Non-Christian pilgrim experiences

[Michael P. Barham]

I am a Christian (Episcopal) and went for personal religious/spiritual
reasons, but . . .

I think you will find the camino quit meaningful and memorable.  I met many
people who were not Christian, all hiking for a variety of reasons, and it
was good for me to come into contact with so many different types of
people - it was beautiful.

The difficult thing for me as a protestant, and you might feel this too as
as a non-Roman Catholic, there is definately a Catholic feel to things, and
it was frustrating for me to not be able to fully participate in religious
services along the way, with regards to the mass as Eucharist is very
important to my personal theology.

Some people felt like nonCatholics were not being accomodated on the trail,
and there were days I felt that.  However, it is important and makes it
easier if you remember that this is first and foremost a traditional
Christian pilgrimage.  Even though it is hiped up as a great hiking trip or
"cultural itinerary," and it is all of those things, it is primarily for
Christian expression of religion.

Most days that didn't bother me, because I am Christian, but I could tell it
made some of my fellow pilgrims uncomfortable, and there were sometimes
resentment.

The reason I say all this is not to say you won't find this a meaningful
experience - on the contrary, I don't see how one couldn't!  However, it is
good to get the mindset in advance that some particular ideas and views are
held by people with whom  you will be walking, living, who will be hosting
you and whom you will pass...  it makes it easier to be prepared for that.
Most days, however, you probably wouldn't even notice. . . people are quite
gracious, and many of the priests understand that non-Christians are walking
the trail, and they do just as much to accomodate us non-Catholics and they
do for anyone else.

Hope this hasn't been too much information . . .

best wishes with your journey
michael b


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