Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki joined the Central Way of the Cross, a solemn procession through Warsaw led by Cardinal Casimir Nycz, the metropolitan of the capital. The moment brought together religious leaders, city officials, and many residents in a public statement of faith, perseverance, and shared resolve during a profoundly reflective day in the city’s liturgical calendar.
Central Stations of the Cross in Warsaw
The Central Way of the Cross began outside the Academic Church of St. Anna, a historic site that has long hosted moments of prayer and community discernment. From there, the faithful moved toward Piłsudski Square, tracing a path that looped past Krakowskie Przedmieście and returned to the Church of St. Anna, a route chosen to highlight key civic and cultural landmarks along the way. The ceremony was guided by Cardinal Casimir Nycz, who has long served as a spiritual guide for Warsaw and its surrounding districts, offering words of encouragement and reflection to all participants.
Earlier in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord was presided over by Bishop Piotr Jarecki, underscoring the continuity of traditional rites within the city’s ecclesiastical life. The juxtaposition of these liturgical moments emphasized the unity of church and community in observing Holy Week with reverence and communal participation.
A large cross led the procession, carried with deliberate solemnity by representatives from various segments of city life. The participants included priests and nuns, members of neocatechumenal communities, students, city guards, railway workers, lawyers, craftsmen, firefighters, soldiers, police officers, and municipal councilors. Each group carried its own badge of service and shared responsibility, symbolizing a collective commitment to peace, justice, and human dignity across a wide urban fabric.
During the journey, participants prayed for a just peace for Ukraine and for refugees seeking safety and stability. The prayers reflected a universal concern for those displaced by conflict and a call for compassion that transcends borders, inviting all attendees to consider acts of solidarity in daily life.
Reflections read at the fourteen Stations of the Cross were prepared by members of the Academic Presbytery of St. Anna in Warsaw which, this year, marked its 95th anniversary with a quiet but meaningful observance that highlighted the church’s long-standing commitment to education, culture, and service within the community.
These moments of public prayer and shared remembrance offered a powerful reminder of how faith traditions intersect with civic life in Poland’s capital, inviting participants to reflect on mercy, hope, and the responsibilities that accompany freedom.