Stations of the Cross

As the sun began to set over Madrid, one and a half million young people gathered along Paseo de Recoleto for the Stations of the Cross with the Holy Father despite the fact that it was 37 degrees celsius in Madrid. 

Even though the Way of the Cross was happening along a three block stretch of the city, kilometers of walkway around the area were jam packed with pilgrims chanting “Benedicto” and “we are the Pope's youth.” The Holy Father smiled as his popemobile drove from Plaza Colon to Plaza Cibeles.

The Stations were dedicated to youth around the world facing various difficulities. Each station was dedicated to a different challenge faced by young people around the world. Young people from the Holy Land, Iraq, Spain, Albania, Rwanda and Burundi, Sudan, Haiti and Japan carried the WYD cross from station to station along with unemployed youth, youth who have overcome drug addiction and those who service people with HIV/AIDS.

In a short reflection after the stations Pope Benedict XVI told the young people gathered for the celebration, “you are open to the idea of sharing your lives with others, so be sure not to pass by on the other side in the face of human suffering, for it is here that God expects you to give the best of yourself: your capacity for love and compassion.”