Mary and Multi-Faith Pilgrimages

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the role of Mary as a bridge between faiths in the field of devotional practices. The attraction of Mary for non-Christian pilgrims is particularly pronounced in the direction of Muslims. The Marian devotion is indeed particularly well implanted in the Islamic tradition, in which sacred texts sanction it. The web of inter-faith intermingling among Christians and Muslims under the umbrella of Mary is particularly thick and ancient in the Mediterranean region, where many sources show long-standing forms of sharing. Since the Middle Ages, Christians and Muslims have jointly worshipped a huge number of Marian shrines. Some of these sites have experienced an uninterrupted continuity until today; others have decayed, but have given way to new sanctuaries that are still able to attract a miscellaneous mass of worshipers of different religious affiliations.