The Via Dolorosa, also known as the “Way of Sorrows,” is a street in the Old City of Jerusalem believed to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. The winding route stretches along approximately 2,000 feet (600 m), beginning from the Antonia Fortress located near the Lions’ Gate (St. Stephen’s Gate) in the Muslim Quarter and ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter. The Via Dolorosa commemorates the path Jesus took while carrying his cross, after his condemnation by Pontius Pilate, to Calvary where he was crucified and died.
According to the Gospels, after Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was brought before the Sanhedrin for trial and was condemned to death. He was then brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, who questioned Jesus but did not initially find him guilty of any crime under Roman law. However, pressured by the Jewish authorities and crowd, Pilate eventually sentenced Jesus to crucifixion (Matthew 27:11-26, Mark 15:1-15, Luke 23:1-25, John 18:28-19:16). Jesus was mocked and whipped before beginning his march to Golgotha, while carrying the crossbeam of the cross on which he would be crucified. The Gospels record that Jesus was so weakened by the severe beatings that he could not carry the cross himself, and Simon of Cyrene was forced by the Roman soldiers to help carry it for him (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26). The path they took became known as the Via Dolorosa, or “Way of Suffering.”
Although the precise path Jesus walked on that day is unclear, the traditional route of the Via Dolorosa originated in the 4th century under Constantine, the first Christian emperor of Rome. As Christianity gained prominence in the Roman Empire and became the official religion, many churches and shrines were constructed in Jerusalem to mark the final path walked by Jesus. The route was further developed and promoted by the Franciscans in the 14th century after the Muslims granted them custody of the Holy Sites. Over the centuries, the path became clearly marked and today consists of 14 Stations of the Cross, with each station commemorating an event that occurred along the way. The stations end at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which was built over the sites of Golgotha and the tomb of Jesus.
The 14 generally accepted stations along the Via Dolorosa are:
- Jesus is condemned to death
- Jesus receives the cross
- Jesus falls the first time
- Jesus meets his mother Mary
- Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross
- Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
- Jesus falls the second time
- Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
- Jesus falls the third time
- Jesus is stripped of his clothes
- Jesus is nailed to the cross
- Jesus dies on the cross
- Jesus is taken down from the cross
- Jesus is laid in the tomb
While the path of the Via Dolorosa is historically uncertain, it has become a major site of Christian pilgrimage. Each Friday, pilgrims from around the world walk along the path, mediating on the events of Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Many pilgrims carry a wooden cross or wear a crown of thorns to replicate Jesus’ suffering along the way. Upon reaching each station, pilgrims stop to pray and sing hymns. The solemn devotion along the Via Dolorosa is seen as a way to spiritually journey with Jesus on his agonizing final walk.
The stations along the route mark the following key events:
1. Jesus is condemned to death
The first station is located at the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned to death by Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:24-25). The fortress was the site of the Roman barracks in first century Jerusalem. Today, the site is marked by a Franciscan chapel with a relief depicting Jesus’ sentencing.
2. Jesus receives the cross
After being condemned, Jesus was forced to carry the cross on which he would be crucified through the streets of Jerusalem. The second station marks the location where Jesus accepted the heavy wooden crossbeam upon his torn back (John 19:17).
3. Jesus falls the first time
As Jesus carried his cross, he became too weak from the brutal beatings and lost his footing, falling to the ground for the first time. The third station commemorates this first fall under the weight of the cross.
4. Jesus meets his mother Mary
Along the journey to Calvary, Jesus encountered his mother Mary. The emotional meeting between Jesus and his grieving mother is commemorated at the fourth station (Luke 2:35).
5. Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross
The fifth station marks the place where Simon of Cyrene was forced by the Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross (Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26). Jesus had grown too weak to carry the heavy burden alone.
6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
As Jesus walked along covered in blood and sweat, Saint Veronica encountered him along the way and compassionately wiped his face with her veil or tunic. The cloth miraculously retains the image of Christ’s face imprinted on the fabric. The sixth station commemorates this act of compassion to ease Christ’s suffering.
7. Jesus falls the second time
Exhausted from the brutal scourging at the hands of Roman soldiers and weakened by loss of blood, Jesus stumbled and fell to the ground a second time under the cross as he walked the Via Dolorosa.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
Jesus offered words of compassion to the women of Jerusalem who were mourning his torture and death, telling them not to weep for him but for themselves and their children (Luke 23:27-31). The eighth station marks this encounter.
9. Jesus falls the third time
As Jesus neared the end of his walk to Calvary, he was in critical condition and fell yet again for the third time, highlighting the extreme extent of his weakened state and suffering.
10. Jesus is stripped of his clothes
At the site of the crucifixion, Jesus was brutally stripped of his clothing by the Roman guards, an incredibly demeaning experience preceding his actual crucifixion. This is remembered at the tenth station.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross
Jesus’ hands and feet were nailed to the wooden cross as he was crucified (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:33, John 19:18). This particularly cruel and painful event is marked at the eleventh station.
12. Jesus dies on the cross
Jesus suffered for hours nailed to the cross, forgiving his executioners and petitioning God, before finally breathing his last breath (Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46). This agonizing death is remembered at the twelfth station.
13. Jesus is taken down from the cross
After his death, Jesus’ lifeless body was taken down from the cross and laid in Mary’s arms (Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42). The thirteenth station marks where he was removed from the cross he bore.
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb
In the final station, Jesus’ body was respectfully wrapped in linen and entombed in a nearby burial cave donated by Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42).
While following the path of the Via Dolorosa cannot fully replicate Christ’s suffering on the way to the cross, walking the Stations of the Cross is an impactful way for believers to prayerfully remember and meditate on Jesus’ sacrifice. As they reflect on his agony, Christians are reminded of the depths of Christ’s love demonstrated through his willing death on the cross for the redemption of sinful humanity. Walking the Via Dolorosa remains an important spiritual practice for believers as they contemplate the events of Good Friday and Jesus’ painful journey to the crucifixion.
Though centuries have passed, Christians can still gain insight into Christ’s suffering and connect more profoundly to the message of salvation through following the hallowed path of the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.
