The Colosseum has been seen as a Holy site beginning in the mid 1600’s because it is said to be sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there. Pope Benedict XIV began the tradition of celebrating Via Crucis or Way of the Cross at the Colosseum. The tradition in its current form began in 1964 with Pope Paul VI. This is a somber event that follows Christ’s journey through the Stations of the Cross.
