I have iced my plans to participate in the annual Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage to Translyvania this June. The young man who organizes the trip for my village's residents every year recently informed me the group will be traveling to Csíksomlyó the week before Pentecost this year in order to see Pope Francis, who will be visiting the region and holding a mass at that time.
Though I can understand the young organizer's and many of the pilgrims' motivation to travel to Csíksomlyó the week before Pentecost - they have all been to the Pentecost pilgimage many times, but have never attended a mass held by the Pope - I personally have no interest in seeing Pope Francis, nor am I interested in anything the Pope has to say. What for some of my fellow villagers amounts to a "once in a lifetime opportunity" is for me "something I would avoid at all costs."
Of course, I could make plans to travel to Transylvania independently for Pentecost a week later, but I believe part of the joy of the Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage is getting there with a group of like-minded pilgrims and savoring the sense of community that dominates for the rest of the week; thus, I believe it is more prudent to simply wait until next year - which is exactly what I am going to do.
Though I can understand the young organizer's and many of the pilgrims' motivation to travel to Csíksomlyó the week before Pentecost - they have all been to the Pentecost pilgimage many times, but have never attended a mass held by the Pope - I personally have no interest in seeing Pope Francis, nor am I interested in anything the Pope has to say. What for some of my fellow villagers amounts to a "once in a lifetime opportunity" is for me "something I would avoid at all costs."
Of course, I could make plans to travel to Transylvania independently for Pentecost a week later, but I believe part of the joy of the Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage is getting there with a group of like-minded pilgrims and savoring the sense of community that dominates for the rest of the week; thus, I believe it is more prudent to simply wait until next year - which is exactly what I am going to do.
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