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Botafumeiro swinging again

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Wow! Great to see. I look forward to the day that I will be back in SdC to see it again.
 
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I shall have to plan to do what I must to avoid it in the future. As I recall, it is swung at the end of the service, so I can just leave first. I am allergic to incense, but my additional reason for avoiding it is that the whole circus atmosphere of the procedure turns me right off. In the future, I shall be reminding myself of the decrepit appearance, in the above photo, of the pulley which controls it.
 
Thank you Ivar, i am so looking forward to attending mass in the Cathedral and experiencing the botafumeiro late in 2021. Buen Camino
 
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the whole circus atmosphere of the procedure turns me right off. In the future, I shall be reminding myself of the decrepit appearance, in the above photo, of the pulley which controls it.

I have to agree, though do I think everyone should witness it once at least. Certainly the first couple of times I found it to be an uplifting and emotional experience, however my most recent one in 2018 was indeed a circus, an infuriating one, with one particular group of tourists depriving individuals of a seat by spreading out their belongings and cheering and clapping at the end. Perhaps I witnessed it on a bad day? Or perhaps I'm guilty myself of adding to the throng...
 
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I loved the video of the botafumeiro. It's always been the most fabulous spectacle. Being there when it swings is something else - beats any modern technological thrill, imo. In the video there seemed to be a lot more incense smoke than usual, perhaps they were extra generous because it had been so long, or maybe it has something to do with the Botafumeiro being cleaned. Hope all that smoke does not discolour the wonderful restoration work, and the new brighter paint.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
the ... circus atmosphere of the procedure ...

I am not disagreeing with you at all, as I also dislike circuses in church.

If I may tell you of two experiences some seven years apart.

My first pilgrimage from Sarria (June/July 2010) saw me in the bookstore about the time the Eucharist was ending. And from there, even with my dodgy hearing, I could hear a solo voice. On enquiry I was told it was the Ode to Saint James and I purchased a copy. I stayed there for three nights and went to Eucharist sufficient times to encounter the signing nuns. They taught us the responses before Mass and on one more occasion sang the Ode as the outsized censer was sung. How much further could one be from a circus.

Fast Forward to late 2017: I have completed the odyssey from Le Puy I had started more than 18 months before and was, like you, disappointed the liturgical aspects were not then present. So I went to Fisterra and saw dragons breath well above the western horizon beyond lands end at sunset (I thought they were dragons but I suspect the more prosaic amongst those present may have thought terribly noisy planes).

I returned to Compostela on 31 October and the next day was inside the Cathedral well before 11 am: I wanted the best seat in the house - front row against the barrier on the right. As soon as that 10 h mass finished I was in position. And pomp and circumstance there was for All Saints Day starting with a procession of Saint James (four bearers), others, the Archbishop and a very complete lay choir in the north transept. And, of course, the censing of all those present as the choir sang the Ode. All things being "done decently and in good order" on that occasion, in my view.

...

PS: I arrived in London in mid June 2010 and the next day was off to a battlefield that our two countries fought for, Passendale, with your countrymen succeeding where mine fought with only great loss to show. After nearly a fortnight of that and other similar places, accidentally starting a brief pilgrimage was a grand antidote.

PPS: In one of my Wellington (Anglican) parish churches we celebrated Easter, Pentecost, S Michael (patron saint) and Christmas by including incense in the customary way. Whenever I was thurifer, I went into the gathered community about 10 minutes before starting and selected a youngster to be boat-bearer: never had a refusal. We also had the two adult readers act as torch bearers for the Gospel procession: this simple activity helping to emphasise the relative importance of the Gospel. Again, in my view, all being done decently and in good order.

@Albertagirl, I hope this helps with a context.

Kia kaha (take care, be strong) and get going when you can.
 
I am not disagreeing with you at all, as I also dislike circuses in church.

If I may tell you of two experiences some seven years apart.

My first pilgrimage from Sarria (June/July 2010) saw me in the bookstore about the time the Eucharist was ending. And from there, even with my dodgy hearing, I could hear a solo voice. On enquiry I was told it was the Ode to Saint James and I purchased a copy. I stayed there for three nights and went to Eucharist sufficient times to encounter the signing nuns. They taught us the responses before Mass and on one more occasion sang the Ode as the outsized censer was sung. How much further could one be from a circus.

Fast Forward to late 2017: I have completed the odyssey from Le Puy I had started more than 18 months before and was, like you, disappointed the liturgical aspects were not then present. So I went to Fisterra and saw dragons breath well above the western horizon beyond lands end at sunset (I thought they were dragons but I suspect the more prosaic amongst those present may have thought terribly noisy planes).

I returned to Compostela on 31 October and the next day was inside the Cathedral well before 11 am: I wanted the best seat in the house - front row against the barrier on the right. As soon as that 10 h mass finished I was in position. And pomp and circumstance there was for All Saints Day starting with a procession of Saint James (four bearers), others, the Archbishop and a very complete lay choir in the north transept. And, of course, the censing of all those present as the choir sang the Ode. All things being "done decently and in good order" on that occasion, in my view.

...

PS: I arrived in London in mid June 2010 and the next day was off to a battlefield that our two countries fought for, Passendale, with your countrymen succeeding where mine fought with only great loss to show. After nearly a fortnight of that and other similar places, accidentally starting a brief pilgrimage was a grand antidote.

PPS: In one of my Wellington (Anglican) parish churches we celebrated Easter, Pentecost, S Michael (patron saint) and Christmas by including incense in the customary way. Whenever I was thurifer, I went into the gathered community about 10 minutes before starting and selected a youngster to be boat-bearer: never had a refusal. We also had the two adult readers act as torch bearers for the Gospel procession: this simple activity helping to emphasise the relative importance of the Gospel. Again, in my view, all being done decently and in good order.

@Albertagirl, I hope this helps with a context.

Kia kaha (take care, be strong) and get going when you can.
@AlwynWellington
I am allergic to incense, and have an intense dislike of the pushing and crowding that occur when people attempt to take photos of the botafumeiro. On a Sunday when I fled the Cathedral in Santiago to escape this discomfort, I found myself in St Benet's Church, which had its Sunday service half an hour later. This was a parish community which worshipped in Galego and distributed service books containing the order of service and the hymns. To my amazement, I felt at home there, with the local people who worshipped in a simple and relatively quiet way. Given a service book, I could even follow most of the service. I wondered whether Galego is similar to Latin. After the service, I went across the plaza to have lunch in the restaurant there. A few moments later, most of the congregation crowded into the restaurant to join me for Sunday lunch. The service and the sense of community were for me my most moving opportunity for communal worship in Spain (as well as sometimes sitting in the back row of a small church, when I happen to show up at the time of the service). I can pray alone in the Cathedral, but for communal worship in Santiago I shall return to St Benet's when I can. This is my personal experience, and I am very grateful for it. Your experience may differ.
 
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@Albertagirl, I think we are on the same page but maybe you are in the middle and I am in a somewhere close by. Having experienced the Samoan approach to the Gospel procession while the Cardinal Archbishop celebrant (himself steeped in simplicity) had to wait several minutes for it to finish, I have learnt to take whatever I can from whatever liturgy is on offer.

From your description, I think I would like S Benet's, in particular the community worshipping and then "breaking bread" together.

From Wikipedia, Galego is an Indo-European language through the Italic and Romance stream and now found in west Iberia (Portugal and Galicia) and official in the latter. So yes, with a Latin background, just look at all the words used on notices etc in that area.

I've looked for S Banet's, in case I am in that area in the future, and cannot find it. Can you please give directions?

Kia kaha
 
@Albertagirl, I think we are on the same page but maybe you are in the middle and I am in a somewhere close by. Having experienced the Samoan approach to the Gospel procession while the Cardinal Archbishop celebrant (himself steeped in simplicity) had to wait several minutes for it to finish, I have learnt to take whatever I can from whatever liturgy is on offer.

From your description, I think I would like S Benet's, in particular the community worshipping and then "breaking bread" together.

From Wikipedia, Galego is an Indo-European language through the Italic and Romance stream and now found in west Iberia (Portugal and Galicia) and official in the latter. So yes, with a Latin background, just look at all the words used on notices etc in that area.

I've looked for S Banet's, in case I am in that area in the future, and cannot find it. Can you please give directions?

Kia kaha
The Church name is spelled several ways: in castellano, San Benito do Campo), also Sao Bento (portuguese). I mistakenly used an English version of the name of St Benedict, just to confuse matters. I have found the church name, and photos online: Galego name: Igrexa de San Bieito do Campo in the Praza de Cervantes. The restaurant is Casa Manolo, good inexpensive food. This church is very near the Cathedral. I usually get there by going out the front door of San Martin Pinario and going left. You may want to visit it, and eat in the restaurant, on your next visit to Santiago. And may it be soon for all of us.
 
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