FEATURE
A traditional pilgrimage to the Holy Land Report by Canon Martin Edwards
Pilgrims join in Latin Vespers in front of the altar of the Nativity in the Basilica of Bethlehem
O
ne of the Five Pillars of Islam is the Hajj – the duty imposed on the observant Muslim of making the pilgrimage to Mecca, should circumstances allow. It is a shame that so many Catholics, who think nothing of treating themselves to several foreign holidays a year, never consider making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Some, of course, are put off by reports of violence and terror in the region: a largely groundless fear - at least in the pilgrims’ places. The Israel government might be faulted for many things, but could
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not be accused of not taking security seriously. Some Traditional Catholics are put off by fears of what might await them liturgically in the various shrines and holy places. This concern is not groundless. Indeed, it was what prompted a group of Traditional Catholics to arrange a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in November 2017. We called the pilgrimage “In the Steps of the Master” and we decided to have only the Usus Antiquior each day. The Latin Mass Society kindly publicised the pilgrimage on its website,
and Dr Joseph Shaw, LMS Chairman, graciously mentioned it on his estimable and widely-read blog. As a result, we collected a total of 36 pilgrims - a number that pleased Pax Travel, the tour company which made the practical arrangements. As Chaplain, I took the decision not to mention to the ecclesiastical authorities in the Holy Land, in advance, that our Masses would be exclusively in the Old Rite. After all, it is now ten years since Summorum Pontificum: and our group, made up of Traditional Catholics, perfectly fulfilled
SPRING 2018
