Pilgrimage history

The going of believers to holy places for worship has been known since ancient times. The centers of pilgrimage in ancient times were the temples of Amun in Egyptian Thebes, Osiris in Abydos, Apollo in Delphi, etc. For Christians, the pilgrimage began in the 4th century. to Palestine, where the divine deeds of the Savior took place.

Each pilgrim receives many impressions of the wonderful signs and unusual coincidences that occurred to him during the pilgrimage. However, St. Gregory of Nyssa condemns the excessive enthusiasm for pilgrimage, believing that pilgrims often travel out of idle curiosity, fall into indecent stories and temptations. Many Orthodox believe that in any church you can partake of the Body and Blood of Christ (the Highest Shrine itself), and it is better to give out the money collected for the pilgrimage to the poor. Continue reading →