On Good Friday, St. Peter's Basilica was steeped in solemnity as Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti presided over the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on behalf of Pope Francis. The liturgy was marked by a profound sermon delivered by Fr. Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, the Preacher of the Pontifical Household, who invited the faithful to contemplate the mystery of the Cross and its transformative wisdom.

Fr. Pasolini urged reflection on what he called the “intelligence of the Cross.” In a world increasingly dominated by artificial and predictive intelligence, he said, the Cross offers a radically different wisdom—one not built on calculation or competition, but on love and self-giving. This wisdom is not artificial, but deeply personal, rooted in openness to God. Amid a culture shaped by algorithms, the Cross, he noted, restores authentic freedom—the freedom to love, even at great cost.

Drawing from the Letter to the Hebrews, Fr. Pasolini reflected on the verse: “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears... and he was heard because of His reverent submission” (Hebrews 5:7). He acknowledged that it might be difficult to understand how Jesus could be “heard” by the Father when He still died on the Cross. The mystery, he explained, lies not in being spared from suffering, but in being empowered to embrace it freely. The Father’s answer to Jesus came through the gift of strength to fully accept the suffering out of love. Christ’s “total abandonment” was not a defeat, but a trust-filled surrender to the will of God, even in darkness.

Fr. Pasolini explored three key moments in the Passion of Christ to highlight how Jesus modeled this deep trust. The first was in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus, knowing He would be arrested, stepped forward and said, “I am he” (John 18:4–6). This, the preacher explained, was not passive resignation, but courageous initiative. Jesus had earlier said, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18). In this, he demonstrated that even in suffering, one can choose to engage life fully. In times of illness, crisis, and heartbreak, believers too are invited to face their trials—not to alter the outcome, but to remain free and rooted in faith.

The second moment came from the Cross, when Jesus uttered the words, “I thirst” (John 19:28). Fr. Pasolini pointed to the vulnerability expressed in this plea. Jesus, who had given so much, now asked for something He could not give Himself. This shows that love is not only about giving, but also about being open to receiving.

The third moment focused on Jesus’ final words, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Far from being a cry of defeat, Fr. Pasolini explained that this was a proclamation of fulfillment. Jesus offered His life and spirit completely. In doing so, He revealed that true freedom and meaning do not come from strength or control, but from surrender.

As the Church prepares for the Jubilee Year, Fr. Pasolini recalled Pope Francis’ reminder that Christ is “the anchor of our hope” (Hebrews 6:19). He acknowledged that holding on to hope can be difficult in the face of suffering. Yet the exhortation from Hebrews remains: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). In this spirit, he said, the faithful do not come to the Cross to fully understand it, but to trust in its mystery and let that trust shape their lives.

He encouraged the faithful to take part in the sacred act of adoration—not as a mere ritual, but as a conscious decision to entrust oneself to the way God has chosen to redeem the world. It is not a way that removes suffering, but one that enters into it with us.

Fr. Pasolini concluded his homily with a message of hope. The Cross, he said, does not promise comfort, but it promises love. Even if we feel unready or weak, he reassured, the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the gentle power of divine love. Because we have first been loved, we are able to love others—our friends, our families, and even those who have hurt us.