Appendix Chapter II: The Worship of Relics

Chapter II: The Worship of Relics

CHAPTER II THE WORSHIP OF RELICS By (holy) relics we understand : ( I ) The bodies of saintly persons or any of their integrant parts, such as limbs, ashes, bones, etc.; (2) Objects that have come in physical contact with living Saints and are thereby sanctified (for instance, the instruments wherewith a martyr has been tortured, the chains by which he was bound, the clothes he wore, objects he used). With regard to the last-mentioned class, however, we must make a limitation. Those objects only should be treated as holy relics the veneration of which redounds to a Saint’s honor. Whatever is apt to excite ridicule or disrespect must be excluded from worship. Relics are merely the material object of worship. The formal object, i. e., the reason why they are venerated, is found not in the relics themselves but in the person to whom they belonged. In other words, the respect and veneration which we show to a Saint’s relics are directed towards the Saint himself. For this reason the worship of relics is technically termed cultus duliae relativus. 153 154 APPENDIX That there have been abuses in connexion with the veneration of relics can, unfortunately, not be denied. It belongs to ecclesiastical authority to remedy such abuses, above all by forbidding the veneration of spurious or unbecoming relics, wherever it has crept in. When such veneration is due to ignorance or credulity, or otherwise to good faith, though the harm is not as a rule serious, because the worship shown to spurious relics is really given to the Saint to whom they are believed to belong. Thesis: The veneration of relics is licit and useful. This thesis embodies an article of faith. Proof. The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea, A. D. 787) condemned ’ ‘those who dare to reject any one of the things which are entrusted to the Church, — the Gospel, or the sign of the cross, or any pictorial representation, or the holy relics of a martyr.” 1 The Council of Trent enjoins bishops and pastors to instruct their flocks that “the holy bodies of saintly martyrs and others now living with Christ — which bodies were the living members of Christ and the temple of the Holy Ghost, and which are by Him to be raised unto eternal life and glorified — are to be venerated by the faithful, for through these [bodies] many benefits are bestowed by God on men ; so that they who affirm that veneration and honor are not due to the relics of Saints, or 1 . qui audent… . proiicere sanctas reliquias martyris.” (Dcn… sive evangelium sive figuram zinger-Bannwart, n. 304.) cruets sive imaginalem picturam sive that these and other sacred monuments are uselessly honored by the faithful, … are wholly to be condemned, as the Church has already long since condemned and now also condemns them.” 2 This dogmatic definition gives a succinct explanation of the reasons underlying the veneration of relics as practiced in the Catholic Church. It may be well to add that the Church has always set her face against abuses in connexion with the exposition and translation of relics. Witness, e. g., the sixtysecond chapter of the decrees of the Fourth Lateran Council, ” De Reliquiis Sanctorum/’ 3 a) The practice of venerating the relics of saintly persons can be traced in the Old Testament. Cfr. Ex.* XIII, 19: “And Moses took Joseph’s bones with him : because he had adjured the children of Israel, saying: God shall visit you, carry out my bones from hence with you.” 4 4 Kings XIII, 21 : “Some that were burying a man, saw the rovers, and cast the body into the sepulchre of Eliseus. And when it had touched the bones of Eliseus, the man came to life and stood upon his feet.” 2 Scss. XXV (Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 985) : ” Sanctorum quoque martyrum et aliorum cum Christo viventium sancta corpora, quae viva membra fuerunt Christi et templum Spiritus Sancti ab ipso ad aeternam vitam suscitanda et glorificanda, a fidelibus veneranda esse, per quae multa beneficia a Deo hominibus praestantur: ita ut afhrmantes Sane11 torum reliquiis venerationem atque honor em non deberi vel eas aliaque sacra monumenta a fidelibus inutiliter honorari… . omnino damnandos esse, prout iampridem eos damnavit et nunc etiam damnat Ecclesia” 3 Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 440. 4 Cfr. Ecclus. XLIX, 18. 156 APPENDIX The New Testament in numerous passages illustrates the miraculous effects of relics. We will quote but a few : “And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him [Jesus] , and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself: If I shall touch only his garment, I shall be healed. But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good cheer, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour/’ 5 The first Christians had such great confidence in St. Peter that they “brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that when Peter came, his shadow at the least might overshadow any of them, and they might be delivered from their infirmities.” 6 By the hand of St. Paul “God wrought … more than common miracles, so that even there were brought from his body to the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them.” 7 Why, then, did our Lord blame the Pharisees for honoring and adorning the graves of the prophets? Matth. XXIII, 29: “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just… .” The context shows that 6 Matth. IX, 20 sqq. eActs V, 15. T Acts XIX, 11 sq. THE WORSHIP OF RELICS He did not censure the act itself, but merely the hypocritical motives by which it was inspired. For the Pharisees, like their fathers, persecuted God’s prophets and crucified the greatest one among them. “By building sepulchres to the prophets,” says St. Ambrose, “they condemned the deeds of their fathers; but the condemnation fell back upon themselves, because they imitated the crimes of their fathers… . Hence it was not the building of sepulchres but the imitation of their fathers that was reckoned a crime.” 8 b) The worship of holy relics is an ancient practice in the Church. Thus we read in the Acts of St. Polycarp (composed about A. D. 156) : “We adore Him’ [Christ], because He is the Son of God, but the martyrs we love as disciples and imitators of the Lord… . Then we buried in a becoming place his [St. Polycarp’s] remains, which are more precious to us than the costliest diamonds, and which we esteem more highly than gold. The Lord will grant us to assemble there as often as possible in gladness and joy, and to commemorate the birthday of his [Polycarp’s] martyrdom, for the twofold purpose of reminding us of those who have already gained the palm of victory, and to exercise and train those who are yet to enter the conflict.,, 9 8 In Luc, VII, n. 106: ” Aedifi- » Martyrium S. Poly carpi, c. 17, cando sepulchra prophet arum patrum ed. Funk, Vol. I, 301. For many suorum facta damnabant, aemulando other similar instances see Th. autem paterna scelera in seipsos Ruinart, Acta Primorum Marty runt sententiam retorquebant. • . . Non Sincera et Selecta, 2d ed., Amsterigitur aedificatio, sed aemulatio loco dam 17 13. criminis aestimatur” 158 APPENDIX The Fathers regard the numerous miracles wrought through the bodies of holy martyrs as so many arguments in support of the dogma under consideration. St. Ambrose relates how a blind man was restored to sight when the newly found bodies of SS. Gervasius and Protasius were taken to the basilica, and adds : ” You know, nay you have seen with your own eyes, how many were delivered from demons, and a great number were cured of diseases when they touched the garments of the Saints; how there was a repetition of the miracles of the early days when, in consequence of the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, abundant grace was showered down upon the earth.” 10 St. Augustine also tells of a number of miracles wrought in connection with holy relics.11 10 Ep., 22, n. 9 (Migne, P. L., XVI, 1022 sq.): ” Cognovistis, into vidistis ipsi multos a daemoniis purgatos, plurimos etiam, ubi vestem sanctorum manibus contigerunt, Us quibus laborabant debilitatibus absolutos, re par at a vetusti temporis miracula, quo se per adventum Domini Iesu gratia terris maior infuderat.” 11 Confessiones, IX, jr; De Civ. Dei, XXII, 8. St. Ambrose severely rebukes the Arians, who denied that miracles were wrought through relics. ” Et Ariani dicunt: Non sunt isti mar tyres nec torquere diabolum possunt nec aliquem liberare… . Negant caecum illuminatum, sed ille non negat se sanatum. Ille dicit: Video, qui non videbam. Ille dicit: Caecus esse desivi, et probat facto. Jsti beneficium negant, qui factum negare non possunt. Notus homo publicis, quum valeret, mancipatus obsequiis, Severus nomine, lanius ministerio.* {Ep., 22, n. 16 sq.) St. Jerome says in his treatise Contra Vigilantium (n. 5): * Dolet martyrum reliquias pretioso operiri velamine et non vel pannis vel cilido colligari vel proiici in sterquilinum, ut solus Vigilantius ebrius et dormiens adoretur. Ergo sacrilegi sumus, quando Apostolorum basilicas ingredimurf Sacrilegus fuit Const antius Imperator I., qui sanetas reliquias Andreae, Lucae et Timothei transtulit Constantinopolim, apud quas daemones rugiuntf ” Other Patristic texts in Petavius, De Incarn., XIV, 13 and Thomassin, De Incarn., XII, 4. — The Patristic evidence is so overwhelming that even Harnack is constrained to confess: ” Most offensive was the worship of relics. It flourished to its greatest extent as early as the fourth century and no Church doctor of repute restricted it. All of them rather, even the Cappadocians, countenanced it. The numerous miracles which were wrought by bones and relics seemed to confirm their worship. The Church, therefore, woulJ not give up the practice, although a violent attack was THE WORSHIP OF RELICS c) This traditional practice explains the special veneration which Catholics have always entertained for what were believed to be particles of the true Cross. a) St. Cyril of Jerusalem says : ” This holy wood of the Cross is still to be seen among us; and through the agency of those who piously took home particles thereof, it has filled the whole earth/’ 13 St. Chrysostom tells how men and women used to wear particles of the Cross in golden lockets on their necks.14 The faithful were also wont to venerate the lance, the nails, the pillar at which our Lord was scourged, the linen in which His sacred body was wrapped, His tunic, the crib in which He was supposed to have lain as an infant, the holy sepulchre, etc. Some of these relics have not stood the test of archaeological criticism, but this proves nothing against the thesis we are sustaining.15 No doubt, after the critics have done their work, the Church will not hesitate, with due regard to the sentiments of the faithful, to withdraw all spurious relics from public veneration and thus place the trustful devotion of her children upon a secure historical basis.16 p) There is another early Christian practice which, to be properly understood, must be judged in the light of made upon it by a few cultured heathens and besides by the Manichaeans.” (Hist, of Dogm., Engl, tr., Vol. IV, p. 313.) 13 Catech., 10, n. 10. St. Cyril and a few other Patristic and medieval writers apparently believed that there was some virtue inherent in relics. On this point see H. Thurston in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XII, p. 735. 14 Migne, P. G., XLVIII, 826. is Cfr. St. John Damascene, De Fide Orth., IV, 11. 16 Cfr. Rohault de Fleury, Mimoire sur les Instruments de la Passion, Paris 1870; L. de Combes, The Finding of the Cross, pp. 167 sqq., London 1907. Regarding certain alleged relics of the Precious Blood of our Divine Saviour see PohlePreuss, Christology, pp. 170 sqq. i6o APPENDIX the veneration exhibited to holy relics. It is the custom of making pilgrimages to the tombs of the Saints, especially Apostles and martyrs. Bishop Jonas of Orleans, who died about 840, writes : ” We are taught that those are not to be censured nor to be called foolish, who, for the purpose of increasing their devotion, or seeking the intercession of the Apostles, visit their burial places, because we believe that not only is love for the service of God increased by this practice, but men will be rewarded for the labors and journeys which they undertake for the love of God. Besides, it is peculiar to the human mind to be more forcibly impressed by things seen than by things heard.” 17 How closely the exterior manifestations of devotion in such holy places resembled those still witnessed at the present time appears from a statement made by Theodoret of Cyrus (died about 458). He says that after being cured of various diseases, pious pilgrims were wont to leave symbolic votive offerings at the shrines where they had found relief. ” That those who pray devoutly receive the fruitage of their vows,” he says, ” is proved by the presents which they leave in commemoration of their cure. Some hang up gold or silver representations of eyes, others of feet, others of hands, etc.* 18 In making pilgrimages, however, Catholics will do well to heed the prudent 17 De Cultu Imag., 1. 3: * Docetnur, non itnprobandos nec more tuo [Jonas is arguing against Bishop Claudius of Turin, who opposed the veneration of images] stultos insipientesque appellandos esse eos, qui devotionis ougmentandae gratia intercessionisque per suffragia quaerendae Apostolorum adeunt limina, quia credimus, quod per haec non solummodo eorum mentibus adolescat amor circa divini cultus servitutem, sed etiam laboris sui at que itineris, quae subire volunt intentione divini amoris, mercede donentur. Sane est etiam proprium humanae menti, non adeo compungi ex auditist sicut ex visis.* 18 De Cur. Affect. Graec, 1. 8. admonition of Thomas a Kempis : 19 * They who go on many pilgrimages seldom become holy.” 20 Readings : — H. Thurston, S. J., art ” Relics ” in the Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XII, pp. 734-738.— Benedict XIV, De Servorum Dei BeatiUcatione et Canonisatione, IV, Pt. 2. — Mioni, // Culto delle Reliquie, Turin 1908. — P. Bruder, Die Reliquienverehrung in der kath. Kirche, Dulmen 1881. — S. Beissel, S. J., Die Verehrung der Heiligen und ihrer Reliquien in Deutschland wdhrend des Mittelalters, 2 vols., Freiburg 1890-92. — H. Siebert, Zur vorreformatorischen Heiligen- und Reliquienverehrung, Freiburg 1907.— C. Stengel, De Reliquiarum Cultu, Ingolstadt 1624.— J. Ferrandi, Disquisitio Reliquiaria, Lyons 1647. — De Cordemoy, Traite des Saintes Reliques, Paris 1719-— A. S. Barnes, The Early Church in the Light of the Monuments, pp. 47-50, London 191319 De Imit. Christi, I, 23. Gregory Martin, Treatyse of Chris20 On the subject of pilgrimages tian Peregrination, 1583; reprinted see J. Marx, Das Wallfahren in under the title, Pilgrimages’ and der katholischen Kirche, historisch- Relics, by the English Catholic kriHsch dargestellt, Trier 1842; Truth Society, London 191 5