A day of freedom on the Camino

[sillydoll]

http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/lemos/2009 ... 132376.htm

Four inmates from the prison of Monterroso accompanied by the director, Victor Fraga, the head of the adult classroom, Pedro Cantero, the interpreter, Ali and school staff, completed the stage of the Camino de Santiago between Triacastela and Sarria.
The activity is part of the European Grundtvig project involving Spain, Norway, Turkey, Germany and France. The initiative aims to promote coexistence among inmates of various nationalities. Thus the experience of walking the route involved a Frenchman, a Chinese, a Moroccan and a Venezuelan.
Groups seek to select people who really are interested in the program and are trained and prepared to take notes of all experiences living in the scheduled ways. The ultimate goal is to gather the most important of these notes in a book they intend to edit.
Participants in the walk stressed how important it was for them to spend almost a full day in freedom, to which the added the experience of making a step of the French Way, which they had not known until the day of departutre, and more for power enjoy in full contact with nature.
The physical effort was what mattered less to them on a day that highlighted the beauty of the landscape and particularly in view of the monastery of Samos from the top of a mountain through which the road passes.
The best time of day was the arrival at the monastery of Samos in where they were received by the Prior, José Luis Velez, who showed them all the facilities. "Our rooms are called cells, like yours, but many times you and we are freer than the people outside," he aid in one of his speeches.
Food, same menu of a normal day at the prison, the place in a unique position, the refectory of the monastery. The reality is that those outside the group at lunch praised the skills of Victor, the maitre 'd of the prison.
The only bad thing about this experience was bad weather. The next stage will be from Sarria to Portomarín.

 

[Caminando]

Thanks Sil; interesting post.

this kind of thing has been in practice since the Middle Ages, and I think a Dutch programme does this too.

I'd be curious to know what these people were inside for. For certain crimes of violence, I hope the result isn't a walk towards Santiago.
:arrow:

 

[sillydoll]

At least they won't have to bear the instruments of their violent crimes strapped to their backs!
It is the Belgium government that introduced a program whereby young deliquents are chosen to walk to Santiago as a part of their rehabilitation. They've had a high success rate over the years. From 1982 they were called Oikten but recently changed their name to ALBA.

 

[Caminando]

At least they won't have to bear the instruments of their violent crimes strapped to their backs!

Hi Sil

What does the above mean? Was there a direct link between crime and punishment?

In our time, maybe this means our rucksacs are the instruments! :shock: :lol:
:arrow:

 

[sillydoll]

In the middle ages a murderer might be sentenced to walk a long, penitential pilgrimage - often to Santiago. He would be forced to wear the murder weapon chained to his person. It became more popular in the 14th and 15th c. and could be imposed by the church or by the courts. The punishment might be a pilgrimage to Canterbury every year for 6 years, or a long pilgrimage to Santiago or Rome.
Now, don't get any big ideas about being bad and being forced to walk to Santiago!

 

[Bridget and Peter]

At least they won't have to bear the instruments of their violent crimes strapped to their backs!

This could be counter productive; in the case of the grafitti-ers one would prefer them not to have their markers or spray-paint cans anywhere about their person.

Would bigamists have to bring both spouses?

What about corporate fraud?

And then there are the 'crimes' against society ('I've got a little list');
city bankers having to tow their annual bonuses, in coins, behind them - there would be an incentive to give it away as fast as possible?

over-expecting parents having to carry a 'cello and a bag of cricket equipment all day, and practice the piano, do an hour's maths homework (calculus, I propose), play a game of chess and learn a long list of Basque spellings each evening.

those responsible for pollution, such as the Exxon disaster of course will have to clear up all the litter along the way and carry it all to a carbon neutral incinerator in Santiago where it will provide power for ..... ummm .... printing Compostellas!!!!

 

[Caminando]

Fully agree with B+Ps list (despite the nightmare memories of creepy Peter Lilley and his " little list") - carrying cricket gear of course being the real punishment; prison seems the more interesting option there.

There might be a glut of bankers on the CF - bedbugs and all! How far would christian charity extend? - Would people let them suffer?

The reality is that they would be in 5star hotels as they haven't suffered a bit.
:arrow:

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Some may find redemption on the Camino:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogelio_%2 ... 2_Maynulet
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1375810/posts
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7336185/

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I met at least four fugitives this year on the camino. All of the are fleeing false accusations, however. :?

They are out there. Just buy them a beer. They´ll tell you the whole sad story.
Reb.

 

[RestlessRose]

Now, don't get any big ideas about being bad and being forced to walk to Santiago!
Now thats an idea ! I wonder if I can sell the concept to my boss :mrgreen: :roll:

 

[sillydoll]

"No doubt most pilgrims went enthusiastically, for a mixture of religious and other motives. But the penitential pilgrimage also existed in Medieval England, as for example when John Pecham, Archbishop of Canterbury visited the diocese of Chichester in 1283. In the parish of Hamme he discovered that the parish priest, Roger, had been fornicating with various women, repenting and then fornicating again. The Archbishop ordered him, as a punishment, to go as a pilgrim to three shrines overseas: in the first year to Santiago, in the second to Rome and in the third to Cologne. During his absence his parish would be cared for by Ralph, rector of the neighbouring village of Barewe, whom Roger would have to pay 100 shillings a year for his trouble. The incident is recorded not in the royal archives but in the Archbishop's registers, and no doubt many similar ones could be found by systematic search though the innumerable Episcopal registers which survive from medieval England. It is a curious example of the use of pilgrimage as punishment for offences against cannon law and it was to become more frequent in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries as the pilgrimage, like most religious activities was taken over by the process of regulation and bureaucratization which dominated the church at that time."
CSJ Conference paper

 

[skilsaw]

" Roger, had been fornicating with various women, repenting and then fornicating again.

Dare I suggest that this may be occuring on the Camino today?

 

[Caminando]

Thanks Sil for this thread. Because of it, I have reread my favourite book on the history of pilgrimage -Jonathan Sumption's "Pilgrimage: an Image of Mediaeval Religion" - and it's as good as ever. It is a serious academic history, but the antics and beliefs of the people are a source of constant humour.

The clergy were often sent on pilgrimage for sexual "misbehaviour", some sent with a list of crimes, others dragging chains. There were numerous fake cures set up by various churches, theft of relics, naked penitents and so on.

Highly recommended if it's still available. :arrow:

 

[monterroso]

Greetings

I found this forum by cassuality and I could give to you some information about the activity because I am the coordinator of the Grundtvig Project "without Barriers" in which we organized that activity with offenders of the Penitentiary Centre of Monterroso (Lugo).

This is the link to our Blog where you can find the information about our project and where we will publish all the activities realized.

http://withoutbarriers.blogspot.com/

Best Regards
Monterroso