Compostela vs. Certificado

[Dale M.]

Howard,

I understand your frustration when you asked -

"why should the Catholic Church be so rigid and insist that you give a
reason for doing the Camino and then divide the certificates into two
categories?"

You know, the Catholic Church is an old beast and a slow moving
one.  She takes her time to change and to accept new ways of doing
things.  But for all her faults there is a great deal of beauty to be found
in Catholicism and after all, we have the Church to thank for the
Camino as we know it today.

I'm uncertain as to why your friend Jean-Pierre was so sure his view of
spirituality would be so far removed from that of the Church?  Just
going on my own personal experience I have a dear friend who is a
Catholic priest  - he describes 'spirituality' as "one's own experience of
the divine".  He sees it as something entirely different from religion
itself.   I can't make a general statement for the entire Catholic
priest-hood but I suspect many Catholic priests are far more
accepting of an individual's experience of spirituality  than you may
think.  Religion, however, is an entirely different matter altogether.

I'm sad that your friend was denied his Compostela - especially as it
was unexpected.   But you know, maybe his concept of spirituality
wouldn't have been so very different to the powers that be in Santiago
after all.

Regards,

Dale M.