The Holy Father Encourages
Pilgrimages to Holy Places

John Paul II Describes Them as Places
to Discover God's Tenderness

The following article is from the June 25, 1999 issue of the Zenit Daily Dispatch “The World Seen From Rome” from Vatican City ( www.zenit.org/english/ ):

Aware of the pitfall of reducing religion to ritual, from its very beginning Christianity has given importance to gestures in relating to God, including places where these are expressed.

In order to respond, specifically, to man's need in this era of the "global village," John Paul II cites the value of pilgrimages and shrines.

This was the reason that led the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People to publish a document last May entitled, "The Shrine: Memory, Presence and Prophecy of the Living God."

John Paul II commented on this text today when he received members of this Vatican Council, presided by Japanese Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao, at the end of their general assembly, held in Rome from June 23-25.

The Pontiff began by stating that "man longs to come to God and pilgrimages help him think of the port he will reach in the course of his religious quest."

Because of this, the Pope stressed the importance of shrines as "oases of the spirit," or "centers of profound spirituality where believers, in addition to reviving their own faith, become more aware of the duties implied in the social realm and feel committed to offer concrete help so that the world will be transformed progressively into a kingdom of justice and peace."

This is precisely where there is a radical difference between the Christian idea of a pilgrimage and the itineraries of some modern spiritual currents. If the encounter with God is authentic, it must have a dimension of concrete social commitment. "If we analyze things in depth, we see that peace and solidarity among men emanate from people's reconciliation with God. Therefore, it is necessary that pilgrims find concrete possibilities for prayer and silence in shrines, to prepare for the encounter with God, and the intimate experience of the tenderness of his love."

The Pope acknowledged that the reasons people go to shrines are very varied: from those seeking intense moments of contemplation and prayer, to those looking for a peaceful place to rest, or those attracted for cultural reasons. The challenge for the Church consists in giving "God's merciful initiative" to all.

"[God] wants to communicate to his children his own life and the gift of salvation. In shrines, Christ words to the 'little ones' and the poor of the earth resonate: 'Come to Me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest,' " the Pope concluded.