Vatican City: A new Way of the Cross has been inaugurated inside St. Peter’s Basilica as part of the 400th anniversary celebrations of the Basilica’s dedication, marked from 1626 to 2026.
The Via Crucis was created by young Swiss artist Manuel Andreas Dürr, whose work was selected through an international competition that drew more than one thousand submissions from 80 countries across five continents. The contest, launched in December 2023, was open to participants regardless of nationality, age, gender, or religious affiliation.
A commission made up of art historians, liturgists, and representatives of Vatican institutions oversaw the selection process. After reviewing portfolios and credentials, 14 artists were shortlisted and asked to submit two sketches each, including a required design for the twelfth station depicting the death of Jesus on the Cross.
Dürr’s proposal was unanimously chosen for its balanced composition and strong expressive power in presenting the Paschal mystery.
The 14 stations, framed by craftsmen of the Fabric of St. Peter, are displayed along the central nave and around the Confession area of the Basilica. They will remain in place throughout the Lenten season, offering pilgrims and visitors a space for prayer and reflection.
Following the inauguration ceremony, the Way of the Cross devotion will be held inside the Basilica. Participants will move from station to station, meditating on the Passion of Christ through readings, prayers, and moments of silence in the sacred space built over the tomb of the Apostle Peter.
With this new Via Crucis, St. Peter’s Basilica strengthens the dialogue between art and liturgy, offering a visible expression of how sacred beauty continues to illuminate the mystery of the Cross for the Church and the faithful.