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Becket's Pilgrimage

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Pilgrimages have taken place since the earliest days of the Church, by those who set out to see the places where Jesus had once resided and preached. Looking at pilgrimages through a religious aspect, a pilgrimage is a journey one initiates to a sacred place to ask for the Lord’s blessing, or to inquire healing. In the Middle Ages the church strongly urged people to voyage to holy places labeled shrines. It was believed that if you prayed at these shrines there was a possibility you could be forgiven for your sins, and have more of a chance to be accepted into Heaven (Spartacus Edu 1). King of Kent, known as King Ethelbert handed over an undersized church in Canterbury to Augustine. Augustine transformed the churches’ architecture and it soon …show more content…
The tomb of Thomas Becket was the most beloved shrine in England. Beckets bloodshed caused rumors to spread upon the locals; whoever was to touch the bloody clothing of St. Thomas was to be magically healed of blindness, epilepsy, and leprosy. People travelled just to buy his blood from the monks at the Canterbury Cathedral. In 1538 while the Reformation was in process, Henry VIII wanted Becket’s bones turned to ash. During the Reformation going on a pilgrimage fell into disfavor, due to the superstitions and abuses associated with it. A mystery it seems, no one actually knew if his bones had been burnt. Just a few feet from Becket’s original burial place, bones had been found in a stone coffin. The Cathedral claims that the bones found are not St. Thomas’. So with the rich history and mysteries, the Canterbury Cathedral is the most visited tourist attraction in England outside of London today (BBC …show more content…
Some who had riches would pay others to go on a pilgrimage for them, basically defeating the purpose of what a real pilgrimage is. Going on a pilgrimage is not restricted to one faith. Muslims are pressured to take a pilgrimage to Mecca one time in their life (Opposing Views). Many people of various religions travel to the Holy Land to observe historic places where religion flourished. Plenty of religious folks anticipate journeying in the same footsteps as Jesus. Locations such as the birthplace of Jesus is visited often even by members of the Jewish

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