Lance Chambers
Lance Chambers
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Sarria (2015), SJPdP (2016), Burgos (2017), SJPdP (2018), Burgos (2019), SJPdP (2020?).
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Is there any support for a new route, that starts in Sarria, to ease the congestion and to offer a different walking experience from the existing route?
Good ideas for a first-timer? Walking from Ponferrada.Or start in Lugo, which is such an interesting town, that you could easily spend one whole day taking it all in before walking.
Unfortunately the trail picks up the Francés in Melide for the last two days walk before Santiago. A possible by pass to arrive in Santiago without touching the Francés would be the answer! I must check this idea out in google earth!
Lance, I guess the possibility of me going to heaven is a no since I do not go for a compostela. I haven't for the past 3-4 years. For me the Camino is an experience each time even though have done some routes a number of times. Plus I think the Spaniards notion of receiving a compostela is bad theology at most.Why do so many start in Sarria?
I think the answer is that most of them are Spaniards who want to do the minimum required to get a Compostela and they want to walk on the 'real' Camino route.
To highly religious Spaniards the Compostela is a remission of sin and some apparently believe that it offers them a ticket into heaven. If you believe that then I think the congestion on the Sarria - Santiago section is understandable.
Some numbers: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/2013-statistics-for-the-camino-de-santiago/
The page also shows that 70% take the French Way and that 49% of all pilgrims are Spaniards and around 26% of Spaniards just do Sarria - Santiago. That's a massive influx starting in Sarria.
Lance, I guess the possibility of me going to heaven is a no since I do not go for a compostela. I haven't for the past 3-4 years. For me the Camino is an experience each time even though have done some routes a number of times. Plus I think the Spaniards notion of receiving a compostela is bad theology at most.
Why do so many start in Sarria?
I think the answer is that most of them are Spaniards who want to do the minimum required to get a Compostela and they want to walk on the 'real' Camino route.
To highly religious Spaniards the Compostela is a remission of sin and some apparently believe that it offers them a ticket into heaven.
If you believe that then I think the congestion on the Sarria - Santiago section is understandable.
Plus I think the Spaniards notion of receiving a compostela is bad theology at most.
I'd like to know the source of such statement (if there's any). The Compostela isn't a remission of sin(s) and there's no Spanish Catholic with a decent knowledge of Catholic doctrine that would say such thing and, of course, someone who is highly religious is supposed to have a decent knowledge of Catholic doctrine...
Who (how many people) believes that?
Anyway, regardless of what you believe about the Compostela, in order to be congestion due to a believe about the Compostela, it has to be many people with the same believe and, definitely, most people in Spain don't believe getting a Compostela means a remission of sins. BTW, I'm yet to find a Spaniard who believes that getting a Compostela means a remission of sin(s).
There isn't a Spaniards notion of receiving a Compostela.
It seems the Catholic Church will disagree and tell you that doing the Camino will give you remission of sin
To highly religious Spaniards the Compostela is a remission of sin
https://www.virtualtourist.com/trav...Do-Santiago_de_Compostela-Cathedral-BR-1.html to quote: "The Holy Years are the years when the Saint James Day, July 25, falls on Sunday. Now you have to wait until 2021 to get another chance. And that chance is worth to use it because Puerta Santa sometimes also referred to as the Puerta del Perdon or Doors of Pardon. That means all pilgrims who have passed through these gates would received remission of sins."
The alternate route could be for those who are not that bothered traveling the 'real route' because we/they are not there for the remission of sin?
And the sources of these three links are: someone called Neil; an expat living in Spain who works as a language teacher; and people writing on www.virtualtourist.com. Please note: bloggers, even pilgrim bloggers, as well as writers of magazine articles and guidebooks are not the Catholic Church. Even movies may lead you up the wrong path.
Careful brethren, let us not lead ourselves into a breach of Rule 2.
Meanwhile, there is no such thing a real route to Santiago (though there may be remnants of the Caminos Real to be found). The Pilgrimage is to Santiago, there is no requirement to follow a designated route. There are routes marked by little yellow arrows, the presence of Albergues and, usually, a linear rubbish tip. This is for the convenience of Pilgrims not their slavish adherence.
I stand corrected - getting a Compostela does not give remission of sin. It is then the completion of the Camino.
I think we all understand this but for a lot of people I believe that they feel that the current 'Camino' is the 'real' pilgrim route or as close as they can get to it.
I asked if anyone was interested in a new route from Sarria to Santiago to help reduce congestion. But this post has gone in a direction that, it seems to me, is veering well away from that purpose and it starting to tread on a lot of toes.
Can we leave it now?
I'm referring to point 8 in the link you provided on "Works of piety or religion". It is my understanding that, in this context, a "pious pilgrimage" does not have to be done on foot and it does not matter how long it is or where it is started, is that correct?
Next year I will walk the France and I will be looking at an alternate Camino route from O'Cebreiro and I am indebted to Anna and a number of others who have suggested alternate trails.
Still to be worked out - more research. Yes I am aware of the route out of Ponferrada, but I would like to walk this section via Villafranca to O'Cerbeiro. If it means taking a bus; back tracking then that's ok. So I guess its a case of "watch this space".May I ask what's your alternative camino route from O Cebreiro?
Still to be worked out - more research.
Yes I am aware of the route out of Ponferrada, but I would like to walk this section via Villafranca to O'Cerbeiro. If it means taking a bus; back tracking then that's ok.
The Xunta de Galicia has signalized something like 30 (small) variants of the French Way in Galicia that may help some way to low congestion. But they are just small variants, not full stages.
Some food for thought: Why do people start in Sarria (and not so much at towns/cities like Ourense, Tui or Ferrol that also qualify to get a Compostela but are located on caminos other than the French Way)? Are people interested in having a different walking experience? Will people be willing to walk a brand new route or will most people be willing to walk the traditional route? In Ponferrada, any pilgrim (specially those concerned with the Sarria crowds) can leave the French Way and continue to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Invierno and the last part of the Camino Sanabrés but that option is used by very few pilgrims... Could it happen the same with a new route from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela if it was created? What would think the camino towns and villages located between Sarria and Santiago de Compostela if a new route was created bypassing most of their towns/villages?
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