2. Throughout the centuries the various routes of the "camino de Santiago" have been filled with pilgrims walking toward what was then called "finis terrae" in order to achieve the much longed for "pardon"and, at the same time,  welcome once more in their heart the light of the Gospel transmitted by the Apostles.  Like (DANIEL ABRAHAM?) they left their own homes in search of the land that the Lord was to show them  (cf. Gn 12, 1), they abandoned the deceptive securities of their small world to put themselves in the hands of the gift of God.  At the end of the journey they found the light of Christ, which is the authentic hope for humanity and the true homeland of every human being.  Followed with this spirit, the camino de Santiago becomes a true process of conversion and a progressive shedding of one's former self, to become a new self, "created according to God, in the justice and sanctity of the truth" (Ef 2,24).

3. Keeping in mind the unforgettable memories of my previous visits to Santiago, I'm thinking at this time of the men and women, young people and adults, from Galicia and Spain, from Europe and from beyond the seas, who will set out towards Compostela. They will follow a secular path dotted with magnificent works of art and culture in which so many generations have carved the testament of their robust faith. They will meet other people and will have the opportunity to appreciate the varied customs and cultures in which human beings express the best of themselves, opening themselves in this way to a more universal vision and a better comprehension of diverse peoples. The gestures of warmth and fraternal welcoming will give a special meaning to those words of Jesus:   "a mí me lo hicisteis" (cf. Mt 25, 40). Meditation and steady prayer will help the pilgrim to enter within himself in order to find the deepest truth of his being, making thus an interior journey that will prepare his heart to receive the graces of jubilee and to hug the Saint, that
traditional gesture that symbolizes the joyful welcome of faith in Christ, that the greatest of the Apostles preached without flinching until he gave his life for it. (cf. Hch 4, 33; 12, 1).

4. This Holy Year offers to the noble Spanish people, which has deep Christian roots under the protection of the Apostle St. James, to individual churches and especially to that dear Compostelan Archdiocese, a propitious opportunity to promote with renewed vigor its' commitment to the values of the Gospel, persuasively proposing them to the new generations, filling their personal, family and social lives with them.

    To this end are directed various pastoral activities planned for the Jubilee, among those that  deserve special mention being The Meeting of European Youth and the National eucharistic Council.  These are events that demonstrate the vitality of the faith and evangelizing spirit characteristic of every community founded on apostolic preaching.  In this way, the Compostelan Jubilee, at the same time that it imp[arts the bread of "pardon" and of grace, becomes a glowing light of Christian life and a reserve of energy for new ways of evangelization.  (cf Speech in the  plaza del Obradoiro, August 19,  1989, n. 2).

5. I ask the Almighty for all of those who come to Santiago, especially this year that the Universal Church, preparing itself for the Great Jubilee of 2,000, dedicates to God, our "Celestial Father" I beg him to make them feel the immense love that He has for each and every man, and that he give them the necessary valor to return to the paternal home in order to receive the paternal embrace of welcoming and of forgiveness. This experience of ineffable divine mercy will also make them tireless witnesses, that they will know how to impart the goodness of God and be an echo of it in concrete choices of love and solidarity with their brothers. (cf. Tertio millennio, 50 -51).

    I commend the fruits of this año Jacobeo to our Heavenly Mother,who will accompany the pilgrims on their penitential itinerary and will welcome them smiling upon their arrival at the Pórtico de la Gloria. May they, the dear sons of Galicia and of Spain, as well as those coming from other lands, with her help and by the powerful intercession of the Apostle St. James progress materially and spiritually, in a climate of solidarity with the most needy and of peace for all.

    With these wishes, and as a sign of benevolence, I happily give you the Apostolic Blessing.

    The Vatican, November 29, 1998, first Sunday of Advent.