What is a Pilgrimage?

Pilgrimage: Definition

Pilgrimage is a universal practice, found in a variety of religious and cultural traditions. Derived from the Latin, peregrinatio, “a journey through fields,” the English word pilgrimage’s definition implies either “a sacred journey” or a “journey to the sacred.”   As many as 200 million pilgrims worldwide undertake some form of pilgrimage annually (ARC, 2014).

Traditionally pilgrimages were arduous and life-altering journeys.  Pilgrims crossed treacherous mountain passes, roamed deep valleys and arid deserts, hazarding the real possibility they might not return home.  The focus of the journey was the distant shrine, which could take the form of a numinous grove, an austere temple, miraculous tomb, or richly appointed church.

But today less sacred places beckon their pilgrims too. Graceland, Disney World, Times Square, the Louvre. All these destinations draw millions of travellers across great distances to worship at the modern shrines of art, commerce, entertainment, and recreation.

Are these journeys pilgrimages as well?

Or does the definition of pilgrimage genuinely distinguish it from other kinds of travel?

No universal rules or criteria distinguish every instance, but the following “symptoms” aid in the recognition and definition of pilgrimage in most cases.

Pilgrimages are often journeys in which:

1. The mode or method of travel is predetermined by tradition or religious obligation.
2. The distances traveled exceed those of ordinary religious observance.
3. The focus of travel is on a sacred shrine or religiously significant site.
4. The traveler is impelled to travel by religious or ritual motive.
5. There is the presence of ritual behaviours associated with either travel to or arrival at the shrine.

Many pilgrimages do not touch all five of these criteria. But these symptoms do form a flexible constellation of characteristics that can accommodate a variety of definitions of pilgrimage.

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From the original English text: « What is a Pilgrimage? Basic Definitions » by Pilgrim Europe