The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-02-10
THE VENERATIoN OF RELICS.

By relics we understand the mem
bers, the garments, the bones or any
other things that belonged to Oul
Lord, the Blessed Virgin or Saints
From time lmmemorial, such objects
have been held in high generation
for instance, the cross of our Re
deemer, His tunic, His winding sheet
the manager wherein He was laid as
an Infant, the veil of Veronica, etc
Thus a part of the manger is pre-
served in the Church of Santa Maria
Maggiore in Rome; the seamless coat
of Our Lord is in the Cathedral OF
Treves; the holy winding sheet is in
Turin, while Veronica's veil is in ST
Peters in Rome. The whole of Pales
tine is, to the Christian, a sacred and
precious relic, the place of crucifixion
and sepulchre on Calvary, the scene
OF Our Lords agony in Gethsemane
the spot whence He descended on Mt
OliVet; the Cenacle on Mt. Sion, His
birthplace at Bethlehem and the Holy
house of Nazareth, now at Loretto
blood-stained apparel of martyrs, the
instruments of their execution, the
spots where eminent saints were born
or buried, have always been objects
OF generation. 1t was formerly the
custom to erect churches and affairs
over such hallowed spots, especially
where saints were inferred.
Professionals have claimed that our
generation of relics is idolatrous or
superstitious. On the contrary, moth
ing could be more lawful, nothing
more praiseworthy than this pious
practice of faith. Do we not cherish
and preserve with the greatest care
anything that has belonged to one
dear to us, to a parent, a friend or
a benefactor? Do we not respect the
mortal remains of a celebrated man,
of an illustrious prince? With what
eagerness do we seek to obtain even
the furniture that served for their
use! What pains do we not take and
what expense do we not incur to pro-
cure some part of their remains or at
least some object that was related to
them! And this is lawful and laud-
able. Why should it not be the case
in the veneration of the relics of
saints? Why should we not honor
and carefully preserve the remains
of those illustrious persons, who, by
their virtues and good works, deserve
our respect, our gratitude, our love?
Does not child cherish, with fond
reverence, the memorial of a departed
parent? How lock of hair, letters,
or any object of a dead mother is
priced and venerated, This is nothing
more than filial tenderness and de-
serves commentator for it's express
sion. This same affectionate srever-
ence we manifest toward the relics of
our dear Saviour, His blessed Mother
superstition.
The veneration of relics is a relative
worship, because the objects are ven
Grated not OH their own account but
for their relation and moral connec-
ton with the persons deserving cur
veneration. According to the degree of
veneration paid to them, our relative
worship will be either latria (adora-
tom, hyperdulia (great veneration)
or dulia (homage or invocation). For
example, the alteration of the cross on
Good Friday or the veneration of a
relic of the true Cross, is relative
"latria,' for it is to Divine Person,
Christ, that our worship is directed.
Kneeling before a statue of our Lady
is an act of relative "hyperdulia,"H not
Divine Worship; or before the statue
of saint is relative sdulia."
The Council of Trent decreed that
it is lawful and beneficial to honor the
relics of the Saints Their relics. sure
ly deserve veneration since their bod
les were SO truly temples of the Holy
Ghost and instruments for His opera
itions God, Himself, shows them hon
or, for by their medium He works
many miracles. Many bodies or parts
of bodies of the saints still remain in
corrupt and supple, as that Of ST:
Teresa and of St. Francis Xavier;
SOM e93pit de1i ciolls frasfauce.;