<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Palatino Linotype" LANG="0">Hello you all,<BR>
I've found a large number of messages regarding Santiago that may be of interest to you all:<BR>
1. Pilgrims in the public albergues during March: <BR>
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.<BR>
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.<BR>
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. <BR>
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2. No more head-butting or pillar touching. <BR>
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.<BR>
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3. Cathedral's Obradoiro door. <BR>
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. <BR>
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4. Holy Year graces.<BR>
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.<BR>
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5. Botafumeiro.<BR>
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). <BR>
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6. Xacobean boots/shoes.<BR>
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. <BR>
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7. "porter service".<BR>
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:<BR>
mundicaminoamundicamino.com<BR>
originally the intent was to assist ailing or handicapped pilgrims, but it has now been open to all pilgrims.<BR>
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(T o b e c o n t i n u e d)<BR>
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Rosina<BR>
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