The relocation of 18 pilgrims in Oseira invites us to reflect on how the Camino de Santiago has changed... and to recognize the extraordinary work of the Civil Guard.
The news that 18 pilgrims had to be relocated by the Civil Guard from the San Cristovo de Cea hostel to the Oseira monastery, after filling all the available places, has been received with relief by all lovers of the Camino de Santiago.
The first reflection should be gratitude.
Thanks to the Civil Guard, which once again demonstrated that its work goes far beyond citizen security. Thanks to their quick action, those pilgrims were able to rest under a roof and continue their journey to Santiago the next day.
Those who travel the Jacobean routes know that Civil Guard agents are often the first to respond when a pilgrim gets lost, suffers a fall, needs medical help or is going through a difficult time.
Their work, silent and constant, is also part of the spirit of the Camino.
From here, our recognition to all of them.
But this news also invites us to reflect.
Beyond the happy ending, this episode makes us think about how the Camino de Santiago has changed in recent decades.
And many veterans can't help but ask themselves the same question.
What would Don Elías Valiña say today if he raised his head?
When the Camino was uncertainty
Thirty or forty years ago, walking the Camino was very different.
There were no applications to reserve accommodation.
There were not hundreds of shelters.
There were no companies that transported backpacks.
There were not so many services or so many amenities.
The pilgrim often walked without knowing where he would sleep that night.
And when the hostel was full…
Sleep where you could
Those who did the Camino in those years remember nights under church arcades, in parish atriums, in old barns, in schools donated by the towns or in improvised sports centers.
Many did it in the middle of winter.
With temperatures close to zero.
No heating.
No blankets.
Only with a sleeping bag, a mat and the hope of continuing walking the next day.
It wasn't comfortable.
But no one got angry.
Because that was also part of the Camino.
Each difficulty ended up becoming an anecdote that was told for years.
Hospitality always found a place
The Camino never left those who walked with humility stranded.
A priest always appeared and opened a parish.
A neighbor who offered a shed.
A family sharing a dinner.
Or a volunteer willing to help.
There were no major infrastructures.
There were people.
And many times that was enough.
The pilgrim thanks. The tourist demands.
Perhaps this phrase sums up the difference in attitude better than any other.
It does not mean that whoever seeks comfort automatically stops being a pilgrim.
Not much less.
Today there are thousands of walkers who keep the Jacobean spirit intact.
But it is also true that, over the years, the Camino has evolved and expectations have changed.
Decades ago, finding a mattress was a gift.
Today, it is sometimes taken for granted.
Before, any roof was appreciated.
Today, some people consider it a problem to have to change hostels a few kilometers further down the road.
The difference is not in the distance.
It's in the attitude
.
The legacy of Don Elías Valiña
Don Elías Valiña dedicated much of his life to recovering the Camino when only a few hundred pilgrims traveled it a year.
He marked yellow arrows thinking of those who were looking for an experience of encounter, effort and simplicity.
I probably would have celebrated that today there are many more shelters, better services and a support network that makes it possible for thousands of people to live this experience.
But he would also have remembered something essential.
That the Camino never promised comfort.
He promised transformation.
Thanks for being there
The story of San Cristovo de Cea ended well because there were people who acted quickly.
Because the Civil Guard was where it should be.
Because the Oseira monastery opened its doors.
And because, once again, the welcoming spirit of the Camino once again prevailed.
Perhaps that is the true message of this news.
It doesn't matter so much where you sleep.
It is important that someone always appears willing to help you.
That is the Path worth preserving.
The Camino where a pilgrim gives thanks for a roof.
And where hospitality remains much more important than any comfort.
