On Good Friday, hundreds of people gather in Old Riga on the Ecumenical Way of the Cross

Opening the crossroads, Metropolitan Zbigņevs Stankevičs, Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church of Latvia, reminded that even in this particularly difficult time, when we are going through many trials and external risks exist, suffering is an inevitable part of our lives and there is no one who does not go through suffering.

The Way of the Cross helps to see the meaning of suffering and each of the stations helps to see oneself in that station, as well as helps to see the realities of life, said Stankevich.

“Actually, we can see the way of the cross in the center of our lives and see that God is not indifferent to our suffering, because Jesus Christ also went through all the stations we go through, who, out of love for people, took on our difficulties, pain and the consequences of sin. Through unity with him and looking at the cross in faith, we have access to the divine reality, God’s power, as well as forgiveness and victory over the power of evil and sin,” said Stankevich.

It has already been reported that this kind of prayer will take place in the streets of Riga for the 19th time, at eight stops, encouraging people to reflect together on the events of Good Friday, when Christ went on his path of pain and then died on the cross at Calvary.

This year, the words from the Gospel of John have been chosen as the motto of the prayer: “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God.” The organizers of the prayer express that the text of the Gospel of John calls for reflection “both about the word that became flesh and lived among people, and about the meaning of every word that entered our thoughts and was spoken. The words of the Gospel make us pay attention to the consequences of every word we say to our fellow human beings.

At each stop, fragments of the holy scriptures will be heard, in some places there will be reflections, people’s testimonies, songs, prayers for healing. There will also be times when all participants in the prayer will be invited to active participation.