The stations of the cross are various images that depict the path Jesus walked on the day of his crucifixion. This walk, which is intended to be a journey through passion and prayer, is also known as the Way of the Cross or Via Crucis.
Some scholars believe that early Christians used to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and walk the path of Jesus’s last day before the crucifixion, as recounted in the gospels. Essentially, they walked from what they believed to have been Pontius Pilate’s house to Calvary, or Golgotha, where Jesus was nailed to a cross and hung to die. Franciscans were given custody of the holy sites in Jerusalem in 1342, and in what became known as the Via Dolorosa, Christians would literally follow the way to the cross as best as they could, processional style, in an effort to understand and meditate upon Christ’s suffering and sacrifice.
Artists later painted visual representations of this agonizing day, inspired by this pilgrimage, and in many churches, the 14 images are arranged in order along a path, along which worshippers walk, stopping at each station to say prayers and reflect. For more than 1,000 years, Roman Catholics have been devoted to this practice.
For years, many Protestants rejected the practice of the stations of the cross, believing the images to be idolatrous. Some even considered the depiction biblically inaccurate. But many Protestants today have come to recognize the value of understanding the stations in a more biblical, less imagery-focused practice.
Many Protestant denominations, including Anglicans, Lutherans, and Methodists, have incorporated adapted versions of this practice as a way for people to reflect on the suffering of Christ as they prepare for Easter.
What Are the 14 Stations of the Cross?
The 14 stations of the cross take a person through the various actions Jesus took on the day of his crucifixion:
1. Jesus prays alone
2. Jesus is arrested
3. The Sanhedrin try Jesus
4. Pilate tries Jesus
5. Pilate sentences Jesus
6. Jesus wears the crown
7. Jesus carries his cross
8. Simon carries the cross
9. Jesus speaks to the women
10. Jesus is crucified
11. Criminals speak to Jesus
12. Jesus speaks to Mary and John
13. Jesus dies on the cross
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/shuang paul wang
