PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV carries the cross at the Via Crucis in the Colosseum
Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to “live our lives as a journey” and prayed for the Church to “follow in the footprints” of Christ as he walked the Via Crucis on April 3.
The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, the first time in four years the figure of the Supreme Pontiff has been present at the amphitheater.
At the Colosseum, Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful to 'live our lives as a journey' in Christ's love
Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to “live our lives as a journey” and prayed for the Church to “follow in the footprints” of Christ as he walked the Via Crucis on April 3.
The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, the first time in four years the figure of the Supreme Pontiff has been present at the amphitheater.
Due to health concerns, Pope Francis last participated in person at the Colosseum in 2022, appearing via video after that.
Leo told media earlier in the week that the event “will be an important sign, given what the pope represents: a spiritual leader in today’s world — a voice to proclaim that Christ still suffers.”
"And I, too, carry all of this suffering in my prayers,” the pope said.
The Via Crucis meditations for 2026 were written by Father Francesco Patton, the former Custos of the Holy Land. The reflections noted that “every authority must answer before God for the manner in which it exercises the power it has received,” including “the power to initiate a war or to end it” and “the power to trample upon human dignity or to safeguard it.”
“Each one of us, too, is called to answer for the power we exercise in our daily lives,” the meditations said.
At the conclusion of the Way of the Cross, the pope quoted Saint Francis of Assisi in praying that God would “give us miserable ones the grace to do for you alone what we know you want us to do and always to desire what pleases you.”
“Inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,” the pope prayed.
This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica
VATICAN — Pope Leo XIV presided over the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion in St. Peter’s Basilica on Good Friday during which the preacher of the papal household exhorted Christians to “approach the Lord’s cross without fear.”
The liturgy began with the pope lying prostrate before the cross and then unfolded in three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the cross, and Holy Communion.
There was no opening antiphon; the solemn liturgy began with silent prayer, the unifying thread through the entire celebration.
After the proclamation of the Gospel of John’s account of Christ’s passion, the papal preacher, Father Roberto Pasolini, OFMCap, delivered a homily.
‘The greatest act of love’
“In a time like ours, still torn apart by hatred and violence, when even the name of God is invoked to justify wars and deadly decisions, we Christians are called to approach the Lord’s Cross without fear — indeed, with full trust — knowing that it is a throne upon which one sits and learns to reign with him by placing one’s life at the service of others,” Pasolini said.
“If we can hold fast to the profession of this faith, then our days too will be able to give voice to the songs of both joy and suffering, that mysterious score of the Cross in which the notes of the greatest love can be clearly recognized,” he continued.
The preacher recalled that the day’s liturgy invites Catholics to contemplate the Passion: “Yet the Cross of Christ risks remaining incomprehensible if we look at it only as an isolated fact, as a sudden event. In reality, it is the highest point of a journey, the fulfillment of an entire life in which Jesus learned to listen to and welcome the voice of the Father, allowing himself to be guided day by day all the way to the greatest act of love.”
“Jesus is the man of sorrows who knows suffering well — no violence, no resort to force, no temptation to destroy everything and start over from scratch. We know how difficult it is to embrace such a mission. We are tempted to use aggression and violence, thinking that without them nothing can ever be resolved. But only meekness is the true strength for confronting the darkness of evil,” he continued.
Example of the Servant Songs
In his homily, Pasolini referred to the Servant Songs, four poetic texts found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (42, 49, 50, 52–53), which describe a mysterious figure — the “Servant”— who fulfills God’s will through vicarious suffering.
“To understand this journey during the days of Holy Week, the liturgy has had us listen to the so‑called Songs of the Servant of the Lord. These are poetic texts in which the prophet Isaiah sketched the figure of a mysterious servant through whom God would be able to save the world from evil and sin. Christian tradition has recognized in these songs a striking and dramatic foreshadowing,” Pasolini explained.
“In the third song, a new surprise emerges: The servant wants to help, but people respond with anger and violence,” Pasolini said. “Those who live in darkness do not always welcome the light, because the light also exposes what we would prefer to keep hidden — our wounds, our ambiguities.”
“In the fourth song, something deeply unsettling occurs: The violence inflicted on the servant is so intense that it disfigures his face. He has no appearance or beauty, yet the servant has learned not to return the evil he has received,” the preacher said.
The servant "does not resign himself to this logic [of violence]; he absorbs everything without retaliating. For this reason, he bore the sin of many,” the priest explained.
For the papal preacher, the Lord Jesus “did not merely listen to these songs; he lived them intensely, with complete trust in the Father.”
“We see it constantly in wars, in divisions, in wounds: evil keeps circulating because it always finds someone willing to pass it on. Jesus broke this chain by accepting what happened to him. In the Passion, he recognized the score of the songs of love and service that the Father had entrusted to him. In this way, he learned the most difficult obedience — the obedience of loving the other,” Pasolini continued.
“The voice of God no longer guides us — not because it has disappeared, but because it has become just one voice among many, the others promising security and well‑being,” he said.
“What is missing is a word, a song capable of guiding our steps toward a more just world,” he added. “And yet, if we look closely, we can glimpse a silent crowd of people who choose a different voice — a voice that does not shout, that does not impose itself by force, a quiet and persistent song that invites us to love and never return evil for evil. They do not perform extraordinary deeds, but each day they try to make their lives serve not only themselves, but others as well.”
‘Lay down the weapons’
Referencing the act of venerating the cross, Pasolini encouraged those present to use the opportunity to “lay down the weapons” they are holding.
“They may not seem as dangerous as those wielded by the powerful of this world. Yet they, too, are instruments of death, because they are enough to weaken, wound, and drain meaning and love from our daily relationships,” he said.
“Salvation will not drop down from above, nor can it be guaranteed by political, economic, or military decisions. The world is constantly being saved by those who are willing to embrace the Songs of the Servant of the Lord as the shape of their own lives,” the preacher encouraged.
“This is what the Lord Jesus did. He took the Father’s will seriously, accepting it as a score to be carried out to the end, with loud cries and tears.”
“Tonight we too are handed the score of the cross. We can freely accept it if we acknowledge that there is no difficulty that cannot be faced, no guilty party we must point to, no enemy who can prevent us from loving and serving."
"There is only ourselves — who, by choosing not to return evil, by remaining patient in trials, by believing in good even when darkness seems to swallow everything, can become day by day those servants the Lord needs to bring salvation into the world,” he said.
This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News' Italian-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Catholic garment workers in Bangladesh stage Good Friday Passion play near Dhaka
DHAKA, Bangladesh — In an industrial district 20 miles from Bangladesh’s capital, Catholic migrant workers who cannot travel home for Easter are keeping the faith alive — staging a living Way of the Cross on Good Friday at a church center established for their spiritual care.
About 200 Catholics gathered April 3 at the Jesus Worker Center in the Zirani area of Gazipur to watch fellow parishioners dramatize the 14 stations, from the condemnation of Jesus to his burial and resurrection.
The participants — young men, women, and elderly Catholics who work in nearby factories — performed the reenactment at the center, which serves roughly 1,700 Catholics scattered across the surrounding industrial zone.
Binodh Bless Mardy, 28, is one of them. An Indigenous Catholic, Mardy has worked at E.O.S. Textile Mills Limited for about eight years. He tries to join the Christian community in his free time and took part in the Good Friday reenactment as a narrator.
“Since I don’t get much time off during Easter and my home is far away, I try to attend all the Easter Sunday events here instead of going to my village,” Mardy told EWTN News.
Mardy’s home village is about 250 miles away, in Dinajpur Diocese in northern Bangladesh.
He said he is not always able to attend Mass during Holy Week before Easter. “When I get time off, I don’t always get to Mass. And when I try to get time off, I can’t always manage it. So I pray at home,” he said.
A center for Catholic workers
The Jesus Worker Center was established in 2009 by the Archdiocese of Dhaka for the spiritual care of Catholics working in the area’s garment factories and other private industries. About 1,700 Catholics live in different neighborhoods under the center’s pastoral reach.
Father Biswajit Bormon, assistant parish priest at the center, said he and three other priests provide spiritual care to Catholic workers across a 20-square-kilometer (about 7.7-square-mile) area.
“Laborers come here from different parts of Bangladesh and work in different companies. Most of them do not get Sunday off, so we give them more time on Fridays,” Bormon said.
During Lent, the priests visit at least seven subcenter locations to offer Mass and hear confessions. They celebrate as many of the Holy Week liturgies as possible across the area.
“Where seven or eight families can gather in a place, the priests go and celebrate the Mass and take care of them spiritually. And those who are around the center come to the center. The Way of the Living Cross is staged by those around the center,” Bormon said.
‘The joy of celebrating with family’
Milon Kormokar has worked in the Zirani area for about 15 years and currently works for Rahimafrooz, a Bangladeshi industrial company. He lives in a rented house with his wife and two children.
Kormokar does not go home for Easter. His home parish is the cathedral parish of the Diocese of Rajshahi, about 190 miles from Zirani — a six- to seven-hour bus journey.
His company gives one day of personal leave, but that is not enough to travel home, so he celebrates Easter at the center instead.
“There are many of us Christians here; we celebrate Easter Sunday with them, but the joy of celebrating with our families is not available with others,” Kormokar said.
“Priests work very hard to take care of us spiritually. They often go door to door to check on the families, pray, and hear confessions,” Kormokar told EWTN News.
Beyond spiritual care
The center’s mission extends beyond sacraments. The priests also assist Catholics who are sick and help arrange accommodation for new arrivals in the area. A day care center at the Jesus Worker Center allows Catholic parents to leave their children in care while they work.
Bangladesh’s roughly 600,000 Christians make up less than 1% of the country’s approximately 178 million people. The Catholic community, with about 400,000 members, is the single-largest Christian group and includes a large proportion from the country’s Indigenous communities.
Both Mardy and Kormokar said they believe the Church should advocate the government to declare at least two days of public holiday around Easter so that Christians who work far from home can travel to spend the feast with their families.
Hundreds of adults to be baptized in Paris at Easter as part of national surge
The Catholic revival that Paris has been experiencing over the past five years continues unabated, even amid the city’s long-running status as a symbol of European secularization.
On the night of the Easter Vigil, April 4, more than 700 adults across the French capital will be received into the Catholic Church as part of a sudden nationwide surge.
Across France, more than 13,000 adults will be baptized this Easter, according to data released by the French Bishops’ Conference — an increase of 28% compared with 2025.
The “boom” in adult baptisms in France is a relatively recent phenomenon. It has intensified over the past decade, with a marked acceleration following the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching record levels since 2024.
Within this national picture, Paris stands out as a beating heart of such renewal. According to figures provided by the archdiocese, 788 adult catechumens will be baptized in the city during the Easter Vigil, a 17% increase from the previous year.
These baptisms will take place across 94 parishes and several communities, mobilizing more than 1,000 accompanying members, mostly laypeople. The age distribution is characterized by a predominance of younger people, with nearly one-third under the age of 25, about half between the ages of 26 and 40, and 1 in 5 over the age of 40, with candidates ranging in age from 18 to 73.
Women remain the majority among catechumens, accounting for 58% in Paris, a proportion consistent with national patterns.
The list of Parisian parishes with particularly high numbers of catechumens reveals a landscape that cuts across ecclesial sensibilities and social geographies. Parishes where the Traditional Latin Mass is regularly celebrated such as Saint-Roch in the 1st arrondissement or Saint-Eugène Sainte-Cécile (9th) stand alongside parishes in more working-class or mixed neighborhoods, including Notre-Dame de Clignancourt (18th), Notre-Dame de la Gare (13th), or Saint-Ambroise (11th).
Many of these communities, often led by young and dynamic clergy, have become vibrant centers of parish life.
Robin, a 30-year-old catechumen preparing to be baptized at Saint-Ambroise this Saturday, embodies this trend. Raised in a nonbelieving family with no religious background, he began his spiritual journey through a gradual process of questioning the purpose of life.
“In a world where everything moves so fast, where we lose sight of what matters, the Church has done me a world of good,” he told EWTN News. “It has helped me put the ‘why’ back at the center of everything.”
His path has been shaped by a growing desire for silence and contemplation as well as a yearning for beauty. “I would go to churches to find a moment of calm, where time would stop,” he explained. “I was looking for a place where you can listen to yourself and reflect on what you want to do with your life.”
“What moves me deeply,” he added, “is the beauty that surrounds my church — its architecture, its music… that’s where I feel something powerful.”
Like many catechumens, Robin described an experience of welcome that proved decisive. At an early stage in his journey, he met a young parish priest who, despite a busy schedule, took the time to speak with him.
“We talked for an hour. It was incredibly reassuring,” he recalled. He was then introduced to a group of parishioners who accompanied him throughout his catechumenate, forming what he describes as a “deep bond of humanity.”
This communal dimension appears to be a key factor in the current surge. While the French model of catechumenate has traditionally been more individual, the growing number of candidates is prompting parishes to rethink their approach, often favoring group dynamics that foster a sense of belonging from the outset.
Many catechumens come from families with little or no Christian background, reflecting a broader shift from cultural Catholicism toward a more deliberate, conviction-based faith. On a national level, the number of catechumens identifying as having no religious tradition now represent a proportion comparable with those from Christian backgrounds.
The scale of the phenomenon is now prompting serious reflection among French Church leaders. In response to the steady increase in adult baptisms, the eight dioceses of the Île-de-France region, together with the Diocese for the Armed Forces, have convened a provincial council set to open on May 31 at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Under the theme “Catechumens and Neophytes: New Perspectives for the Life of Our Church,” the council will seek to discern how local structures and pastoral practices should adapt to this unexpected growth.
Release date for Season 6 of ‘The Chosen’ announced
Prime Video and 5&2 Studios announced April 3 that the sixth season of “The Chosen” will be released in the U.S. and internationally exclusively on Prime Video on Nov. 15.
Season 6 of “The Chosen” will include six episodes, the first three of which will debut on Nov. 15, followed by the release of a weekly episode through Dec. 6.
The season finale will be a stand-alone theatrical release in spring 2027.
The highly anticipated sixth season will portray the 24 hours of Good Friday — culminating in Christ’s crucifixion.
“Everyone knows the basics of this part of the story, but not everyone knows the ‘why’ of the crucifixion and the extraordinary events of these 24 hours,” Dallas Jenkins, creator, writer, and director of “The Chosen,” said in a press release. “We realized this not only deserved a season of television but a stand-alone full-length theatrical event as well. We wrote and filmed all of it with this in mind.”
The show’s star, actor Jonathan Roumie, has spoken about his experience portraying Jesus’ passion and crucifixion.
“For the first few months afterwards going to Mass — and even thinking about it now — I just get weepy. I get emotional. It’s hard. It’s left an indelible impression on me — mentally and emotionally sharing even just a percentage, a micron of a percentage, of the Lord’s passion; playing it and reenacting it has left me absolutely humbled and moved,” he told EWTN News at ChosenCon on Feb. 20.
The show’s cast spent three weeks filming the crucifixion in Matera, Italy, in June 2025. In a press conference held at the Vatican at the end of that time, Jenkins called the three weeks “the most challenging and difficult we had in filming,” requiring him to surrender everything to Christ.
Abe Bueno-Jallad, the actor who portrays Big James, or James the Great, told EWTN News that during filming, he had “never seen the cast so focused.”
He added that the actors were “all there for each other … Everybody is carrying such a heavy burden this season as an actor.”
“There’s just been incredible stuff happening on set. I’ve come back to set on days that I don’t work just to watch and I’ve seen stuff that gives me goosebumps,” he shared.
In 2025, Amazon MGM Studios and 5&2 Studios signed a deal that made Prime Video the exclusive U.S. streaming partner for “The Chosen.” The deal also provides streaming rights to 5&2 Studios’ future projects including “The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls,” “The Chosen Adventures,” and “Joseph of Egypt.”
Ukraine bishop: War could spread to countries that ‘never imagined it reaching them’
Ahead of Easter, Bishop Vitalii Kryvytski, SDB, of Kyiv-Zhytomyr in Ukraine warned against conflicts spreading to unexpected places around the world as the war in the Middle East continues unabated.
“There are people, politicians, and countries that continue to actively help our country, Ukraine, stand its ground,” the bishop told “EWTN News Nightly” on April 1. “Will there be fewer such people now that the war in the Middle East has begun? Most likely, yes.”
He continued: “I believe that this situation in the Middle East could demonstrate that if we do not put an end to this war and end it justly, then in reality, the conflict could spread even to countries that never even imagined it reaching them.”
Christian town in Lebanon mourns father and son killed in strike
In the Christian town of Debel, Lebanon, grief deepened after an Israeli strike killed a father and his son, an attack residents described as another blow to a civilian population already living under constant fear, ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, reported Sunday.
Eli Zognoun, a 27-year-old architect from Debel, said the community is reeling with shock and sorrow over the deaths, adding that the local priest called for prayers for the victims and for the protection of civilians who have stayed behind. He said the two men, George and Elie Soueid, were peaceful civilians deeply attached to their land and families and had been using the only humanitarian road open between Debel and Rmeish in an effort to return home safely.
The Israeli army and Hezbollah have been clashing for days near Debel, where more than 1,700 people still live, according to L’Orient Today, which reported that the Christian villages in south Lebanon remain mostly populated “despite the ongoing Israeli invasion and intense skirmishes with Hezbollah in many regions.”
The report also said “the president of the Dibil municipal council, Akl Naddaf, told the LBCI channel that the residents had ‘asked the authorities to grant them permission to move about safely, but without success.’ Naddaf added that the situation in the village is deteriorating day by day and that the residents are no longer able to meet their most basic needs.”
Chinese cardinal’s Easter message urges hope, care for young people amid wars
Cardinal Stephen Chow, SJ, has called on the Chinese government to give young people who have committed minor crimes a “second chance” and for parents to protect their children from the country’s competitive culture.
“Allow me to call on parents and schools to protect our children by not allowing them to go under the life-sapping and blindingly competitive culture, although a relatively small number of students may thrive in it,” Chow said in his Easter Message 2026, which was addressed to the faithful of Hong Kong. Citing steadily high suicide rates among young people, Chow also called on the government to “reduce the use of ‘Key Performance Indicator’ (KPI) so as to allow our educators more time and space to better accompany their students.” The message came as Chow noted “the spreading of hate and violence” on social media and around the world ahead of Easter.
Cameroon airport carries out test flights ahead of Pope Leo’s visit
Two aircraft operated by Cameroon’s national airline, Camair-Co, successfully landed at Bamenda Airport on Sunday, March 29, in a major step toward final preparations for the planned apostolic visit of Pope Leo XIV to the country planned to take place April 15–18.
“This deployment serves as a convincing full-scale rehearsal to ensure maximum safety during the visit of the sovereign pontiff, scheduled for April 16,” said Adolphe Lele Lafrique, governor of the Northwest Province of the Republic of Cameroon, after the test, according to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on Tuesday.
Missionaries travel 2 by 2 into Albania countryside
Missionaries with the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies traveled across the the Diocese of Rrëshen to provide pastoral care to rural communities throughout March.
Traveling in pairs — one religious priest and either a religious or layperson — the missionaries traversed to rural areas across the mountains of northern Albania, where only six priests minister to a region of about 10,000 people, according to a Fides News Agency report.
“A blessing, a word of comfort, a simple gesture are essential tools that have made the mission concrete,” said Father Agustin Margjoni, a Vincentian missionary and Pontifical Mission Societies national director. “In a time dominated by digital communication, human contact has once again proven irreplaceable.”
Irish diocese apologizes after visiting priest says ‘evil demons’ cause autism
The Diocese of Kerry issued a statement after a visiting member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal said during a homily at a local parish that “evil demons” were the source of autism.
“At the recent parish mission in Boherbue Parish, a visiting missioner, a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal based in Limerick, made a comment during a talk,” the diocese said, according to a report from the Irish Times on Wednesday. “The remark, which referenced autism, was intended as an illustrative example but was poorly expressed and inappropriate. It was acknowledged that the comment was not appropriate, and a sincere apology was offered at the time for any hurt or offense caused.”
The statement said the priest in question “deeply regrets that the remark caused upset,” adding: “We again apologize to anyone who may have been hurt by it.”
Church in India offers praise for country’s new climate objectives
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India Chairman Bishop Allwyn D’Silva is celebrating India’s new plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
“I commend the government’s updated climate commitments as they build on the success of surpassing renewable energy targets ahead of time and commit to increasing carbon sinks through expanded forest and tree cover,” D’Silva said, according to an UCA News report Wednesday.
Under the new plan, India said it plans to achieve 60% non-fossil-fuel electricity capacity, expand carbon sinks through forests and tree cover, and reduce the intensity of emissions by 47% by 2035, the report said.
Mozambique bishop urges solidarity with flood and conflict victims during Holy Week
Bishop Osório Citora Afonso of the Quelimane Diocese in Mozambique is calling for the faithful to approach Holy Week with mercy toward those impacted by natural disasters and ongoing violence in the country.
“The celebration of Holy Week should be marked by a spirit of solidarity, especially toward those affected by the recent floods and the conflict in Cabo Delgado,” he said in a March 28 statement, according to an ACI Africa report on Monday.
The bishop urged the faithful to support the vulnerable through visits, assistance, and acts of charity. “Christ walks with us,” he said. “In the cross, we see the pain of families who have lost everything, the cries of children, and the exhaustion of those trying to rebuild their lives.”
St. Martin’s Day tradition officially recognized by German UNESCO commission
Martinsfest, held on St. Martin’s Day (“Martinstag”) on Nov. 11 every year, is a major cultural tradition in the Rhineland and is now officially recognized by the German Commission for UNESCO, according to a report by CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News.
“The Conference of Ministers of Culture of the Länder and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media have today included five further traditions in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage,” the commission announced on March 27.
St. Martin’s traditions include lantern parades, traditional songs, bonfires, and the telling of the story of St. Martin. “Today, the Martin’s tradition is a firmly anchored part of the public and cultural life of many places in the Rhineland,” the UNESCO commission said.
PHOTOS: Pilgrims keep watch with Eucharist at altars of repose in Rome
ROME — Hundreds of pilgrims in Rome visited churches to pray before special side altars containing the blessed sacrament, called altars of repose, on Holy Thursday.
The altars of repose are a popular devotion in the Catholic Church during Holy Week. The practice begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday, when Catholics commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.
Afterward, a priest carries the Eucharist in solemn procession from the altar where Mass was celebrated to a decorated side altar lit with candles and sometimes plants and flowers, where it remains for adoration until midnight.
In Rome, many churches open their doors at night to welcome pilgrims to pray before the Blessed Sacrament at the altar of repose.
The tradition recalls Jesus’ request to his disciples to “keep watch with me” in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion.
Lucía Dero Herrero, a pilgrim to Rome from Madrid, Spain, described her experience of the tradition at the Basilica di Sant’Apollinare as a profound moment of connection with God.
“The ceremony and the church were so beautiful,” Lucia told EWTN News. “It helped me to pray and to realize that this is the night it all begins. In a sense, [Jesus] has already been captured, and the next day, he will be crucified.”
Many pilgrims participated in the tradition for the first time. Maureen Finnegan, a 75-year-old woman from Liverpool, United Kingdom, was one. She described visiting the altar of repose at the Venerable English College as a true testament to our faith.
“It was lovely to see the church just absolutely packed. The singing was amazing. It’s certainly a different experience from back home in Liverpool. The whole thing was traditional, and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it.”
DNA research sheds new light on the Shroud of Turin’s complex history
A new study found that the Shroud of Turin — the cloth believed to have been used to bury Jesus Christ after his crucifixion — contains traces from multiple geographic regions spanning several centuries.
As originally reported by the official Vatican News outlet, the recent study, now available as a preprint, was made by several geneticists, including Dr. Gianni Barcaccia of the University of Padua.
In their study, researchers explained that DNA testing could not definitively date the Shroud of Turin but revealed its extensive handling by many individuals over its centuries-long existence. They described it as a “diverse mosaic of genetic traces,” including those from the Mediterranean, India, and even from North America.
“In brief, a reappraisal of those outcomes from the analysis of the DNA traces found on the Shroud of Turin suggests the potentially extensive exposure of the cloth in the Mediterranean region,” the researchers wrote. “DNA traces from various species and regions, including the Middle East, Mediterranean, Europe, America, and Asia, indicate that the shroud was exposed to different environments and peoples.”
The Shroud of Turin has been venerated for centuries by Christians as the burial shroud of Jesus and is among the most famous relics associated with his passion. The authenticity of the Shroud of Turin and its connection to Christ have been the subjects of scientific debate.
In 1988, researchers traced it to medieval origins around 1350, casting doubt on whether it was the actual burial cloth of Christ and on whether it came from the Holy Land.
However, the researchers assert in their recent article that the presence of H33, a rare genetic strand, supports their claim that the relic passed through the Middle East at some point in its history.
“H33 is a rare haplogroup found today mainly in the Near East, especially among the Druze, an Arabic-speaking ethnoreligious minority currently present in the Holy Land, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. In particular, the Druze population shares common genetic ancestry with Jews and Cypriots and has historically intermixed with other Levantine populations, including Palestinians and Syrians,” they said.
The Catholic Church has no official position on the relic’s authenticity. It is presently located at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy.
Pope speaks with Israeli and Ukrainian presidents amid conflicts in Holy Land, Ukraine
Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Good Friday.
The Vatican said the pope spoke separately with both presidents on April 3. They exchanged Easter and Passover greetings. Leo also spoke with the presidents about the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and highlighted the need for continued humanitarian aid.
The Middle East and Ukraine continue to be plagued by armed conflicts. The U.S. and Israeli conflict with Iran has entered a new phase with U.S. President Donald Trump this week vowing stronger military action against Iran. The Russia-Ukraine War continues to claim casualties and has entered its fourth year.
A statement from the office of the Israeli president said Herzog discussed the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran with the pope, including “the ongoing threat of missile attacks by the Iranian regime and its terror proxies against people of all faiths in the region.”
The statement also said that Herzog recalled to Leo recent Iranian missile attacks on Jerusalem, and his insistence that Hezbollah continues to be a threat to stability in the Middle East.
The telephone discussions followed Leo’s public plea on March 31 in which he again called for an unconditional ceasefire and expressed hopes that Trump would be “looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing.” In that same plea, he also called for an Easter truce for both conflicts.
The discussion between the pope and the Israeli president also followed an incident in Jerusalem on March 29, where the Latin patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was denied access to the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday by Israeli police.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land later reached an agreement with Israeli authorities, permitting access for Church representatives to celebrate Masses and religious rites while restrictions on public gatherings remain in force.
Neither the office of the Israeli president nor the Vatican commented on whether the pope and Herzog discussed the incident in Jerusalem.