Guerrilla violence in South America and drug trafficking in Central America at the center of two of the fourteen meditations that Pope Francis dedicated to the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, which is celebrated tonight at the Colosseum in Rome without the presence of the pontiff.

Francis, who will be following a ritual from his Vatican residence to recover from recent bronchitis, wanted fourteen stations of the rite describe this year what he calls “the third world war in pieces”.with an overview of the dramas of the world.

The full prayer will be answered this Friday at 21:00 (19:00 GMT) at the Colosseum in Rome.

The victims of some tragedies, such as forced migration in Africa, the war in Ukraine and religious conflicts in the Middle East, will intervene at every station on the tour.

TO Latin American will be spoken by a young man from Central America at the third station and a mother from South America who will take over at the fourth. stop.

“We young people want peace. But often we fall, (…) Laziness, fear, despondency, as well as empty promises of an easy but dirty life, woven from greed and corruption, throw us to the ground, ”the young man begins.

His meditation asks, “This is what is causing the spirals of drug dealing, violence, addiction and exploitation to grow while many families continue to mourn the loss of their children, and there is no end to the impunity of those who cheat, kidnap and kill. How to get the world?

And finally mentions in Spanish the word “commitment” necessary in order to take the reins of government into one’s own hands. seeks peace and says no to other false commitments that kill her.

Next, a mother from South America will talk about the drama of life under the influence of the guerrillas.

“In 2012, a bombing planted by militants destroyed my leg,” the woman recalls.

“Most of all, I was scared that I saw my seven-month-old daughter, covered in blood, with many pieces of glass stuck in her face. What it must have been for Mary to see Jesus’ face mutilated and bloodied!

However, the mother asks not to get carried away with “anger and resentment” as she has found that “the spread of hatred breeds more violence.”

“I realized that many victims needed to understand (…) that you can’t live with resentment. That’s how I started helping them: I studied to teach how to prevent accidents caused by millions of scattered mines,” he concludes his reflection.

The war in Ukraine will also be present this year: last year, a Ukrainian and a Russian woman carried a cross together at one of the train stations, which caused claims from the Ukrainian embassy to the Vatican.

On this occasion, meditation The tenth season was co-written by a young Ukrainian and a Russian.

The Ukrainian remembers how he fled with his family from Mariupol to Italy, where his grandmother lived, but soon they decided to return, as his father was drafted into the army.

“Here the situation continues to be difficult, there is war everywhere, the city is destroyed. But in my soul there was that confidence that my grandmother told me when she cried: “You’ll see, everything will pass. And with God’s help, peace will return,” he pleads.

For his part, the Russian admits that he speaks “with a sense of guilt,” and recalls the letter that informed his family about the death of his brother: “Everyone told us that we should be proud, but at home there was so much suffering and sadness. .”

(EFE)