Way of the Cross — The 14 Stations

The Way of the Cross (also called Via Crucis, Via Dolorosa, or Stations of the Cross) is the devotion by which the Christian accompanies in fourteen stages the path of Christ from condemnation by Pontius Pilate until the burial. It originates in the pilgrimage of the early Christians to Jerusalem to walk physically the path of the Lord. St Francis of Assisi († 1226) diffused in Europe the meditation of the steps of the Passion, and the Franciscans received from Clement VI in 1342 the custody of the Holy Places. The form with 14 Stations as we know it today was stabilised in the 17th century and universalised by the tireless preaching of St Leonard of Port Maurice OFM († 1751), who set up more than 572 Ways of the Cross throughout Italy. It was Clement XII, by the brief Exponi nobis of 16 January 1742, and Benedict XIV, by decree of 1750, who regulated the plenary indulgence for the devout recitation. The Way of the Cross is especially commended on the Fridays of Lent and on every Friday of the year.

(At each station, kneel before the image or imagine the step, and recite:)

V. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
R. Because by your holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

I — Jesus is condemned to death. Lord, teach me to accept the unjust condemnations of life without bitterness, as you accepted the unjust one from Pilate. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

II — Jesus carries the Cross. Grant me the courage to take up each morning my little crosses, without fleeing, as you took up yours for me. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

III — Jesus falls the first time. By your first fall, raise me up whenever I fall into mortal sin. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

IV — Jesus meets his Mother. O Mary, who suffered there the fourth sword of your sorrows, sustain Christian parents who carry the suffering of their children. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

V — Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus. Make me a Cyrenean for my brothers, especially for the poorest. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

VI — Veronica wipes the face of Jesus. Grant me the sensitivity of Veronica to recognise your bleeding face in the face of those who suffer today. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

VII — Jesus falls the second time. For my relapses into the same sins, give me the humility to ask your pardon as many times as I fall. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

VIII — Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem. «Weep not over me, but weep over yourselves and over your children» (Lk 23:28). Convert my family, Lord. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

IX — Jesus falls the third time. Do not allow me to give up the spiritual struggle, even in repeated falls. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

X — Jesus is stripped of his garments. Strip me of all that prevents me from following you, especially of pride. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

XI — Jesus is nailed to the Cross. Nail to your Cross, together with your feet and hands, my feet that go to evil places and my hands that do what they ought not. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

XII — Jesus dies on the Cross. «It is consummated» (Jn 19:30). Receive my life, Lord, in suffrage for the souls in Purgatory and for my good death. (kneel in silence) Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

XIII — Jesus is taken down from the Cross and given to his Mother. Through the Pietà of Calvary, grant my mother and all Christian mothers the fortitude of Mary before the death of children. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

XIV — Jesus is buried. Through your burial in the garden, make me await with patience the morning of the Resurrection which follows every Good Friday of our life. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

(Conclude with a prayer for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff — condition for the plenary indulgence — and with the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be for the intentions of the Pope.)