Part A
Pilgrimage;
o Pilgrimage is a religious practice provided by the Catholic Christian religion which help people in their search for freedom.
" Definitions of Pilgrimage (secular and religious)
o A religious pilgrimage is a journey undertaken for a religious motive. Although some pilgrims have wandered continuously with no fixed destination, pilgrims more commonly seek a specific place that has been sanctified by association with a divinity or other holy personage.
o A secular pilgrimage sites that are of no specific religious orientation (eg. War memorials) may form the focus on journeys of spiritual significance for their participants, to the extent that they may be seen as 'non-denominational' or even non-religious (or secular) pilgrimages.
" Definitions of Freedom (secular and religious)
o Secular freedom is the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited.
o Religious freedom is bound up in how Catholics see the world, God and the human person and how they relate to each other.
" Summary of purpose
o A pilgrimage will challenge and engage people in some form of spiritual journey that has the potential to initiate or enrich people a person's faith. Pilgrimage is also seen as a penitential practice and therefore it is also not uncommon for Catholics to celebrate the Sacrament of Penance at some point during their pilgrimage.
" Summary of how Freedom is found through Pilgrimage
o Freedom is found through pilgrimage through knowing and relating with God. A religious pilgrimage provides Catholics with an opportunity to know and relate more closely with God. Through such a relationship a pilgrim can find true freedom by being transformed from within and become more Christ-like in how they live and relate to others, and the world in which they live
Origins of Pilgrimage.
" Abraham
o God spoke to him, both calling him away from his home and giving him a promise. The promise was for land, for protection, and for an everlasting legacy. All that God required from Abraham was a little faith. Abraham had to believe that if he did leave and follow the pilgrim way that God was going to come through on His promise.
o Being a pilgrim required of Abraham a sacrifice: a sacrifice of time, of safety, of comfort, of identity and of control. Abraham was no longer the one dictating his life; by choosing the life of the pilgrim he surrendered control to God.
o Any place where Abraham sought or had a profound experience of God, he set up a shrine, an altar. The pilgrimage was not for him just about the destination, but he was constantly paying attention for where he experienced God in the journey.
" Stations of the Cross
o The stations of the cross is an ancient Christian practice. It involves a symbolic following of the path taken by Jesus in his last days to his death on the cross. This practice is a popular devotion common in parishes during the season of Lent and can be celebrated in many different ways
o Typically, it involves the use of 14 stations that represent important moments in the suffering and death of Jesus. Through the use of scripture reading and prayer participants are invited to prayerfully reflect upon Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection (The Paschal Mystery)
o Within this spiritual practice can be found many of the elements incorporated in the practice of pilgrimage. In fact, this practice grew in popularity during times when Christians, for a variety of reasons, were unable to undertake a pilgrimage
" St Paul's journey
o St Paul describes Christians as pilgrims on earth making their way to heaven. He explains by saying that through Baptism Christians become adopted sons/daughters of God and receives their Heavenly citizenship (Eph 2:19; Col 1:21). Thus, Christians no longer belonging to this world in a spiritual sense, but are now spiritual travellers on their way to heaven.
Characteristics and purpose of Religious Pilgrimage.
" A Catholic pilgrimage is an inner spiritual journey that seeks to contribute towards growth in religious faith and a religious way of life; both for the individual and the religious community as a whole. Pilgrimages provide Catholics with an opportunity to know and relate more closely with God.
" Movement: Pilgrimage is a performed activity that is traditionally associated with a long-distance journey and different rituals. As a phenomenon, it is basically about physical movement. Pilgrims travel to a certain place. For example, thousands of pilgrims annually trek across the Camino of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, with the journey being seen as the defining element.
" Place: Pilgrimages are inherently spatial. There is a particular place that is the destination; frequently, there are particular routes one must follow; and, there are stations of prayer and ritual. Specific places are considered to be holy, that is, they are different from normal places and are worthy of being visited. The sacred nature of the location is usually due to some supernatural event, such as a the presence of a deity or a divine/holy figure, or an apparition or a miracle. Mecca or Guadalupe, Mexico, for example, are treated differently to other places, they are distinct and special.
" Meaning: It involves the belief in something and the search for an authentic, meaningful experience. Traditionally, religious or spiritual pilgrims were motivated by desires to encounter the divine, to do penance for transgressions or to gain some spiritual or corporal favour. Hindus bathe in the waters of the Ganges river in Northern India to wash away their sins. Motivation or meaning also define secular pilgrimage. Those journeying to the war graves or battlefields of WWI or to Graceland are equally inspired by a belief in something.
" Transformation: A transformative or otherwise significant experience is part of pilgrimage. People travel to encounter something outside of their ordinary lives. The journey and the challenges associated with it are designed to prepare you for the main site. On returning from pilgrimage, the pilgrim is supposed to be spiritual renewed, essentially returning as a new person who has been transformed through their experience.
" Embodiment: Pilgrimages are very physical and corporeal things (centred on bodies). They involve long journeys and complex rituals. A pilgrimage is explored as a meaningful journey in which the performance entwines the outer physical and inner spiritual/emotional journey in a process that defines and shapes the people and places involved.
How Pilgrimage assists the development of Freedom (religious freedom).
" The right to choose a religion (or no religion) without interference by the government.
o All people are spiritual since all people search for meaning and purpose and freedom. Christianity makes sense of this experience through the belief in pilgrimage. Christians believe that this earthly life is not the only place, goal and destination but recognises a heavenly home revealed in Christ which correspond to their desire for perfection, freedom and happiness. Christians expresses this belief through the practice of physical, spiritual or moral pilgrimages as an expression of their journey or growth towards God. The Eucharist which Jesus established is the summit of this expression as Christians unite themselves to Jesus, who is their Way, Truth and Life, who directs their vocation, inspires their faith, and strengthen their resolve towards heaven.
o The link between pilgrimage and freedom is the idea that prayer and removal from daily life helps us to connect with God
o From a Catholic point of view true freedom is only found in knowing and relating with God. For those searching for freedom the Catholic Church offers many different ways to come to know and develop a relationship with God, the source of what the Church sees as true freedom
o All people are spiritual as everyone searches for meaning, purpose and freedom. Christianity makes sense of this experience through the belief in pilgrimage. Christians believe that our life on earth is not the only place, goal and destination but recognises a heavenly home revealed in Christ which correspond to their desire for perfection, freedom and happiness.
o Christians express this belief through the practice of physical, spiritual or moral pilgrimages as an expression of their journey or growth towards God. The Eucharist which Jesus established is the summit of this expression as Christians unite themselves to Jesus, who is their Way, Truth and Life, who directs their vocation, inspires their faith, and strengthen their resolve towards heaven.
o When entered into fully, the practice of religious pilgrimage provides Catholics with an opportunity to know and relate more closely with God. Through such a relationship a pilgrim can find true freedom by being transformed from within and become more Christ-like in how they live and relate to others, and the world in which they live.
o By taking the time to go on pilgrimage, people can leave behind everyday concerns and spend time in the presence of God as they travel to a place with special meaning