Pilgrimage. When pilgrims get to Lourdes they engage in various activities

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Question 1

Chris Ibekwe – 5Campion

Pilgrimage.

A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place. The place is usually where events have happened in the past that are relevant or important to what the pilgrim believes in or has faith in.

People go on pilgrimages for various reasons. These reasons include things like seeking spiritual healing or discipline, increasing their faith; feel closer to God, just to experience what a pilgrimage feels like.

In places like Lourdes, which is situated in the South of France, many people visit there because they believe that miracles really do occur there. Lourdes came about in a period of six months when a young girl called Bernadette(now a saint) had a number of visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near her home in Lourdes. Because of this Lourdes is known as a Marian Shrine. The Pope later declared Lourdes authentic and it was said that spring revealed to Bernadette by the Virgin Mary had miraculous powers capable of healing. This in now why so many people are flocking to Lourdes to seek their own physical healings.

When pilgrims get to Lourdes they engage in various activities. Most of them visit the grotto(which is where Bernadette saw her visions of Mary) and pray using rosaries and candlelights while they wait and expect a miracle from God.

Some pilgrims visit the pool which is fed by the spring flowing from the grotto area and bathe in this water as an act of faith. Some also drink the water or take some home for sick relatives or friends who could not make it to the pilgrimage along with them.

They can also participate in religious event like Stations ...

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They can also participate in religious event like Stations of the Cross, mass(said near the grotto) and processions around the grotto, which they do because they want to feel closer to God and seek his forgiveness on holy grounds.

Another place that people go on pilgrimage is to the Vatican City. This is situated in Rome, Italy and is the headquarters of the Catholic Church and also the home or residence of the Pope who the head of the Catholic Church.

In the city, many Catholics make pilgrimages to the cathedral to see and hear the Pope or if possible attend a papal mass or audience, by doing this they feel more involved in the act of the catholic faith and also feel they can seek forgiveness for all their sins and get closer to God.

At these pilgrimages some like to have religious souvenirs blessed by the Pope, which is done when they bring it to the Pope during public audience (this is the time when the public has the opportunity to be with the Pope and pray with him.) Although these type of blessing do not give special powers or make things holy, pilgrims still believe that this act is a way of offering all that this object or substance is used for, for the greater glory of God. Even still a Popes blessing is not more important than a priest blessing; it just makes the pilgrim feel good because the Pope has blessed their souvenir. This they do so as a sign of devotion or offering their belongings to God.

The similarities between these places of pilgrimage is that pilgrims all go there to feel closer to God and make them selves feel better.