[Gocamino] Catholicism not required

[Leslie Gilmour]

Hi Rosina,

I am very interested in this "That anyone could think of the Camino as a
"cheap holiday" is very sad, and that some people could promote it as such
is appalling."

And I am just wondering where you read someone promoting the Camino as a
cheap holiday.  As you know I run a web site on the Camino and have a strong
interest in the Camino.  It would be great if you would post this
information.

Thanks for all your help
Leslie
http://www.caminodesantiago.me.uk


-----Original Message-----
From: gocamino-bounces at oakapple.net [mailto:gocamino-bounces at oakapple.net]
On Behalf Of blaroli at aol.com
Sent: 21 June 2007 16:14
To: GOCAMINO at oakapple.net; saintjames at yahoogroups.com
Cc: acaciopaz at yahoo.com.br
Subject: [Gocamino] Catholicism not required

Hello you all,
That fabulous Camino video made by Richard Attenborough "Within the Way
Without" follows three pilgrims: an Australian protestant, a Brasilian
Catholic (sort-of) and a Japanese Buddhist. The only one who did not receive
the Compostela was the Brasilian since she hurt a foot and couldn't walk the
last 50 kilometers or so. (Since the video was made she has returned to the
Camino, with her husband, and completed it).
I've been on the Camino four times and completed it three. No one asked me
whether I was a Catholic neither when I got the pilgrim's credential or when
I got the Compostela. The only related question is whether one is making the
pilgrimage for solely religious, religious/cultural, or cultural reasons.
I've met English-speaking pilgrims in the hundreds and they have almost
always been Protestant, including my own companions twice.
 I completed the Northern Way with a Jewish and a Hindu pilgrim, and we got
our Compostelas together.
It seems that the "pietatis causa" requirement refers to a spiritual
approach as opposed to a mere tourist one.
I've read a message here that a pilgrim had to tell at the Pilgrims' office
that s/he had made the pilgrimage for religious reasons to get the
Compostela.  This couldn't be since the question is asked when one gets the
credential.
I've spent many a day at the Pilgrims' Office volunteering as a translator
and I can assure you that this does not happen.
The pilgrims' data available show that between 5-8% of pilgrims who received
the Compostela had declared their purpose for making the pilgrimage to be
only cultural.
Perhaps all the misunderstandings come from language difficulties. I don't
know.
There is another confusion, perhaps more understandable, about receiving
communion at Mass.  In the United States for some reason only Catholics are
supposed to receive communion at a Catholic Mass. (My own parish includes
this admonition in very, very fine print in the back of the Mass leaflet and
I have never ever heard a priest, or anyone, mention it at Mass or
elsewhere.)
My sister in Law Liz is an Episcopalian and very active in her church where
she "serves" at Mass.  She is more of a Camino enthusiast than I am and it
is because of her that I went to the Camino, unwillingly, the first time. 
In Spain she is the first on line to receive communion. Someone told hetr
that as a non-Catholic she wasn't supposed to do so. Because she became
concerned, I asked a priest  in Leon about it; he laughed and asked whether
we could imagine Jesus ever keeping anyone from His table. He also reminded
her that the Camino began centuries before Christians separated into
Catholics and protetestans and therefore all pilgrims are part of it.
And so it goes.

The new efforts seem addressed to the increasing abuse of albergues at the
expense of legitimate pilgrims.  That anyone could think of the Camino as a
"cheap holiday" is very sad, and that some people could promote it as such
is appalling. If I hadn't read it with my own eyes I would not have believed
it.

Regards,

Rosina
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