Pope shows solidarity with Madrid bomb victims

Pope John Paul II braved a rainy night chill to lead prayers at the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum, holding in his trembling hands a cross passed to him by a young woman from Madrid, in a sign of solidarity with the city after the March 11 bombings.

The bad weather and the long day were the latest test of the 83-year-old pontiff’s frail health and stamina during a heavy schedule of Holy Week ceremonies amid security concerns in the Italian capital.