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1. On the occasion of the opening of the Holy
Door which marks the beginning of the Compostelan Jubilee Year of 2004,
the first of the third millennium of Christianity, I extend a cordial
greeting to the pastors and faithful of the Archdiocese of Santiago de
Compostela and to the beloved people of Galicia. I also spiritually
unite with the pilgrims who come from the rest of Spain, Europe, and
the most remote places on Earth to set out in many different ways
toward the tomb of St. James [Santiago] the Apostle, moved by the
sincere desire of conversion.
Throughout history there have been innumerable men and women who have gone to the so called
“finis terrea” in a spirit of prayer and sacrifice. Their anonymous
footprints, following in the direction of the Milky Way, gave shape to
the Camino. The Jacobean pilgrimage speaks to us of the spiritual and
cultural origins of the Old Continent, since the Church and Europe are
two realities that are closely united in their being and their destiny
(cf. Ecclesia in Europe, 108). Therefore, despite the current
cultural crisis, which in certain aspects affects the lives of some
Christians, we must reaffirm that the Gospel continues to be a
fundamental reference point for the continent. I, myself, on two
occasions, have made the pilgrimage to that city, called with reason,
the “spiritual capital of European unity.” I have unforgettable
memories of those experiences.
2. The Compostelan Church, which from
time immemorial has had the privilege of watching over the sepulcher of
the Lord’s Friend, feels called to generously welcome and pass on the
deep sense of life inspired by the faith that St. James, the Boarnerges
(cf. Mk 3, 17) proclaimed.
For this reason, the Camino de Santiago, through which so many pilgrims
have purified and accentuated their faith throughout history, and which
has left its purely Christian imprint on human culture, cannot forget
its spiritual dimension. The Jacobean phenomena, which makes reference
only to the secular itinerary to Compostela, cannot distort its
identity because of the cultural, economic, and political factors
that accompany it. Any attempt to adulterate its specifically religious
quality would be an erroneous interpretation of its authentic origins.
In this respect, the pilgrim is not just a traveler; he is, first
and foremost, a believer, who through the experience of life and with
his gaze firmly on the Apostle, wants to faithfully follow Christ.
Pilgrims in search of grace. What conversation do you take on the
road? This current Holy Year slogan makes reference to the Gospel story
of the disciples of Emmaus and is an image of the Christian pilgrimage,
very appropriate for the pilgrims of the new millennium.
3. Throughout the centuries, the essence of the pilgrimage to
Santiago de Compostela has been the conversion to a living God through
an encounter with Jesus Christ. The celebration of this Jubilee is also
proposed as a road of conversion. In fact, people from every continent
will set a date in Compostela to confess their Christian faith and
implore and welcome the merciful God’s forgiveness whose vastness is
manifested in the grace of the Jubilee indulgence that carries the
total remission of punishment due to sins. Progressively
abandoning his previous behaviors, the pilgrim is called to venture
forth as the “new man,” assuming the new understanding proposed by the
Gospel. The ritual of the Botafumeiro is, on the other hand, a sign of
purification, of his new state of being offered as incense that rises
to the presence of the Lord.
The pilgrimage to the Compostelan Basilica during the Jubilee Year
supposes a renewed drive for the Christian community in the pledge to
revitalize faith. To this end, the sacraments of penitence and the
Eucharist are essential.
The traditional gesture of embracing the Apostle, witness and martyr of
Jesus Christ, symbolizes the joyful welcoming of the faith that St.
James the Greater steadfastly preached until giving his life.
Therefore, the Jacobean route is not only a goal. Crossing the
threshold of the majestic Portico de la Gloria, pilgrims, orienting
their lives to the light of the Scriptures, return to their places of
origin to be living and credible testimonies to the Lord.
In this way, the lintels of the Door of Grace, an evocative image of
celestial Jerusalem, will be witnesses to the boldness of those who do
not fear the future or the obstacles that still must be overcome in
order for a new humanity to be manifested, and they will remind us that
life itself is a road through Christ toward God the Father in Spirit.
4. The pilgrimage, then, despite its harshness and fatigue, is a
joyful announcement of faith, a personal road through which pilgrims
following the example of the “Son of Thunder” become courageous and
enthusiastic apostles. With their reflective walking, surrendering
themselves to drawing closer to the Lord through prayer and silence,
supported by the walking stick of the Word, comtemplating the wonders
that the Creator shaped in nature, with their personal experience,
light of load and provisions, avoiding the dangers of the agnostic
experience of troubling pseudoreligious and cultural movements, they
are invited to announce the Kingdom of God.
The Camino is, additionally, a space and time for dialogue,
reconciliation, and peace; an itinerary of spiritual union, and
an impulse of the ecumenical fellowship in accordance with the
universal vocation of the Church. Hospitality, an inherent
characteristic of pilgrimage, also entails an important contribution to
current European society where the phenomenon of migration requires
special attention.
5. This Holy Year offers us an advantageous occasion to move
forward with renewed strength, with the commitment to the values of the
Good News, presenting it persuasively to the new generation and
infusing those [values] into personal, family, and social life.
To this end, various pastoral activities are planned for the Jubilee,
particularly the meeting of the Episcopate Commission of the European
Community (COMECE) and the European Youth Encounter.
These are events that show the vitality of the faith of the Church
founded on the apostolic preaching and which must be articulated with
fellowship toward the Americas and the other continents. Compostela
must continue to be a prophetic voice, a luminous beacon of Christian
life and of hope for the new ways of evangelization (cf. Discurso en la
plaza del Obradoiro, 19 agosto 1989, 2).
6. To Santa Maria del Camino, Pilgrim Virgin, icon of the Church
moving through the desert of history, who will accompany pilgrims on
their penitential itinerary and to the protection of St. James, who
will greet them with a smile upon their arrival to the Portico de la
Gloria, I entrust this Jacobean Year in the trust that the abundant
fruits of this Jubilee celebration may help revitalize Christian life,
keeping us firm in faith, secure in hope, constant in charity.
With these wishes, and as a sign of benevolence, I gladly impart upon you the Apostolic Blessing.
Vatican, November 30, 2003, 1st Sunday of Advent |
