Pilgrim

Pilgrim, Pilgrim also outdated, derived from the Latin word peregrinus (or peregrinari be in a foreign country ), what stranger means. An individual who was formerly known as pilgrim or woman. In the Latin Church as modified Peregrine, it refers to a person who goes for religious reasons in the stranger, for the most part a pilgrimage to a place of pilgrimage takes, on foot or using a means of transport. The occasion can be an imposed penance and the effort to get a indulgences, the fulfillment of a vow, the hope of answered prayer in a particular concern or cure of a disease, depression or religious Visitation of thanks. The goal is a considered one sacred place, such as a pilgrimage church, a temple, a tree sanctuary, etc.

For details on the etymology

Literally, the pilgrim is one who " by AGRUM ", ie "On Land " is coming from the other side of the ager " Romanus ", which is meant by carriers not our field, just cultivated field, but the left in possession, belonging to the Civitas country. In this respect, stranger an adequate translation of the term.

Pilgrimage sites of antiquity

In earlier time, inter alia, certain caves were considered sacred places, one of the most famous pilgrimage destinations in the Greek world was the temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

One of the most important places of pilgrimage in the world since the construction of the first Jewish Temple Jerusalem to this day, which became the central sanctuary of the Jews. Today the city is all three monotheistic world religions holy: as well as the Christians because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Muslims visit the Jews - called out of their Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina - preferably the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Christian pilgrimage in late antiquity and the Middle Ages

Since the 4th century, the word spread, the Empress Helena had found in Jerusalem, the city that lived in Jesus, the cross relics, the pilgrimages to Jerusalem were increasing. It also included many women as the consecrated virgin Egeria, the noble Roman lady Paula with her daughter, the Virgin Eustochium who belonged to the circle around the sacred Hieronymus, and the holy Melania and her grandmother with the same name.

The earliest written documented journey of a Christian pilgrim to the Holy Land led in 333 overland from Bordeaux to Jerusalem; it is recorded in the itinerary Burdigalense, one written in Latin Travel Guide with details of the stages along the way. A similar significance achieved very soon Rome as the tomb of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Later, Santiago de Compostela came to him, which was a leader mainly because of the excellent infrastructure with managed from far-flung monasteries hostel network in the Middle Ages.

The participants of the Crusades to the Holy Land understood themselves as ( armed ) pilgrims.

Pilgrims and Reformation

Along with other reformers such as Zwingli and Calvin, Martin Luther turned against the rampant, associated with superstition and indulgences pilgrimages of his time. Even Thomas a Kempis had noted critically in his imitation of Christ: Who pilgrimage a lot, is rarely sacred. After Norway adopted Protestantism, there the pilgrims in 1537 was even put under the death penalty.

Pilgrims of modern times

The Catholic Church just kept firmly in contrast to the Protestants in the custom of pilgrimages and promoted them. Ignatius of Loyola, for example, describes in his pilgrim's report his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Rome.

The Pilgrims were a group of Puritan dissenters from England who sailed to America to establish a colony, should reign in the freedom of belief.

In the last two centuries have been added to the old pilgrim destinations Marian shrines such as Lourdes and Fatima. In addition to these, there are also seemingly countless other places of pilgrimage. Increasingly also the Way of St. James is rediscovered in recent decades.

Occasionally, religiously motivated visitors from places that are like Marpingen, Herold Bach or Medjugorje is not recognized as places of pilgrimage, called pilgrims.