The Compostela

[Rosina Lila]

Hi Patty,
Sometimes there appears to be a  slight confusion  when referring to
pilgrimage related documents. Allow me to attempt a clarification:
One can transverse the Camino,- that is, any of the various routes followed
by pilgrims to Santiago over the centuries-, in any way, for as long, or
short, as one may want to, and by whatever means.
The references to certain requirements apply only to obtaining the
Compostela, which is a  certificate issued by the Santiago Archdiocese
recognizing, and attesting to, the fact that someone has undertaken the
pilgrimage in a certain manner.   The Compostela is written in Latin and,
translated, it reads:
 "The Cabildo of this Holy Apostolic and Metropolitan Compostelan Cathedral,
custodian of the seal of the altar of the Apostle Santiago, so that all the
faithful and pilgrims that come from any part of the orb of the earth with a
devotional attitude, or because of a promise or voto (thanks for a favor
received), to the grave of the Apostle, our Patron and Protector of the
Spains, attests to all those that may read this document that ____(pilgrim's
name in Latin)_________  has visited devoutly this Holy Temple with a
Christian purpose".
In order to obtain this document the Archdiocese requires that whoever wants
it must have walked, or horse ridden, the last 100 kilometers of one or
another of the Camino routes, or bicycled the last 200 kilometers, and
obtained two seals daily along the Way.
The Compostela is not a touristic souvenir;  it is somewhat akin to
church-issued confirmation certificates or communion certificates which are
granted after certain requirements have been met.
Of course, one can walk the Camino for one's own private purposes and need
not comply with the requirements for obtaining the Compostela.  -I, for one,
do not understand why anyone who dislikes the Catholic Church would want a
Cathlic certificate-.  However, the Compostela is granted to those who have
made the pilgrimage "Pietatis Cause",  (substantially, as I understand it,
with a good and sincere heart approximating Christian love),  whether or not
a Catholic; this, in my personal view, is as it should be.
Those who do not seek to get the Compostela and want a tangible memory of the
pilgrimage can always have the credential with its many seals detailing all
the places which one crossed. The credential, or "pilgrim's passport", is
easily obtainable and there are no requirement that one finish the
pilgrimage, etc.
I kept my credential with even greater care than my US passport. Very often
now I Iook at it lovingly and longingly, in total amazement  of what I did.
While I was walking the Camino I was all too engaged in Camino concerns
(food, beds, bathrooms, distances, yellow arrows, water, aches and pains,
etc.) to fully appreciate the marvels of the Camino. Now I  do so by looking
at all the seals on my "pilgrim's passport" and remembering the places, the
wonders, the awing perceptions and the ineffable joy.  I added to my
pilgrim's passport a picture of my little Maltese dog, Chris, and, after
Leon, a photo of that heart-shaking and warming painting of St. Francis on
the way down the Pyrenees which is in the Leon's Cathedral Museum, and I felt
perfectly and totally documented as a pilgrim,..... long before getting the
Compostela.
In fact, I went to Kinko's and made copies of my pilgrim's passport to put
in my professional agendas; they  afford me a spiritual and mental retreat
when things threaten to become overwhelming or when I simply want to feel
good.
I took the pilgrim's passport with me when I went to Rome last January and
when I went to Spain two weeks ago, and I certainly will take it with me in
my upcoming trip to Egypt (which I am not looking forward to) and Jerusalem.
Both my Compostelas, by contrast, are nicely stored and I do not look at them
too often..
I hope the above clarifies some misconceptions.
Warm regards to you all.
Rosina

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