Pope Francis Hears of Persecution of Christians at Good Friday Celebrations
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FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images(VATICAN CITY) — In a solemn mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis presided over Good Friday celebrations, as Vatican preacher Raniero Cantalamessa accused world leaders of doing little to stop the killing of Christians.
Cantalamessa’s comments came a day after Islamist extremists killed more than 140 people at a mainly Christian university in Kenya.
Pope Francis earlier denounced the attack as senseless brutality.
The “Passion of the Lord” service is when Christians commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion, and is one of the few times the pope listens to someone else preaching.
Several hours after the mass, Francis led the Via Crucis or “Way of the Cross,” a candlelit procession through the celebrated 14 stations of Christ before his crucifixion around the Coliseum in Rome.
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