The Three Hours' Agony or "Tre Ore" is a service held in some Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches on Good Friday from noon till 3 o'clock to commemorate the Passion of Christ. It may include meditation on the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross,[1] or the Stations of the Cross.
The Jesuit priest Alphonsus Messia (d. 1732) is said to have devised this devotion in Lima, Peru. It was introduced to Rome around 1788 and spread around the world. In 1815, Pope Pius VII decreed a plenary indulgence to those who practise this devotion on Good Friday.[2]
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.