The following is a quote from a book entitled “A Manual of Pastoral Theology: A practical Guide for Ecclesiastical Students and Newly Ordained Priests” by Rev. Frederick Schulze, D.D. published by B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis MO, copyright 1923, Fifth Printing 1954 with a library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 23-8326 in the section on Sacramentals with the appropriate approbations which I will show in the list of “Books to assist priests writing homilies and sermons” which should post sometime in August or September of this year of 2024.
“It may be well to note that if a person, for some grave reason, is unable to go to the Stations, he can gain the indulgences by means of a crucifix specially blessed for that purpose.
This is a privilege granted by Clement XIV and confirmed by Pius IX. It reads as follows: “all who are sick, or in prison, or at sea, or in heathen lands, or prevented in any other way from visiting the Stations of the Way of the Cross erected in churches or public oratories, may gain these indulgences by saying with at least a contrite heart and devoutly, the ‘Our Father,’ the ‘Hail Mary,’ and the “Glory be to the Father,’ each fourteen times, and at the end of these the ‘Our Father,’ the ’Hail Mary,’ and the ‘Glory be to the Father,’ each five times; and again one ‘Our Father,’ ‘Hail Mary,’ and ‘Glory be to the Father’ for the Sovereign Pontiff, holding in their hands the while a crucifix of brass, or any other solid substance, which has been blessed by the Father General of the order of the Friars Minor Observants, or else by the Father Provincial, or by any Father Guardian subject to said Father General.”
At present the Holy See will give the faculty to bless such a crucifix to any priest who applies for it. This crucifix (not merely a bare cross) cannot be sold or given away, because the privilege is of a personal character. It may be of any size; but it does not seem to be proper to apply the indulgences of the Stations to a very small crucifix.
Note. A writer in the Homiletic and Pastoral Review (March, 1927, page 597) sauys: “Those who are legitimately hindered from making the Stations in the usual way, can gain the indulgences of the Stations by holding in their hand a crucifix blessed for this purpose and saying twenty Our Fathers and Hail Marys – fourteen for the fourteen Stations, five in honor of the five holy Wounds, and one according to the intention of the Pope. The inability to say the Stations to church need not be absolute.
“Conditions: (1) The twenty Our Fathers; (2) an act of contrition or saying the vocal prayers with a contrite heart; (3) meditating on the Passion. When several are together and wish to make the Stations, with only one blessed crucifix between them, one may hold the crucifix, whilst all are saying the prayers together, or per modum chori, but all must do their own thinking or meditating on the Passion.
“Leo XIII granted a modification of this privilege to those who are so seriously ill as to be unable to satisfy the ordinary conditions and to say the twenty Our Fathers. They may gain the indulgences by making (1) an oral act of contrition, and saying the versicle ‘Te ergo quaesumus,’ etc.; (2) They must, at least in their heart, join in there Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory be to the Father, whilst they are said aloud by somebody else; and (3) they must meanwhile think on the Passion Christ. This one condition of meditation on the Passion is never dispensed from or with, and the Station crucifix must be held by the sick person’s hand.” “
Once again the above quote is from a book published in 1923 and though it is conceivable some changes have been made, it is not likely and if in doubt you should ask your local traditional Catholic priest.
Traditional Thomistic Catholic 