Ashley Noronha joined John Morales on Morning Air to reflect on Pope Leo XIV’s general audience from Wednesday, September 10. The Pope continued his catechesis on the Passion of Christ, turning this time to the profound moment of the Lord’s final cry on the Cross.
Jesus did not leave this world silently. His earthly life did not close with a gentle sigh but with a cry that resounded through the ages. The Gospels record: “And about three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?’” (Matthew 27:46). To an observer, such words might appear as a collapse of faith, as if Christ Himself doubted the Father’s presence in His final hour. Pope Leo explained that this is not the case. Rather than despair, we hear in this cry the voice of prayer in its most extreme form.
The Son of God, who lived in perfect communion with the Father, entered into the silence that so many believers know well. Even He experienced the sense of distance, the heaviness of darkness, and the absence of consolation. This was not because His bond with the Father was broken, but because He willed to embrace the full measure of human suffering. For Christians, this truth offers great encouragement. If Christ Himself entered the silence of God and turned it into prayer, then we too can trust that our cries in moments of anguish are not wasted but are heard in Heaven.
Pope Leo reminded the faithful that when the heart is full, it cries out. Jesus, in His cry from the Cross, revealed the deepest outpouring of love ever shown to humanity. The Cross itself is the greatest testimony of love the world has ever known, and Christ’s final cry gives voice to that love in a way words alone could never capture.
The Pope urged all to recognize that our own cries can carry similar value when united to Christ’s. In times when words falter, cries may become prayers. In such moments, our suffering can be transformed into a gateway of new life, just as the death of Jesus was not the end, but the beginning of salvation for all. Our cries, joined to His, can become symbols of new birth, carrying us closer to the God who never abandons His people.
Pope Leo concluded his catechesis with a heartfelt prayer for children throughout the world who are enduring suffering, as well as for all those who live under the shadow of war. He encouraged the faithful to allow their cries to become prayers, confident that God always hears the cries of His children and always responds in His providence.
To cry out to God in the midst of darkness is not weakness but faith, for it imitates Christ Himself. In this cry, love is revealed, and salvation is found.