Editing Pilgrimage (section)

==Christianity==
{{Main|Christian pilgrimage}}
[[File:Jerusalem Holy Sepulchre BW 19.JPG|thumb|[[Church of the Holy Sepulchre]] in [[Jerusalem]] according to tradition is the site where [[Jesus]] was [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucified]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected]]]]
[[File:Santuário de Fátima (36) - Jul 2008 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Sanctuary of Fátima|Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima]] is one of the largest pilgrimage sites ([[Shrines to the Virgin Mary|Marian shrine]]) in the world.]]
[[File:Orthodox pilgrim.jpg|thumb|upright|Modern Orthodox pilgrim in [[Kyiv Pechersk Lavra]], Ukraine]]
In the spiritual literature of [[Christianity]], the concept of pilgrim and pilgrimage may refer to the experience of life in [[World (theology)|the world]] (considered as a period of exile) or to the inner path of the spiritual aspirant from a state of wretchedness to a state of beatitude.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=beatitude&oldid=70978999|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425151535/https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beatitude|url-status=dead|title=beatitude|date=January 17, 2023|archivedate=April 25, 2019|via=Wiktionary}}{{User-generated source|date=May 2022}}</ref>

Christian pilgrimage was first made to sites connected with the birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection of [[Jesus]]. Aside from the early example of [[Origen]] in the third century, surviving descriptions of Christian pilgrimages to the [[Holy Land]] date from the 4th century, when pilgrimage was encouraged by church fathers including [[Jerome|Saint Jerome]], and established by [[Helena (empress)|Saint Helena]], the mother of [[Constantine I and Christianity|Constantine the Great]].<ref>{{cite journal| url=https://doi.org/10.1353/earl.0.0310| doi=10.1353/earl.0.0310| title=Jerome's ''Epitaphium Paulae'': Hagiography, Pilgrimage, and the Cult of Saint Paula| year=2010| last1=Cain| first1=Andrew| journal=Journal of Early Christian Studies| volume=18| pages=105–139| s2cid=170884065| url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Beginning in 1894, Christian ministers under the direction of [[Charles Taze Russell]] were appointed to travel to and work with local [[Bible Students movement#International Bible Students Association|Bible Students]] congregations for a few days at a time; within a few years appointments were extended internationally, formally designated as "pilgrims", and scheduled for twice-yearly, week-long visits at each local congregation.<ref>"Noteworthy Events in the Modern-day History of Jehovah's Witnesses", ''Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom'', page 719, "1894 Traveling overseers that in time came to be known as pilgrims (today, circuit and district overseers) are sent out in connection with the Society's program for visiting congregations"</ref><ref>"Sweden", ''1991 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', page 126</ref> [[Bible Students movement#International Bible Students Association|International Bible Students Association]] (IBSA) pilgrims were excellent speakers, and their local talks were typically well-publicized and well-attended.<ref>"Switzerland and Liechtenstein", ''1987 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', page 123, "'Pilgrims' were traveling representatives of the [Watch Tower] Society, as circuit overseers are today. Their efforts contributed to the unity of the brothers and brought them into closer contact with God's organization. The Society would announce in Zion's Watch Tower the proposed itinerary of the pilgrim brothers, and congregations and smaller groups along these routes would then write and express their desire to be visited. The pilgrims were excellent speakers, and their public lectures were usually well attended. In 1913, for example, their audiences in Switzerland totaled some 8,000 persons."</ref> Prominent Bible Students [[A. H. Macmillan]] and [[J. F. Rutherford]] were both appointed pilgrims before they joined the board of directors of the [[Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]]; the IBSA later adopted the name [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and renamed pilgrims as ''[[traveling overseer]]s''.<ref>"Development of the Organization Structure", ''Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom'', page 222, "[Beginning] in 1894, arrangements were made for the [Watch Tower] Society to have well-qualified speakers travel more regularly to help the Bible Students to grow in knowledge and appreciation for the truth and to draw them closer together. ...An effort was made to have each group in the United States and Canada visited twice a year, though not usually by the same brother. In selecting these traveling speakers, emphasis was placed on meekness, humility, and clear understanding of the truth as well as loyal adherence to it and ability to teach it with clarity. Theirs was by no means a paid ministry. They were simply provided with food and lodging by the local brothers, and to the extent necessary, the Society helped them with travel expenses. They came to be known as pilgrims. Many of these traveling representatives of the Society were dearly loved by those whom they served. A. H. Macmillan, a Canadian, is remembered as a brother to whom God's Word proved to be "like a burning fire."</ref><ref>"Part 1—United States of America", CMP'1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses'', page 83</ref>

The purpose of Christian pilgrimage was summarized by [[Pope Benedict XVI]] in this way:{{Blockquote|To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history. To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe. Above all, Christians go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to the places associated with the Lord's passion, death and resurrection. They go to Rome, the city of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul, and also to Compostela, which, associated with the memory of Saint James, has welcomed pilgrims from throughout the world who desire to strengthen their spirit with the Apostle's witness of faith and love.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2010/november/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20101106_cattedrale-compostela.html | title=Apostolic Journey to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona: Visit to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (November 6, 2010) {{pipe}} BENEDICT XVI}}</ref>}}

Pilgrimages were, and are, also made to [[Rome]] and other sites associated with the [[Twelve apostles|apostles]], [[saint]]s and [[Christian martyrs]], as well as to places where there have been [[Marian apparitions|apparitions]] of the [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Virgin Mary]]. A popular pilgrimage journey is along the [[Way of St. James]] to the [[Santiago de Compostela Cathedral]], in [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]], Spain, where the [[shrine]] of the apostle [[James, son of Zebedee|James]] is located. A combined pilgrimage was held every seven years in the three nearby towns of [[Maastricht]], [[Aachen]] and [[Kornelimünster Abbey|Kornelimünster]] where many important relics could be seen (see: [[Pilgrimage of the Relics, Maastricht]]). Marian pilgrimages remain very popular in [[Christian pilgrimage#Latin America|Latin America]].

The Catholic priest Frank Fahey writes that a pilgrim is "always in danger of becoming a tourist" and vice versa, and describes pilgrimages as journeys containing "faith expectancy", a search for wholeness, that are often solitary and employing silence to create an [[Meditation|internal sacred space]].<ref name="Fahey 2002">{{cite journal |last1=Fahey |first1=Frank |title=Pilgrims or Tourists? |journal=The Furrow |date=April 2002 |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=213–218 |jstor=27664505 }}</ref>