[Gocamino] (no subject)

[blaroli at aol.com]

Hello you all,

Today’s Correo reports that the albergues in Arzua, Arca and O Pino have been totally full since May, and the ones in Melida, O Brigadeiro and Palais de Rei  very nearly so.

The article also states that larger number of pilgrims are expected in July and August.

 

The last Holy Year, 2004, showed a tremendous increase in the number of pilgrims from those of the previous Holy Year, 1999.  The next Holy Year will be in 2010, and then there will not be another one for eleven years, until 2021.  Because of this large gap, it is expected that more pilgrims than ever will seek to make the pilgrimage in 2010, and preparations for such very large numbers have begun.

 

It was in the last Holy Year, 2004, that hospitaleros began to notice credentials whose issuers could not be identified or who appeared to be not-very-good copies of legitimate ones. Those credentials were presented at the albergues to gain admittance, and when their legitimacy was questioned hospitaleros met with abuse, unpleasant confrontations and waste of time and temper.

 

The official credential is almost impossible to falsify.  It is 6 ½ inches wide by 24 inches long and it folds, accordion-like, into seven segments.  The front cover, in beige and browns, has an engraving bearing a shell, gourd and staff, resting on an old door with a big keyhole; the back, in similar colors, shows the Cathedral’s façade and the Apostle’s coffin. The inner segments have markings for 40 seals, and for the legends at the beginning and the end of the pilgrimage, also in beige and brown with the lettering in black and a small image of the Apostle.  The back segments contain a map of Europe with all the Caminos, and detailed maps of the Camino del Norte,  Camino Frances, Via de la Plata and Camino Portugues, showing the various towns traversed and the distance between them. The maps are multi-colored and quite informative.  The credential is printed on specially-treated cardboard meant to withstand multiple handling, which it does, mostly.

 

I don’t know how much it costs to have these credentials printed, but it has got to be more than, let’s say, the 50 centimes  asked for them in many places.  Until 2004 the credentials were given for free almost anywhere, but then many of them were found discarded in trash cans like so many commercial leaflets.  Presumably those who are not really interested in the pilgrimage may think twice about getting a credential if they have to pay something for it.

 

The reasons for the new credential requirements, and their purpose, seem eminently reasonably to me, and I have a hard time understanding why anyone would take umbrage at them.

 

Lastly, the Archdiocese’s Webpage includes an electronic newspaper which contained an article, some months ago,  about the new rules. While the article did not disclose the reasons for the change, many of the subsequent related postings, some by hospitaleros  in Camino list-servs did so. There were also a couple of articles about the change in both “El Diario” and “La Voz”.

 

I neither print, nor keep any articles I read (unless they are directly related to my profession, of course). Those of you who may want to read the original articles can search for them in the Archdiocese Webpage archives, or in the newspapers’ “hemeroteca” files.

 

Regards,

 

Rosina

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