated in a Good Friday party together, but there was criticism beforehand about the script they would utter.

As Catholics walk the Way of the Cross, they meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus. In the presence of Pope Francis, a procession through the Roman Colosseum established connections with contemporary suffering, such as the immigration crisis and the war in Ukraine. Friends Irina and Albina were talking about reconciliation between their countries.

And the Kyiv archbishop considered this word inappropriate “because we are waiting for a second, even more bloody attack from the Russian troops.” So he found the text “offensive”. The Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See also found the text inappropriate.

Although the Vatican did not respond to the criticism, it emerged during the liturgy that the text had been omitted. Instead, the two women called for silent prayer. “In the face of death, silence is the most telling.” The Pope called for forgiveness in his remarks. “Let the adversaries shake hands so that they both be forgiven. Let loneliness replace hate.”

This was the first time since the outbreak of the Corona pandemic that the “cross-the-cross” could traditionally be kept again. Several thousand pilgrims came.