[Gocamino] [saintjames] New credential requirements, (message 1)

Wed Dec 31 12:04:22 PST 2008

Even the "free" albergues (refugios) encourage contributions. The privately owned, Confraternity run and municipal refugios all charged something, albeit a nominal amount, as I remember similar to Youth Hostel dormitory charges.  There were very few, if any, indigent people that I encountered who paid nothing. And if they did, big deal!

The Compostela was regarded by most of my fellow pilgrims as a souvenir of sorts, not some special diploma, proof of faith or degree.  For the Church to impose rigorous rules and encourage people to lie to get a memento is downright silly.  What difference does it make what people have to say or do to stay in a refugio or get the Compostela.  As for the expense and efforts in making them available, the Church gets far more back from pilgrims and tourism in collection plates at refugios, cathedrals and churches.

I wish people would stop bellyaching about the small minority of travelers who are not pilgrims who stay in refugios or ask for a Compostela if they are not following some bureaucratic rules.  Peace.

Howard Mendes, NYC

Why does this simple practical and utilitarian fact appear to be so difficult to 
understand and accept by some people?
It sure beats me.
Those who do not want to use the accommodation of the free albergues nor receive 
the Compostela need not bother with the credential or any other requirements 
established by the church, not at all. 
I myself have never stayed in an albergue (because=2
0of a visceral need for 
privacy and serious insomnia), but I have always wanted the Compostela, which is 
produced and made available at the Archdiocese's expense and through its 
efforts, and if. to get it, I need to comply with a simple request established 
primarily for the benefit, and safety of genuine pilgrims, why in the world 
would I want to bellyache about it?
Again, those who are not interested in the free use of the albergues or in 
getting the Compostela can pretty much do what, when, and how they want to do 
it.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rosina <blaroli at aol.com>
To: saintjames at yahoogroups.com
Cc: GoCamino at oakapple.net
Sent: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 2:09 pm
Subject: Re: [Gocamino] [saintjames] New credential requirements, (message 1)

Liebe Verena.
You are, of course, quite right.  Jesus Himself said that "whenever and wherever 
people meet in my name, I will be there".....
But the credential requirements apply ONLY to the Santiago Camino and those who 
want to use the albergues and/or receive the Compostela.
Why does this simple practical and utilitarian fact appear to be so difficult to 
understand and accept by some people?
It sure beats me.
Those who do not want to use the accommodation of the free albergues nor receive 
the Compostela need not bother with the credential or any other requirements 
established by the church, not at all. 
I myself have never stayed in an albergue (because of a visceral need for 
privacy and serious insom
nia), but I have always wanted the Compostela, which is 
produced and made available at the Archdiocese's expense and through its 
efforts, and if. to get it, I need to comply with a simple request established 
primarily for the benefit, and safety of genuine pilgrims, why in the world 
would I want to bellyache about it?
Again, those who are not interested in the free use of the albergues or in 
getting the Compostela can pretty much do what, when, and how they want to do 
it. 
At any rate,  let me wish you all a very wonderful New Year,
with hugs!
Rosina
ps. The Science Section of yesterday's New York Times (Dec. 30) carried the 
result of a scientific study that shows that people with faith enjoy longer, 
happier and more successful lives.... just as we were told in school 
when we were children.

-----Original Message-----
From: verena.ma at gmx.at
To: saintjames at yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:48 pm
Subject: Re: [saintjames] New credential requirements, (message 1)

the camino as we love it
is there for all of us, regardless 
of age, race, gender, religion
nationality, language, etc

the camino provides 
friendship, healing and in
the first place a wondeful Space
for Meditation, the real pilgrimage inside

to become quiet

to turn down volume of the chatting mind
stopping to allow mouth or writing fingers 
to repeat all the nonsense of thoughts

for this we don't need a compestela
or any other paper. it won't help you to
discover the Peace w
ithin

just be quiet and listen to the Silence

There you can discover the Joy of a peaceful Heart

and unveil God's Love within yourself

-------- Original-Nachricht --------
> Datum: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:42:16 -0500
> Von: Rosina <Blaroli at aol.com>
> An: GoCamino at oakapple.net, saintjames at yahoogroups.com
> CC: acaciopaz at yahoo.com.br
> Betreff: [saintjames] New credential requirements, (message 1)

> 
> Hello you all,
> 
>  
> 
> >From its origins the Santiago pilgrimage has been a deeply religious
> undertaking and since the 11th century the church has provided refuge, food,
> medical care and other assistance to pilgrims. The knights Templar and the
> Hospitaleros were organized to protect and care for pilgrims at the behest
> of the church.
> 
> Over the centuries, and because of the tremendous growth o
n the number of
> pilgrims, municipal authorities, with limited authority, throughout the
> various routes leading to Compostela asked the church, because of its
> unlimited jurisdiction, to organize, coordinate and supervise the means of
> assistance to pilgrims, and thus the network of albergues, as we know them, 
came to
> be.
> 
> In time, however, because of the great many abusers who saw the albergues
> as merely free lodging several attempts were made to limit such abuse by
> devising a means to recognize true pilgrims for whom the albergues were
> meant. Pilgrims were required to obtain a letter of introduction from their
> parish and a signature from the religious personnel of the 
albergues in which
> they stayed.  This went on for centuries and centuries, until fairly
> recently.
> 
> The pilgrims’ credential as we know it was created in Jaca at the
> International Congress of Xacobean Associations in 1987. Its purpose was, and 
is,
> to substitute the notebooks and pieces of paper with seals that pilgrims
> used to carry with them and to allow the use of albergues, medical
> assistance, etc. In other words, it was meant as a “Pilgrim
> ’s passport” that would also qualify a pilgrim to obtain the
> Compostela.
> 
> Over the past few years the number, type, appearance and provenance of 
> “pilgrim credentials” has multiplied beyond control, and a large
> percentage of them has been found to have been falsified, and even marketed, 
with

> the sole purpose of obtaining free lodging. Many free-loading non-pilgrims
> have caused significant safety and other concerns at the albergues. Because
> of this the Archdiocese and the Federation of Santiago Associations have
> been obliged to adopt measures to curb the problems, and one of those
> measures has been to require a uniform and acceptable credential.  Naturally,
> groups and people that for whatever reason dislike (or even hate) the
> church,  or uniformity, or any conformance whatever have objected and 
expressed
> their disapproval, sometimes loudly and unkindly, inexplicably forgetting
> that the Santiago pilgrimage is primarily religious in nature and that the
> networ
k of albergues would not exist without the care and the sponsorship of
> the church.
> 
> Be that as it may, Don Genaro Cebrian Franco, the Santiago Cathedral
> Canonic in charge of Pilgrimages, and of the pilgrims’ office in Santiago has
> issued a letter about the new credential requirements that will go into
> effect tomorrow, January 1, 2009.
> 
> A translation of the letter will follow in a subsequent message.
> 
> Hugs!
> 
> Rosina 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 

__._,_.___ 
Messages in this topic (3) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic 

Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Calendar 

This Group is based in the site: http://www.caminhodesantiago.com - Caminho de 
Santiago de Compostela - O20Portal Peregrino. All of information the pilgrims 
need. 

MARKETPLACE

>From kitchen basics to easy recipes - join the Group from Kraft Foods 

Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) 
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to 
Traditional 
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe 

Recent Activity

Visit Your Group 

Yahoo! Groups

Special K Challenge
Join others who 

are losing pounds.

Find helpful tips

for Moderators

on the Yahoo!

Groups team blog.

Everyday Wellness

on Yahoo! Groups

Find groups that will

help you stay fit.

.

__,_._,___ 
_______________________________________________
Gocamino mailing list
Gocamino at oakapple.net
http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino