Pilgrims Crossing Borders

Presentation in Rome 17 October 2014

ByStein Thue

Holy Sites• Jerusalem, one of the oldest cities in the world. Holy to Judaism,

Christianity and Islam. The ultimate site of pilgrimage.

• Rome, the Eternal City , the Centre of Christendom . Shrines of St Peter and St. Paul. Seat of the Pope. A site of pilgrimage since the 4th century.

• Santiago de Compostela, more than 200,000 pilgrims travel to the shrine of St. James in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela each year from points all over Europe and other parts of the world. The most visited pilgrim shrine in Europe?

• Nidaros, a holy shrine in the far north. Norway’s national sanctuary, burial church for St Olav. Important shrine in the middle ages. Known as ”the Jerusalem of the North”.

All roads lead to Rome• 990: Archbishop Sigeric the Serious (950 - 994) made the pilgrimage to

Rome to receive his pallium.

• 1157: A guidebook for pilgrims was published by Níkulás Bergsson, the abbot of a monastery in Northern Iceland. A description of the routes from Northern Europe to Rome and Jerusalem.

• 1159: Archbishop of Nidaros Øystein Erlendsson travelled from Norway to Rome to receive his pallium from the Pope; as did all the archbishops of Norway before the reformation.

• 1236: Annales Stadenses and the Via RomeaAlbert von Stade wrote a pilgrim guide based on his own journey from Stade to Rome, mentioning the holy sites, the resting places and the distances for each stage.

Via Romea pilgrims in front of the St. Bartholomäus church in Ebeleben, Germany

Our Itinerary

Our Route Departure dates 2015 Stages

Trondheim/Nidaros- Oslo 22 April - 23 May 31

Oslo - Larvik 23 May - 29 May 6

Larvik-Hirtshals 29/30 May Ferry, one day only

Hirtshals - Flensborg 30 May - 21 June 21

Flensborg - Hamburg/Stade 21 June - 2 July 10

Hamburg/Stade 2 - 3 July

Stade - Augsburg 3 July - 15 August 44

Augsburg 16 August Day of rest

Augsburg - Austrian Border 16 August - 25 August 9

Austrian Border - Brenner Pass 25 August - 28 August dates subject to change

Brenner Pass - Orvieto 29 August - 7 October 40

Orvieto - Rome 7 October - 14 October 7

Rome 14 -15 October Days of rest and celebration

The pilgrim way continues to Jerusalem

Departure by plane from Rome to the Holy Land 17 October.

Approximately 10 days from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Details will follow.

Pilgrim Values

• Our walk is based on hospitality, tolerance, dialogue, solidarity, human rights and peace

• We want to tie bonds and build friendship, to cross boundaries literally and metaphorically.

• Relgious traditions can create hope, mutual respect and reconciliation

• With such values we hope to include participants with diverse backgrounds to meet, walk and talk together.

• Being a pilgrim means becoming a "stranger” to gain insight and understanding.

European Cultural Routes

“May the faith which has inspired pilgrims throughout history, uniting them in a common aspiration and transcending national differences and interests, inspire us today, and young people in particular, to travel along these routes in order to build a society founded on tolerance, respect for others, freedom and solidarity ”

The Declaration that founded the Programme of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe.

Pilgrims Creating Connections