Priest appeals for better transport for pilgrims traveling to Lourdes

Published: 2008-03-10

OXFORD, England (CNS) -- The head of an Italian pilgrimage organization has appealed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy to tackle the growing problems faced by pilgrims traveling by train to Lourdes in southwestern France. "For several years, we have faced many difficulties, notably in transporting sick people," said Father Luciano Mainini, secretary-general of the Italian Pilgrimages Secretariat, a group of 40 Italian pilgrimage organizations. "We can no longer accept being placed behind freight trains. Nor can we accept that this is tolerated in the country where modern civil rights originated." In an open letter to Sarkozy, the priest said the SNCF, the French national railway company, provides the "sole means of transport" to Lourdes for most sick pilgrims and needs urgent improvement. He said pilgrimage organizers had faced "more and more major obstacles," including sudden timetable changes and long delays, as well as annual 10 percent to 15 percent tax hikes.

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