[saintjames] Re: Motorized assistance

[claudia castellani]

We modern people don't attach much importance to "unnecessary hardship" in
the Camino (and elsewhere, actually!) and everybody feels free to behave as
he/she prefers. But medieval pilgrims did care a lot, because physical
sufference was considered the best way to imitate Christ's Passion and to
ask for pardon for one's sins. Some of them, for example, also wore
"cilicium" (I don't know the word in English) under their garments.
I am probably an out-of-date person, but I agree with the Medieval mentality
(I didn't wear a "cilicium" though!!).
For the Latins, "otium" was the father of vice, which is more or less the
same concept. And today's first accusation against "the Western world" is
based on the fact that its comfortable and lazy way of living is considered
to have brought to a very deep "moral corruption".
As on the Camino I was looking for my "personal revelation", I felt that
bringing my own backpack was absolutely fundamental, a sort of pre-condition
to receive that revelation.

Claudia



>From: Elizabeth Boylston-Morris <TagelleaAOL.COM>
>Reply-To: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage <GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu>
>To: GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu
>Subject: Re: [saintjames] Re: Motorized assistance
>Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 12:22:23 -0500
>
>In the summer of 2000 I covered parts of the Camino, on and off, in the
>company of two Catholic priests from Scotland. While I am Episcopalian I
>shared with them our common English language and the fact that none of us
>knew much Spanish.
>The priests were carrying a rather small bag. They told me that some
>priests in Roncesvalles had recommended that they send their backpacks
>ahead, and they showed me an itinerary prepared for them by a Roncesvalles
>monk showing recommended stops, every three or four walking days, where
>they could send their backpacks ahead all the way to the Minor Seminary in
>Santiago.
>The prayer cited by a list member appears to be addressed to those pilgrims
>who chose to carry their backpacks or lack the means to send them ahead; it
>certainly does not convey a mandate. In olden times it would have been
>particularly difficult for pilgrims of modest means to send anything ahead.
>given the lack of transportation networks then and the prohibitive price of
>beasts of burden.
>Carrying, or not carrying, the backpack has no relevance to  whether one is
>a pilgrim or not. I do not believe that unnecessary hardship is ever
>required for a pilgrimage. However, good will towards other pilgrims and
>respect for their choices should be.
>Liz

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