No more free/donativo albergues and other news

[sillydoll]

This news is from Rosina:

It is official. Sr. Rodriguez Escobar, general director of Xacobeo (the organization that regulates albergues, etc) has announced the implementation of the rules that will require those using albergues to pay 3 Euros per night. The required fees will go into effect next January lst with no exceptions.
Apparently this decision is a reaction to the repeated, and increasing, complaints from many people that fake pilgrims co-opt albergue facilities to obtain free lodgings depriving legitimate pilgrims of their use.
The computerized interconnection of albergues will also be put into effect then, as well as the rule that the only pilgrim credentials to be recognized in albergues, and for the purpose of obtaining the Compostela, will be the ones issued by the Archdiocese which, presumably, will be available anywhere.
Would-bepilgrims seeking a credential will be scrutinized somewhat more closely to ascertain their bona-fides. Sr. Rodriguez Escobar allowed that those abusing the albergues are almost exclusively young Spain nationals ...... mostly students.

The new rope that will hold the Botafumeiro has arrived in Santiago from Valencia. It is 65 meters long, 50 millimeters in widthand it weighs 95 kilograms (209 lbs) and it was fabricated of special synthetic and steel fibers tested for endurance.
The rope was trucked from Valencia to Santiago, but when it arrived it couldn't be delivered. The truck had forgotten to obtain a special permit to enter Obradoiro Square and it was held outside the Casco over the weekend until the permit could be gotten. Well, the rope has been delivered and it will be installed this week. The "tiraboleiros", (the guys that pull the rope), have been called for night-time try outs and if all goes well the Botafumeiro will go aloft before the end of the month.

 

[Ulysse]

That's what one calls bad news and good news. :wink:

 

[sillydoll]

Paying for albergues

I just hope that it doesn't backfire on them! I - and many other pilgrims - give more than 3 euro. If there is an official charge, you might find people ONLY giving 3 euro where they might have put a 5 euro coin in the box.

 

[michael]

Sill

Does this apply on all routes?

michael

 

[sillydoll]

No more free albergues

Yes, it appears so.
I is important to remember that there are four main different 'types' of pilgrim refuges along the many camino routes.
1) Municipal - which were formed when Don Elias Valina Sampedro encouraged local municpalities to provide accommodation for pilgrims at the Jaca conference in 1987.
2) Church - sponsored and by some of the many orders that still provide for monasteries and convents.
3) Confraternities and Associations - the CSJ has two sponsored albergues, the Brazilians have a few, there are Dutch and German sponsored albergues - none of these belong to the church.
4) Private - run by individuals, families, communities and even a few ex-pats, some from the Uk and the US.
So, what do the all important Federations of Camino Associations in Spain think of the church taking over the issuing of credentials?

It was posted on this Forum last month. "Our opinion in Spain is that the credential was born from the associations, from Elias Valiña in Jaca, (1987) in order to open the albergues to the pilgrims. Nothing was ever said or ever came from the Cathedral, nor the Compostela. It was not a matter for the church."

So, although there is nothing to stop the church from insisting that pilgrims carry a church printed credential to stay in THEIR refuges, it is unlikely that they will be able to put pressure on all the other albergues to do the same.
The Federation of Camino Associations can choose to ignore the Xacobeo decision and continue to print and provide their own credentials for pilgrims wanting to stay in the many municipal, sponsored and private albergues along the way. So might the Confraternities in other countries. The French Society of St Jacques was the first to be formed in the 1940's and it is unlikely that they will give up their credentials. The CSJ was formed in 1983 and have been issuing credentials for nearly 25 years. What is their reaction to this move by the church?
" I does seem to me that there should have been some consultation about this with the overseas groups. The uniltateral declaration is bound to stir up lingering and lasting resentments among those who are not 'religious' but have sensed something of the spiritual on their camino. We have not (yet?) been contacted directly by the cathedral - I wait with bated breath. It does seem like a kick in the teeth - there is no recognition of what we have been doing all these years."
There is another, school of thought brought on by suspicion and resentment. At a recent CSJ workshop, a veteran (Catholic) pilgrim said, "When I first walked the camino I was asked for a donation of 1Euro for a credential in Roncesvalles. In 2002 it was 2 Euro. This year I paid 5 Euro. With over 100 000 pilgrims earning a Compostela (and many hundreds more walking only sections of the way) it has become a very lucrative source of income. Do the math! 100 000 X 5 Euro. Not a bad income if you can control it - and it wouldn't be the first time in history the church found a way of making money from pilgrims!

 

[KiwiNomad06]

starting from Le Puy

Sil,

I guess some details are not known yet. But I plan to start in Le Puy next April. (Not sure how far I will try to go, and won't necessarily do much in Spain this trip.) If I start off with a credencial that I get in Le Puy, perhaps this means I will need to get a different sort of one when I arrive in Roncesvalles?

KiwiNomad06

 

[Peter Robins]

Re: No more free albergues

So, although there is nothing to stop the church from insisting that pilgrims carry a church printed credential to stay in THEIR refuges

who exactly in the Church is insisting this? AFAIK the only thing the archbishopric has said is that from 2009 they will only issue a compostela to those carrying a credencial issued by them; refuges don't come into it.

Also, the charging for the Galician albergues is a completely different issue, decided by the Galician government (who run most of the albergues in Galicia) and nothing to do with the Church.

 

[sillydoll]

2009 Church Credentials

The correspondence we (CSJ of SA) got was that:

"Sr. Rodriguez Escobar, general director of Xacobeo (the organization that regulates albergues, etc) has announced the implementation of the rules that will require those using albergues to pay 3 Euros per night. The required fees will go into effect next January lst and will brooch no exceptions.
The computerized interconnection of albergues will also be put into effect then, as well as the rule that the only pilgrim credentials to be recognized in albergues and for the purpose of obtaining the Compostela,will be the ones issued by the Archdiocese."

 

[Peter Robins]

Re: 2009 Church Credentials

The correspondence we (CSJ of SA) got

interesting if true, but from whom did this info come? As the Xacobeo boss's name is Ignacio Rodríguez Eguibar, it seems unlikely to have come from them (There's nothing about it on their website.) And if the pilgrim office isn't introducing this until 2009, it seems unlikely that the albergues will be introducing it a year earlier.

 

[sillydoll]

Credentials

As I noted in my original post - the artcile came via Rosina Lila who subscribes to the Archdioces newsletter. She regularly translates camino-related articles to send to the associations.
If you would like to read the original text in Spanish you can contact her directly.

 

[Javier Martin]

It apply to most routes, and most albergues to those routes.

The albergue in Corcubion (near Fisterra) doesn´t make you to pay, it works with a donation.

Many albergues without hospitalero, while in La Plata, or Camino de Madrid, the same. For example, the albergue in Puente Duero, very close to Valladolid, in the Camino de Madrid. It depends on the albergue, on the hospitalero, on how many pilgrims that albergue receive.

But the normal is to have to pay, as a "donation". Really is not a donation because yo "have to" pay but ...

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.