Cardinal Cupich Leads Anti-Violence Walk On Good Friday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cardinal Blase Cupich marked Good Friday by leading an anti-violence march in the Englewood neighborhood.
At 10:30 a.m., the cardinal led a Stations of the Cross procession at St. Benedict The African East Catholic Church at 66th and Stewart where Father David Jones is Pastor.
"We are not here to see violence, we are here to see the goodness of God," he said.
Cupich, along with more than 1,000 people, walked the 14 stations of the cross in honor of the crucifixion of Jesus. The mini-pilgrimage pays tribute to Jesus' death by remembering the moments leading up to his crucifixion.
Along the way, the cardinal and other participants stopped to remember those who lost their lives to violence in Chicago.
A ten-year-old boy gathered his courage and addressed the crowd about the shooting death of a 2-month-old.
"I'm begging you to stop the violence," Montell Davis said. "Children need to go grow up, start a family, start a business. I want to go to the NBA when I grow up -- they didn't get a chance to grow up."
Cupich was joined by the leader of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
"Pope Francis wrote to us here in Chicago and told us that when he makes the way of the cross in the Colosseum today he will be keeping us in mind," Cupich said.
Pope Francis has praised Cupich's commitment to promoting nonviolence, and said he'll join the cardinal in praying for the victims of violence in Chicago on Good Friday.
