What is Sacerdos Camini?
Sacerdos Camini is a living, revocable digital credential for travelling Catholic priests on the Camino de Santiago. It lets a priest’s home diocese vouch for him, and a host diocese along the route grant or withhold faculties — replacing slow letters, emails and phone calls with something a parish can trust at a glance.
The platform records and communicates the decisions of the legitimate authority of the Church; it never makes them. Every level keeps full control and can revoke at any moment — the change is visible immediately.
How the chain works
- The priest — is registered by his home diocese; inactive until credentialed.
- The home diocese — certifies that he is a priest in good standing and issues the living credential.
- The host diocese — along the Camino grants, limits or denies faculties for a set visit window.
- The local pastor — receives a request to celebrate and schedules it; approved events appear publicly on In Via Sacra.
Frequently asked questions
What is In Via Sacra?
The public companion site for pilgrims: it lists approved Masses, confessions and blessings along the route, with a map and directions. No login is needed.
Does the platform grant faculties?
No. It never grants or removes faculties itself. It only records and displays the decisions made by the competent ecclesiastical authority, and makes revocation instant and visible.
Who can use it?
Travelling priests, their home authorities (vicars for clergy, chancellors, superiors), host dioceses along the Camino, and local pastors. Pilgrims use the public In Via Sacra side.
How do you know a vicar is really the vicar?
Authority accounts are never self-registered. An administrator verifies the office out of band — the diocesan directory, the Anuario Pontificio, or a direct call to the curia — no account is activated without prior verification.
Is my data private?
Yes. Faculty and standing data live behind the login wall; the shareable credential shows only what a host needs to see, never the private restriction narrative. Data is stored in the European Economic Area (the EEA — the EU and a few neighbouring countries) and handled under the GDPR, Europe’s data-protection law, which gives every person the right to see their personal data, correct it, and have it erased.
What does it cost?
Dioceses, parishes and pastors never pay. The project is supported by the operator and by pilgrim donations through In Via Sacra.
Is it an official Church body?
No. It is operated by ProgTrack, LLC as a lay service to the Church. Every diocese keeps ownership of its own decisions and data, and can leave at any time.