WAY OF THE CROSS INDULGENCES
All the faithful in the state of grace, who individually or collectively make the Way of the Cross with at least a contrite heart may gain the following indulgences:
1. A Plenary Indulgence as often as they make the Way of the Cross.
An additional Plenary Indulgence may be gained:
a.) Any day they make the Way of the Cross and receive Holy Communion.
b.) Or after making the Way of the Cross ten times, they receive Holy Communion within the month following.
3. If for some reasonable cause, the Way of the Cross is not completed, a partial Indulgence often years may be gained for each Station made. (Preces et Pia Opera No. 164).
The same indulgences are valid for the following:
a.) Those at sea, prisoners, sick persons and those who live in pagan countries, as well as those who are lawfully hindered from making the Stations in their ordinary form, provided that they hold in their hand a Crucifix blessed for this purpose by a Priest with the proper faculties, and recite with a contrite heart and devout sentiments twenty times Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, namely one for each Station, five in honor of the five Sacred Wounds of our Lord, and one for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff. If reasonably prevented from saying all, they are entitled to a partial indulgence of 10 years for each recitation of Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
b.) The sick who on account of their condition cannot without serious inconvenience or difficulty perform the Way of the Cross in its ordinary form or in the shorter form described in paragraph a) may gain all the indulgences provided that they devoutly kiss, or at least fix their eyes upon a Crucifix, duly blessed for this purpose, which is held before them by a Priest or some other person, and recite, if possible some short prayer or ejaculation in memory of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus.
His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, allowed those who cannot hold the crucifix in their hands because of manual labor or some other reasonable inconvenience the right to gain these indulgences as long as they have such a crucifix on their person while saying the prescribed prayers. (Nov. 9, 1933)
Redemptorist Fathers enjoy the privilege of blessing these Crucifixes.
Conditions to gain these Indulgences.
1. Movement from one Station to the other.
2. At each Station a brief meditation, according to one's ability, on the Passion of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
No special form of prayer is required.
