The New Way of the Cross inaugurated at St Peter’s

On Friday, 20 February, in the afternoon, in the Vatican Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti inaugurated the new Via Crucis created to mark the 400th anniversary of the dedication of St Peter’s Basilica (1626–2026). The work, entrusted to Swiss artist Manuel Andreas Dürr, is the result of an international competition launched by the Fabbrica di San Pietro and saw the participation of artists from around the world before the unanimous selection of the winning author.

The fourteen canvases, displayed along the central nave for the season of Lent, engage in dialogue with the space, the light and the figurative memory of the Basilica. Entering St Peter’s and “encountering the new Via Crucis… means engaging with a full presence,” the presentation text states, highlighting the clarity of the figures and the compositional solidity of the Stations that accompany the journey of the faithful.

The official inauguration of the works took place at 3:00 p.m. and was accompanied by the singing of the Cappella Giulia choir and by the institutional greetings of Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of the Basilica and President of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, Monsignor Orazio Pepe, Secretary of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, and the artist Manuel Andreas Dürr. The Cardinal explained that “through this work we can pray, following in the footsteps of Jesus, to walk with Him toward the Resurrection,” inviting all to an experience of prayer and contemplation in the heart of the Basilica.

At 4:00 p.m., the solemn Via Crucis was celebrated, presided over by Cardinal Gambetti, in a Basilica filled with faithful and pilgrims.

The Via Crucis will remain on display throughout the Lenten season and will be accompanied by celebrations and liturgical moments for pilgrims and faithful visiting St Peter’s on the occasion of the Fourth Centenary of the Dedication.