In 2018 the Pilgrim Mass without Botafumeiro, and the church of San Francisco

[mvanert]

Apparently we will be without the Pilgrim's mass and the Botafumeiro for much of 2018 because of the ongoing restoration work. More info here: http://www.radiocaminodesantiago.co...a-iglesia-de-san-francisco-no-en-la-catedral/

If anyone else knows about this in detail, please post.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

It is hoped that renovations will be completed in the lower seasons, minimizing the loss of such a moving service for Pilgrims.

 

[t2andreo]

If the above story is correct, that renovations will force the Pilgrim Mass to be held at the Church of St. Francisco, just down the side street to the north, and without the botafumeiro, a big UH-OH is called for.

If verified, and once word gets out, tourist dollars, and cameras, will not come...at least until we return to the status quo ante. Except for tours and visits already paid for, and which could not be changed, I see people choosing not to come to Santiago until after the Cathedral renovations are over. This is a normal expectation for a non-pilgrim. Pilgrims will come anyway. At least that is what I believe.

On the one hand, this is a right inconvenience for some pilgrims who planned their Caminos for a long time, and cannot see the botafumeiro fly, in-person. Yes, you can easily see it on You Tube. But, seeing it, in real time, at least once, is a life-affecting experience, at least IMHO.

On the other hand, this might be a good sampling and proof to the somewhat hostile local government of the value of the Camino de Santiago and the entire cult of Santiago to the city and its economy. Over my five years visiting and working there as a volunteer I frequently got the impression that, while the province of Coruna and the Galician region well understood the deep value of this presence to the city's history and commercial value, the local concello did not. In fact, it sometimes appeared as though the city administration took everything Camino-related for granted.

Now, we shall see...

 

[grayland]

However...in the past the botafumeiro was never a guarantee to see. We did not see it until our third camino.
It was flown much less frequently then in recent years and seemed very difficult to predict. @JohnnieWalker was always the best source of last minute information as to the timing of the botafumeiro.

The more recent underwriting by the merchants association and others has made it much more common. I doubt that the serious walking/biking pilgrims will give it much consideration when planning. The bus tours and guides may suffer a bit.

 

[Marbe2]

We did not see it in 2017. As far as I am concerned during TRIDUUM masses the cathedral was anything but a place of worship. There were so many tourists running around on Holy Thursday..taking pictures after being explicitly told in at least five languages not too take them..and pushing through with no standing room that I went instead on Good Friday to the Benedictine nuns and joined in their very simple evening prayer! Nothing should take away from the mass! Maybe the cathedral worship-wise is better off without it! As a tourist attraction OK!

 

[barb77]

Once was too much - Church of San Francisco was my place of refuge - second visit bypassed the Cathedral altogether and stopping first at the church at the foot of the stairs behind the Parado and then to San Francisco.
Blessed quiet and places to reflect.

 

[Katherine Radeka]

If the above story is correct, that renovations will force the Pilgrim Mass to be held at the Church of St. Francisco, just down the side street to the north, and without the botafumeiro, a big UH-OH is called for.

If verified, and once word gets out, tourist dollars, and cameras, will not come...at least until we return to the status quo ante. Except for tours and visits already paid for, and which could not be changed, I see people choosing not to come to Santiago until after the Cathedral renovations are over. This is a normal expectation for a non-pilgrim. Pilgrims will come anyway. At least that is what I believe.
.

It won't make a difference to me. The Pilgrimage, the way I'm doing it, is forty days of which this is but one. I still have the rest of my life to see the botafumiero, and it's just an additional incentive to do another Pilgrimage at some point.

And as a (secular) member of the Franciscan family, it'll be kinda nice to have the Pilgrim's Mass in a church named for St. Francis.

 

[Momonne]

My prediction is that pilgrim mass will suddenly not be such a priority for many.