The Way of the Cross in the Vatican Gardens
Together as Pilgrims of Hope
Walking together through the Vatican Gardens behind the Cross to remember and relive the most painful moments of Christ’s Passion. As is tradition, again this year during Holy Week, the Governorate of the Vatican City State promoted the pious devotion of the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross).
On Tuesday, April 15, led by Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General, the working community of the Governorate made "this journey together in the hope of a promise, the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5)”. The central message of the Jubilee is the horizon of our Lenten journey toward the Easter victory, as Pope Francis highlights in his Message for Lent 2025.
Starting from the Piazzale del Governatorato, along a route immersed in nature, all the way to the Grotto of Lourdes, the employees prayed, reflected, and commemorated the Passion. The stations were narrated by the various Directorates or Central Offices, each led by their respective chaplain. As usual, the Events Coordination Office organized the program.
At the end of the 14 stations, Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate, delivered a short reflection, and Archbishop Emilio Nappa, Secretary General, gave his blessing to those present, among whom was Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Almoner of His Holiness.
Among the participants were attorney Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, Secretary General, along with Directors, Deputy Directors, Office Heads, and chaplains of the various Directorates and Central Offices.
Below is the reflection from Sister Raffaella Petrini:
Dear brothers and sisters,
We have walked together as the People of God and in communion with Christ. In the 14 stations, we retraced the steps that led Jesus to His Passion and death. In contemplating the mystery of suffering and the Cross, we were invited to enter into the love of God, manifested in His Son. The Church showed us how to follow Christ, step by step, in the battle He faced to redeem us from our sins.
The Way of the Cross unites us all and makes us stand in solidarity with the Savior, who offered His life to free us from evil and sin. Since the beginning of the Church’s history, the memory of Jesus’ final hours has been a subject of reflection and meditation. The piety of the faithful has found in the Via Crucis a means to express devotion and gratitude for the mystery of redemption.
The Way of the Cross, however, is a journey that can only be completed in light of Jesus’ Resurrection. It is with this certainty that we have relived the dramatic moments of the Lord’s Passion. The Resurrection illuminates and reveals the mystery of the Cross and allows us to proclaim, together with Christ, that we have already won. Yes, we can say it—we have already won, because Christ has conquered death, and those who live in Him share in His victory. In this sense, the Via Crucis is nothing less than a spiritual pilgrimage, expressed through walking, meditation, and intercessory prayer.
To experience the sentiments of Christ, to enter into the depths of the Father's love, this journey is necessary—station by station. The outer journey invites us to undertake an inner one. It is a matter of letting ourselves be led along the path Jesus walked and entering more deeply into our calling as His disciples, as Saint Francis of Assisi did. For the Poor Man of Assisi, the Passion was the light that guided him through the course of history. He once wrote to express his deep emotion before the Crucified: "I weep for the Passion of my Lord. Out of love for Him, I would not be ashamed to go weeping and sobbing throughout the world.”
Just like Saint Francis, the Way of the Cross has made the Gospel scenes of the Passion come alive for us. The pilgrimage we have just completed together was accompanied by prayer. We brought before the Lord not only our personal needs but also all the suffering, trials, and hopes of our families, loved ones, and so many brothers and sisters around the world. It was a prayer of intercession for Pope Francis, to whom we send our affectionate thoughts, and for his Petrine ministry.
After contemplating Jesus on the road to Calvary, our hearts rise up in prayer like Saint Francis:
"You are our hope. You are our charity. You are all our sweetness. You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord, Almighty God, merciful Savior."
To all of you present here, I take this opportunity—also on behalf of the Secretaries General—to wish you a holy Triduum and a peaceful Easter celebration.
