What is the purpose of pilgrimage? Where did the idea of ​​pilgrimage originate for Catholics? There is ample evidence in the Bible for the theological significance of pilgrimage. Even today, many people are enthusiastic about it and devote time and resources to it.

Many people may define pilgrimage simply as “a journey on foot or by other means to a place of special religious significance,” but this definition may be inadequate for two fundamental reasons: it ignores the universal appeal of pilgrimage and the motivations of the pilgrim.

Human beings are naturally curious and yearn to explore profound questions. The Second Vatican Council’s Declaration Nostra Aetate (On the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions) recognizes this natural human curiosity in asking: “What is man? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is moral good, and what is sin? Where does suffering come from and what is its purpose? What is the path to true happiness? What is death, judgment, and retribution after death?” (No. 1).

Pilgrimage is a part of many of the world’s major religions, because in religion people seek answers to the above questions. Therefore, pilgrimage is a common human experience, through which people perform a ritual duty, perform a sincere act of atonement, experience spiritual life, or ask for a favor, a miracle, a healing, etc. As profound as the reasons for pilgrimage are, so rich are the places of pilgrimage: Jerusalem (Jewish and Christian), Mecca (Muslim), Sarnath (Buddhist), Banares (Hindu), Amritsar (Sikh), and countless other places of spiritual and historical importance to these and other religions.

Few devotions in Christianity are as rich in tradition, history, and spirituality as pilgrimage. This is so true that the image of pilgrimage has become a metaphor for life itself. We are all on a journey toward heaven. Chapter VII of the Second Vatican Council’s Lumen Gentium speaks of the pilgrim Church as it makes its way toward the heavenly Jerusalem. The Council’s Gaudium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) begins by saying that the Church is a community of disciples “led by the Holy Spirit on its journey toward the Father’s kingdom.”

Pilgrimage in the Bible

The idea of ​​pilgrimage is firmly rooted in both the Old and New Testaments. The spiritual significance of pilgrimage is often expressed through specific journeys and challenges – from Abraham’s journey of faith to the missionary journeys of St. Paul.

In the book of Genesis, we see how God specifically called Abram to put his trust in Him – to leave his homeland and come to God’s land, where he would receive God’s promise that his descendants would be countless and become a great nation.

Later, in the Letter to the Hebrews, Abraham’s pilgrimage is also mentioned: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb 11:8-10).

The Bible tells of many journeys, especially to Jerusalem, also known as “Zion.” Fifteen Psalms were written specifically for pilgrimages to Jerusalem (see Ps 120-134). They are called the Songs of Ascent, because the Jews would climb a steep incline to reach Jerusalem, the city on a hill. The prophet Micah says:

“The waters came one after another, and
the people came in droves,
saying, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and out of Jerusalem the word of the LORD’” (Micah 4:2).

But the most important pilgrimage in the Bible is the Exodus – the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt – through the desert, through trials, temptations and sins, always on the way to the Promised Land. This event has become one of the main models of the relationship between journey and the life of conversion and faith.

In the New Testament we also see the importance of pilgrimage, not so much in the sense of a geographical journey, but in the idea of ​​living our present life on earth on a path that leads us closer to eternal life.

Even mysterious and enigmatic figures like the Three Kings were pilgrims, and they appear in Matthew’s Gospel after Jesus was born: “Astrologers from the East arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the East, and have come to worship him.’” (Mt 2:1-2).

Outside of legends, little is known about these wise men from afar, but they are a beautiful representation of the meaning of pilgrimage. Pope Benedict XVI writes in the third volume of his book Jesus of Nazareth : “The Wise Men of the East … represent humanity on its way to Christ, they begin a journey that will last throughout history. They are not simply men who find their way to Christ. They also embody the inner yearning of the human spirit, the encounter of religions and human reason with Christ.” With this perspective, one can see that any religious pilgrimage has a Christian meaning, as humanity searches for God, whether it is conscious of it or not.

The Infancy narratives also record a pilgrimage of the Holy Family: “Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When he was twelve years old, they went up as was the custom for the festival.” (Luke 2:41-42) At that time, the 12-year-old Jesus stayed in the Temple without his parents knowing. In the temple, Jesus spoke to the Jewish teachers about his Father.

After Jesus began his public ministry – after his baptism in the Jordan River – his entire ministry was a pilgrimage back to Jerusalem, day after day, on the roads of Palestine.

The death of Christ on the cross had a huge impact on the definition of pilgrimage. His sacrifice introduced the idea of ​​redemption and the temporary nature of what we experience as we journey towards heaven.

This is evident in the Gospels and the writings of the apostles, who tell us how Jesus’ death opened the gates of heaven. With this understanding, we realize that the difficulties we face now – our trials, our sufferings, our worries and our temporary troubles – can be sacrifices of praise to God as we journey toward salvation.

After his Passover from death to life in the Resurrection, Jesus’ first community of disciples, enlivened by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, traveled throughout the world to preach the Gospel. After their martyrdom, their tombs immediately became places of veneration for the early Christians – especially those of Peter and Paul in Rome. The great church historian Eusebius wrote around the year 200: “Indeed, if you go to the Vatican or along the road to Ostia, you will find the remains of those who founded this Church.”

Official pilgrimages to the Twelve Apostles (all of whom were martyred except St. John) range from Spain to India and Ethiopia. However, tradition tells stories that associate each Apostle (and other New Testament figures) with the place where he died and often where his relics are kept.

In the Book of Revelation, St. John reminds believers that our life on earth is only a temporary state, until we move closer to the destination that God has destined for us.

Pilgrimage in history

Biblical motivations for pilgrimage have motivated people today to undertake the pilgrimage experience. In the Christian tradition, pilgrimage has also always been associated with saints, who are especially venerated in churches and shrines, especially those that contain their remains and tombs.

When Christianity was legalized in 313, pilgrimage routes formed a dense network across the map of Europe. The Itinerary of Egeria , a kind of primitive travel diary of a pious pilgrim written in the early fifth century, records pilgrimages to places associated with the life of Christ. But later, when the Holy Land was conquered by the Arabs, other pilgrimage routes opened up in the West.

Rome became an important destination for pilgrims in the Middle Ages and remains so today. There is also Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where pilgrims travel along the famous Camino. It is still a popular pilgrimage destination, home to the relics of St. James the Great. There are many official routes from all over Europe, with special inns along the way for pilgrims to rest and meet each other.

Since the 11th century, indulgences have been associated with pilgrimages. There were indulgences specifically for crusaders who set out for the Holy Land, carrying weapons to protect pilgrims.

Over the centuries, other places of pilgrimage have also become important. Around the world, especially in countries with long Christian traditions, shrines have been built to commemorate supernatural apparitions, miraculous events, or important spiritual or historical elements in the lives of saints. People visit these shrines for a variety of reasons.

The list of pilgrimage sites around the world is long, with thousands of them, but here are some that attract more than a million pilgrims each year. In addition to Rome, the Holy Land, and Santiago de Compostela, special mention should be made of the famous Marian shrines: Loreto in Italy, where the home of the Holy Family is kept; Lourdes in France, where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous and many people were healed; and Fatima in Portugal, where the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children.

In the Americas, the most famous and visited are the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and the Shrine of Aparecida in Brazil. But each country has its own national shrine – in the United States, it is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

Fruits of a Pilgrimage

From a religious perspective, pilgrimage is a journey unlike any other. Pilgrimage is not simply about admiring masterpieces of art, although many pilgrimage sites are filled with historical masterpieces and extraordinary beauty. In the past, pilgrims were often portrayed as ragged and haggard, willing to give up all comforts on long and dangerous journeys. Today, the conscious pilgrim still chooses moderation and purpose in his or her choice of lodging, food and drink, and of course places great importance on silence and prayer.

To experience something different from other journeys, the pilgrim must live differently, in the simplicity of faith. Otherwise, the pilgrimage will not contribute to bringing about real change. The pilgrim passes through the “geography of faith” on a path strewn with holy relics, in places where God’s grace has shone especially brightly and produced abundant fruits of conversion and holiness.

People undertake pilgrimages to ask God for the graces they need to live more fully their Christian vocation when they return home, as the Vatican’s Directory for Popular Ethics and the Liturgy explains. Pilgrimages are therefore more than “a journey to a place of religious significance,” and should never be. Whether undertaken alone or with others, pilgrimages are part of a physical journey on the path of one’s soul toward God.

Deborah Castellano Lubov
Joseph Nguyen Tro Bui translated from https://www.simplycatholic.com