Camino and Santiago news

[Rosina Lila]

Hello you all,
I've found a large number of messages regarding Santiago that may be of
interest to you all:
1. Pilgrims in the public albergues during March:
15,365 pilgrims availed themselves of the public albergues' facilities during
March (bringing the total for the past three months to 25,869, a 33.4%
increase over the 1999 numbers). The figures for last month are 1,256 pilgrims
higher than those of 1999, despite the fact that in that year Holy Week, with its
traditional large number of pilgrims, fell in March.
11,861 of the March pilgrims were on the French Way; 1,514  on the Portuguese
Way, 645 on the Northern Way; 618 on the Via de la Plata; 500 on the
Fisterra-Muxia Way and 227 on the English Way.
These numbers represent only those pilgrims that stayed in the albergues
sponsored by the Galician and other Xuntas, and do not include pilgrims staying in
private albergues or in those, such as the ones on the Primitive Way,
sponsored by religious orders.

2. No more head-butting or pillar touching.
 The Archdiocese of Santiago has decided to eliminate the popular "dos
croques" rite of butting one's forehead against the head of Maestro Mateo's statue
by the Portico de Gloria; touching the central column of the Portico and
placing one's hand on the ancient indentations made by the hands of millions and
millions of pilgrims over hundreds and hundreds of years will, equally, no longer
be permitted.  The speaker for the Archdiocese, Father Jose Fernandez Lago,
states that neither of these acts has any liturgical meaning, and that they
create long queues, with their attending noise, that intrude upon, and disrupt,
legitimate religious services.  Further, it is expected that the banning of
these popular costumes will arrest the deterioration not only of the statues
against which heads are butted, but of the central column itself. The original
figures of the column were meant to represent the genealogy of Jesus, but their
sharpness has been eroded significantly through so much touching, hands
perspiration and dirt, etc.  Father Fernandez Lago opines that pilgrims and visitors
to the Cathedral will be better able to appreciate the wonders of the Portico
de Gloria if they are not distracted by meaningless rites.

3. Cathedral's Obradoiro door.
Father Fernandez Lago announced that henceforth the Cathedral's door to
Obradoiro will open sparingly in order to protect the Portico de Gloria and to
avoid the noise and movement that tends to be generated there.  The door will only
open from 9:00 to 9:35 in the morning and from 13:15 to 17:45 in the
afternoon.

4. Holy Year graces.
Fr. Fernandez advised that in order to earn the special spiritual graces
conferred during a Holy Year upon the faithful all one needs to do is go to
confession, take Communion and attend Mass. He owned however, that going through the
Holy Door, embracing the Image of the Apostle and visiting the crypt are
recognized as apostolic rites.

5. Botafumeiro.
There are two botafumeiros: a silver-plated one which is the one used
customarily and another one made of solid silver. The latter was a present made to
the Cathedral by the silversmiths of Santiago some years ago and it is only used
on special occasions, such as the visit from the King and Queen last December
30th, and during the opening of the Holy Door on December 31st.  (Someone
commented here that the pictures of the botafumeiro that I took on those days
were unusually sharp; I myself noted that the Botafumeiro looked more brilliant
than usual, but I thought that they had just cleaned it; I didn't know, until
now, that it was a solid-silver one).

6. Xacobean boots/shoes.
The Association of Shoemakers of Terra de Lemos  in Monforte ( Lugo province)
has designed special footwear for pilgrims.  Shoemakers in Lemos have been at
their trade for hundreds of years, and have now combined their ancient
know-how with modern means and techniques to create shoes and boots that are very
light.  They are made of leather with rubber soles yet they are water-resistant.
They are also equipped with removable shoe pads (?) treated chemically to
avoid fungus and the like.  The shoes/toots are being sold throughout the French,
English and Portuguese Ways. The boots cost 115 euros, the shoes 105 euros,
and the sandals, appropriate in the summer time, 100 euros. It is also possible
to obtain boots/shoes, lined with simpatex (absorbs perspiration) for 140
euros.  After many tests thereof, the Xunta has allowed such boots/shoes to be
denominated as "official" pilgrimageboots/shoes.

7. "porter service".
Commencing the week after Holy Week there will be a  pilgrims' "porter"
service throughout the French Way through which pilgrims can send ahead their heavy
burdens, luggage, backpacks, etc. etc. throughout the French Way. The
service, which will include returning, or placing, bicycles to or from a particular
place, will be available on a day-to-day basis or in whatever stages a pilgrim
may choose.  Those interested in knowing more about this service can write to:
                                   mundicaminoamundicamino.com
originally the intent was to assist ailing or handicapped pilgrims, but it
has now been open to all pilgrims.

(T o     b e     c o n t i n u e d)


Rosina
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