Saturday, February 28, 2009

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

The Stations of the Cross
(Via Crucis)

For Roman Catholics throughout the world, the Stations of the Cross are synonymous with Lent, Holy Week and, especially, Good Friday. This devotion is also known as the "Way of the Cross", the "Via Crucis", and the "Via Dolorosa." It commemorates 14 key events on day of Christ's crucifixion. The majority concern His final walk through the streets of Jerusalem, carrying the Cross.

The Stations originated in medieval Europe when wars prevented Christian pilgrims from visiting the Holy Land. European artists created works depicting scenes of Christ's journey to Calvary. The faithful installed these sculptures or paintings at intervals along a procession route, inside the parish church or outdoors. Performing the devotion meant walking the entire route, stopping to pray at each "station."

The Way of the Cross (Via Crucis), as a devotion, may be traced to Christ’s journey along the Via Dolorosa itself at Jerusalem as our Lord walked—and stumbled in pain—to his crucifixion on Mount Calvary. From the earliest years of the Church, pious pilgrims marked out that route to revisit for themselves the scenes of Christ’s passion. The concept of Stations, however, as halting-places along the route, with specific prayers and meditations for each incident, did not develop until the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, especially as a result of reproductions of the holy places being set up in various parts of Europe, for the benefit of those who could not travel to Jerusalem to practice this devotion.

Originally, indulgences were given for making the long and dangerous journey to Jerusalem and devoutly visiting the actual scenes of Christ’s Passion. But in the seventeenth century a new practice developed. In 1686 the Franciscans received from Innocent XI the right to erect Stations in their churches; thus they, and all others affiliated to their order, could gain the same indulgences for making the Way of the Cross in their own churches as if they had made the journey to Jerusalem.

In 1726 Benedict XIII extended the right to gain indulgences in these Franciscan churches to all the faithful. And in 1731 Clement XII permitted indulgenced Stations to all churches—provided they were erected by a Franciscan priest. In 1862 this last restriction was removed, to accommodate those places where no Franciscans were available. And so today the faithful are able, in their own churches, to make a pilgrimage in spirit to the central scenes of Christ’s sufferings and death. We will pray the Stations of the Cross every Friday evening in Lent at Sacred Heart Church at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome!