Vatican: Russian and Ukrainian families to carry the cross on Good Friday

This year, a Ukrainian and a Russian family will carry the cross in a procession in Rome, which is traditionally held on the eve of the Catholic Easter led by the Pope, reports vaticannews.va.

The religious procession will take place on Good Friday, April 15, in the Colosseum. Pope Francis has invited family members of a Ukrainian and a Russian citizen, who have worked together for many years at a hospice in Rome, to take part in the ceremony.

"These women have lived in Italy for about 20 years and are now working together in a palliative care unit, helping patients who, at first sight, can no longer be helped. The words of these women, which they address every day to those suffering, express hope for peace," the Vatican press office reported.

The procession in Rome, which takes place annually on Friday before Catholic Easter, symbolizes the path of Jesus Christ from the place of judgment to Golgotha. A large wooden cross is carried in the solemn procession. The prayer ceremony is called the Service of the Cross, or the Way of the Cross (Via Crucis).

As earlier reported, the Pope will “consecrate” Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a feast based on Catholic heresy.

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