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Cantebury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral-a place pilgrim

Canterbury,_Canterbury_cathedral_01

Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, has been a place of pilgrim for several centuries. It was the scene of St Thomas a Beckett’s murder in 1170 by four knights working on behalf of King Henry II. Miracles were reported, andThomas and the site of his martyrdom in the Cathedral became a holy shrine. Three years later, Pope Alexander III made him a saint. King Henry II was among the early pilgrims in 1174 that came to pay penance for his sins, walking bare foot and being flogged publicly. Six weeks later, the Cathedral was destroyed by fire, which was rebuilt from funds provided by pilgrims in honour of their saint. In addition to Chaucer Canterbury Tales crew, pilgrims have continued to this day, to visit Canterbury Cathedral as one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the Cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England. The present, Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. Having worked extensively in Africa with particular interest in Kenya and Nigeria in the Niger Delta, like Chaucer he is well acquainted to the human wahala, especially of those regions where he worked on reconciliation with armed groups. The tradition of Pilgrimage is very much alive today, although the journey is faster and considerably more comfortable.

Chaucer's Pilgrims
Chaucer’s Pilgrims