Two ways of pilgrimage, observed in two distinct regions of Brazil. In São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil, leading to the city-Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Pirapora, a "particular priest" imitates Christ to load huge cross that he claims to weigh more than 100 kg, on a path of about 60 km. This is done also, every year, by many others, men and women, during Holy Week, from several cities in the region, although they load much less heavy crosses. In Belém do Pará, in the Amazon, many images of our Lady of Nazareth journey through the streets of the city during the weeks immediately before the Círio de Nazaré Catholic Festival, which culminates with an enormous procession, annually, in the month of October. These two ways of pilgrimage are special, because in them whom symbolic walks are not the human pilgrims, but the son of God and his holy mother, which make this pilgrimage being "embodied" or having their images conducted by human pilgrims, of both sexes. This article aims to explore analytically symbolic aspects of these events in the light of anthropological theory, starting from field research (with direct observation) and the available bibliography on the topic. One of the goals is to show that, in the "ethics of the pilgrimage" (Victor Turner), the inventive forms of imagery allow an exchange of roles between the deity and the faithful human subjects that is perfectly suited to this possible grammar of the sacred.
Catholicism; pilgrimages; processions; reciprocity; sacrifice