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Via Crucis - Way of the Cross

"By following Jesus on the way of his Passion we not only see the Passion of Jesus, but we also see all the suffering in the world, and this is the profound intention of the prayer of the Way of the Cross: to open our hearts and to help us to see with our heart." - BXVI, 2007

Totus2us has here recordings of the Stations of the Cross with the meditations and prayers of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (soon to be Pope Benedict XVI), given at the Colosseum on Good Friday 2005 (8 days before St John Paul II died). They are in French (read by Sr Hyacinthe OP), German (ready by Angelika) & Spanish (read by Fr Javier Igea). They're partly up in English and Portuguese. There's also a Totus2us podcast of the Stations of the Cross with meditations by Julian of Norwich. Also included at each station are the meditations and prayers of St John Paul II (for the Via Crucis on Good Friday in the Jubilee Year 2000 and 2003) and St John Henry Newman.

They are all together here with each Station of the Cross: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. You can download the Totus2us podcasts from iTunes or from the RSS feeds. Plus, you can download the free mp3 audio recordings individually by right/double clicking on the blue play buttons.

The music is all from 'Triduum - Contemporary Sacred Music' by David Bevan and Neil Wright, and sung by the Holy Redeemer Choir, London.

St John Paul II (Good Friday, Holy Year 2000): "For 20 centuries the Church has gathered on this evening to remember and to re-live the events of the final stage of the earthly journey of the Son of God. Once again this year, the Church in Rome meets at the Colosseum, to follow the footsteps of Jesus, who 'went out, carrying his cross, to the place called the place of the skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.'

We are here because we are convinced that the Way of the Cross of the Son of God was not simply a journey to the place of execution. We believe that every step of the Condemned Christ, every action and every word, as well as everything felt and done by those who took part in this tragic drama, continues to speak to us. In his suffering and death too, Christ reveals to us the truth about God and man.

In this Jubilee Year we want to concentrate on the full meaning of that event, so that what happened may speak with new power to our minds and hearts, and become the source of the grace of a real sharing in it. To share means to have a part.

What does it mean to have a part in the Cross of Christ? It means to experience, in the Holy Spirit, the love hidden within the Cross of Christ. It means to recognize, in the light of this love, our own cross. It means to take up that cross once more and, strengthened by this love, to continue our journey... To journey through life, in imitation of the one who 'endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.'

Lord Jesus Christ, fill our hearts with the light of your Spirit, so that by following you on your final journey we may come to know the price of our Redemption and become worthy of a share in the fruits of your Passion, Death and Resurrection. You who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen."

1st Station - Jesus is condemned to death

Première Station - Jésus est condamné à mort
Erste Station - Jesus wird zum Tod verurteilt
Prima Stazione - Gesù è condannato a morte
Primeira Estação - Jesus é condenado à morte
Primera Estación - Jesús es condenado a muerte

2nd Station - Jesus takes up His Cross

Deuxième Station - Jésus est chargé de sa croix
Zweite Station - Jesus nimmt das Kreuz auf seine Schultern
Seconda Stazione - Gesù è caricato della croce
Segunda Estação - Jesus recebe a Cruz aos ombros
Segunda Estación - Jesús carga con la Cruz a cuestas

3rd Station - Jesus falls the first time

Troisième Station - Jésus tombe pour la première fois
Dritte Station - Jesus fällt zum ersten Mal unter dem Kreuz
Terza Stazione - Gesù cade per la prima volta
Terceira Estação - Jesus cai pela primeira vez
Tercera Estación - Jesús cae por la primera vez

4th Station - Jesus meets His Mother

Quatrième Station - Jésus rencontre sa Mère
Vierte Station - Jesus begegnet seiner Mutter
Quarta Stazione - Gesù incontra sua Madre
Quarta Estação - Jesus encontra sua Mãe
Cuarta Estación - Jesús encuentra a su Madre

5th Station - Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his Cross

Cinquième Station - Simon de Cyrène aide Jésus à porter sa croix
Fünfte Station - Simon von Zyrene trägt das Kreuz Jesu
Quinta Stazione -Simone di Cirene porta la croce di Gesù
Quinta Estação - Simão de Cirene leva a cruz de Jesus
Quinta Estación - Simón de Cirene lleva la cruz de Jesús

6th Station - Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Sixième Station - Véronique essuie le visage de Jésus
Sechste Station - Veronika trocknet das Antlitz Jesu
Sesta Stazione - La Veronica asciuga il volto di Gesù
Sexta Estação - A Verónica limpa o rosto de Jesus
Sexta Estación - La Verónica enjuga el rostro de Jesús

7th Station - Jesus falls the second time

Septième Station - Jésus tombe une deuxième fois
Siebte Station - Jesus fällt zum zweiten Mal unter dem Kreuz
Settima Stazione - Gesù cade per la seconda volta
Sétima Estação - Jesus cai pela segunda vez
Séptima Estación - Jesús cae por segunda vez

8th Station - Jesus consoles the women of Jerusalem

Huitième Station - Jésus console les femmes de Jérusalem
Achte Station - Jesus ermahnt die Frauen von Jerusalem
Ottava Stazione - Gesù ammonisce le donne di Gerusalemme
Oitava Estação - Jesus admoesta as mulheres de Jerusalém
Octava Estación - Jesús consuela las mujeres de Jerusalén

9th Station - Jesus falls the third time

Neuvième Station - Jésus tombe pour la troisième fois
Neunte Station - Jesus fällt zum dritten Mal unter dem Kreuz
Nona Stazione - Gesù cade per la terza volta
Nona Estação - Jesus cai pela terceira vez
Novena Estación - Jesús cae por tercera vez

10th Station - Jesus is stripped of his garments

Dixième Station - Jésus est dépouillé de ses vêtements
Zehnte Station - Jesus wird seiner Kleider beraubt
Decima Stazione - Gesù è spogliato delle vesti
Décima Estação - Jesus é despojado das suas vestes
Décima Estación - Jesús es despojado de sus vestiduras

11th Station - Jesus is nailed to the Cross

Onzième Station - Jésus est cloué sur la Croix
Elfte Station - Jesus wird ans Kreuz genagelt
Undicesima Stazione - Gesù è inchiodato sulla Croce
Decima Primeira Estação - Jesus é pregado na Cruz
Undécima Estación - Jesús es clavado en la Cruz

12th Station - Jesus dies on the Cross

Douzième Station - Jésus meurt sur la croix
Zwöfte Station - Jesus stirbt am Kreuz
Dodicesima Stazione - Gesù muore sulla croce
Décima Segunda Estação - Jesus morre na cruz
Duodécima Estación - Jesús muere en la Cruz

13th Station - Jesus is taken down from the Cross and given to his Mother

Treizième Station - Jésus est descendu de la croix et confié à sa Mère
Dreizehnte Station - Jesus wird vom Kreuz abgenommen 
Tredicesima Stazione - Gesù è deposto dalla croce e consegnato alla Madre
Décima Terceira Estação - Jesus é descido da cruz e entregue a sua Mãe
Decimotercera Estación - Jesús es bajado de la Cruz y entregado a la Madre

14th Station - Jesus is laid in the tomb

Quatorzième Station - Le corps de Jésus est mis au tombeau
Vierzehnte Station - Der Leichnam Jesu wird ins Grab gelegt
Quattordicesima Stazione - Il corpo di Gesù è deposto nel sepolcro
Décima Quarta Estação - O corpo de Jesus é sepultado
Decimocuarta Estación - El cuerpo de Jesús es puesto en el sepulcro

The photos are from the Oberammergau Passion Play (Passionsspiele) 1910, the Gregynog Passion Play 2000 and the Via Crucis on Gianicolo Hill in Trastevere, Rome.

Papa San Giovanni PaoloII (Good Friday, 2003): "Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, a symbolic embrace between Jerusalem and Rome, the City which Jesus loved, where he gave his life for the salvation of the world, and the City of the See of the Successor of Peter, who presides over the Church in charity.

Via Crucis, a way of faith: in Jesus, condemned to death, we see the Judge of the universe; in Jesus as he carries his Cross, the Saviour of the world; in Jesus crucified, the Lord of history, the very Son of God.

Good Friday evening, a warm and restless night of the first full moon of spring. We gather here in the Lord's name. He is present in our midst, just as he promised. And with us too is the Blessed Virgin Mary.

She stood on the hill of Golgotha as the Mother of the dying Son, as the Disciple of the Teacher of truth, as the new Eve standing beneath the tree of life, as the woman of sorrow, the companion of the "man of sorrows, acquainted with grief", Daughter of Adam, Our Sister, Queen of Peace.

As the Mother of Mercy, she bends over her children who still face dangers and exhaustion, to see their sufferings, to hear the cry arising from their afflictions, to bring them comfort and to renew their hope of peace.

Father most holy, look upon the blood flowing from the Saviour's pierced side; look upon the blood shed by the many victims of hatred, of war, of terrorism, and in your mercy, grant that the course of world events may unfold according to your will, in justice and in peace, and that your Church may devote herself with quiet confidence to your service and to the liberation of mankind. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."