Relics of St. Demetrius, in the cathedral of Thessalonika, Greece. Saint Demetrius redirects here For another saint see Demetrius of Alexandria. Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia

A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos In Christianity, veneration ( Latin veneratio, Greek &delta&omicron&upsilon&lambda&iota&alpha dulia) or veneration of saints Relics are an important aspect of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other religions. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

The word relic comes from the Latin reliquiae ('remains'). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. A reliquary is a shrine that houses one or more relics. A reliquary (also referred to as a Shrine or by the French term Chasse) is a container for Relics These may be the physical A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used

Christian relics

Some Christian relics are two thousand years old.

A view inside the shrine of Saint Boniface of Dokkum in the hermit-church of Warfhuizen. Saint Boniface ( Latin: Bonifacius c 672 – June 5, 754) the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid or Wynfrith at A hermit (from the Greek ἔρημος erēmos, signifying " Desert " "uninhabited" hence "desert-dweller" adjective "eremitic" Warfhuizen ( Gronings: Waarfhoezen) is a village in Groningen, a Province in the extreme North of The Netherlands. The bone fragment in the middle is from Saint Boniface himself, the little folded papers on the left and right contain bone fragments of Saint Benedict of Nursia and Bernard of Clairvaux. "Saint Benedict" redirects here This article is about the founder of Western monasticism for other saints named Benedict see Benedict. Bernard of Clairvaux, OCist ( 1090 - August 20, 1153) was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order

History of Christian relics

One of the earliest sources that show the efficacy of relics is found in 2 Kings 13:20-21:

²⁰ Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. ²¹ Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. (NIV)

These verses are cited to claim that the Holy Spirit's indwelling also affects the physical body, that God can do miracles through the bodies of His servants, or both. The New International Version is an English Translation of the Christian Bible. Also cited is the veneration of Polycarp's relics recorded in the Martyrdom of Polycarp (written 150–160 AD). The Martyrdom of Polycarp is one of the works of the Apostolic Fathers, and as such is one of the very few genuine such writings from the actual age of the persecutions With regard to relics that are objects, an often cited passage is Acts 19:11–12, which says that Paul's handkerchiefs were imbued by God with healing power. The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament.

Many tales of miracles and other marvels were attributed to relics beginning in the early centuries of the church; many of these became especially popular during the Middle Ages. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation These tales are collected in books of hagiography such as the Golden Legend or the works of Caesar of Heisterbach. Hagiography ( is the study of Saints. A hagiography, from Greek (hağios (ἅγιος "holy" or "saint" and graphē (γραφή The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea by Jacopo da Varagine is a collection of fanciful hagiographies or lives of the Saints that became a late medieval Caesar of Heisterbach, also known as Caesarius of Heisterbach ca These miracle tales made relics much sought after during the Middle Ages.

There are also many relics attributed to Jesus, perhaps most famously the Shroud of Turin, which is claimed to be the burial shroud of Jesus, although this is disputed. There are many relics attributed to Jesus that people believe or believed to be authentic Relics of the Gospel accounts The Shroud of Turin (or Turin Shroud) is a Linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have been physically traumatized in a manner consistent Shroud usually refers to an item such as a cloth that covers or protects some other object Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Pieces of the True Cross were one of the most highly sought after such relics; many churches claimed to possess a piece of it, so many that John Calvin famously remarked that there were enough pieces of the True Cross to build a ship from^[1], although a study in 1870^[2] found that put together the claimed relics weighed less than 1. The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which by a Christian tradition are believed to be from the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and 7kg (0. 04m³).

Romano-Christian demons and the "virtue" of relics

A reliquary in the church of San Pedro, Ayerbe, Spain

In his introduction to Gregory of Tours, Ernest Brehaut analyzed the Romano-Christian concepts that gave relics such a powerful draw (see link). Ayerbe is a town in the Hoya de Huesca Comarca, in the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Saint Gregory of Tours ( November 30, c 538 &ndash November 17, 594) was a Gallo-Roman historian and bishop of Tours He distinguished Gregory's constant usage of "sanctus" and "virtus", the first with its familiar meaning of "sacred" or "holy", and the second

"the mystic potency emanating from the person or thing that is sacred. These words have in themselves no ethical meaning and no humane implications whatever. They are the keywords of a religious technique and their content is wholly supernatural. In a practical way the second word [virtus] is the more important. It describes the uncanny, mysterious power emanating from the supernatural and affecting the natural. The manifestation of this power may be thought of as a contact between the natural and the supernatural in which the former, being an inferior reality, of course yielded. These points of contact and yielding are the miracles we continually hear of. The quality of sacredness and the mystic potency belong to spirits, in varying degrees to the faithful, and to inanimate objects. They are possessed by spirits, acquired by the faithful, and transmitted to objects. "

Opposed to this holy "virtue" was also a false mystic potency that emanated from inhabiting daemons who were conceived of as alien and hostile. The words daemon, dæmon, are Latinized spellings of the Greek δαίμων ( daimôn) used purposely today to distinguish the daemons Truly holy virtus would defeat it, but it could affect natural phenomena and effect its own kinds of miracles, deceitful and malignant ones. This "virtue" Gregory of Tours and other Christian writers associated with the devil, demons, soothsayers, magicians, pagans and pagan gods, and heretics. False virtus inhabited images of the pagan gods, the "idols" of our museums and archaeology, and destroying it accounts for some of the righteous rage with which mobs of Christians toppled sculptures, and smashed classical bas-reliefs (particularly the faces), as our museums attest.

The Main Altar of St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque, Iowa, containing the remains of Saint Cessianus - an eight year old boy martyred during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Dubuque is a city in the US State of Iowa, located along the Mississippi River. Saint Cessianus was a Roman Catholic Saint and Martyr. At the age of eight he was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus ( ca. December 22 244 The modern historian Timothy Barnes takes December 22 as his birthdate

The transmissibility of this potency, this virtus, is still reflected in the Roman Catholic classifications of relics in degrees, as mentioned above. By transmission, the "virtus" might be transmitted to the city. When St Martin died, November 8, 397, at a village halfway between Tours and Poitiers, the inhabitants of these cities were well ready to fight for his body, which the people of Tours managed to secure by stealth. Saint Martin of Tours (Martinus (316/317 Savaria, Pannonia &ndash November 8, 317, Candes, Gaul; buried November Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Events By Place Asia The Xiongnu occupy the Gansu area in China. The story of the purloining of St. Nicholas of Myra is another example. Saint Nicholas (Άγιος Νικόλαος, Agios Nikolaos, "victory of the people" is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a Christian Saint The Image of Edessa was reputed to render that city impregnable.

• Ernest Brehaut, in his introduction to Gregory of Tours, analyzes the 6th-century meanings of sanctus and virtus

Roman Catholic classification and prohibitions

The Chains of Saint Peter, preserved in San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, a second-class relic. For other churches of this dedication see St Peter ad Vincula (disambiguation. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2

Saint Jerome declared, "We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore him whose martyrs they are" (Ad Riparium, i, P. L. , XXII, 907).

First-Class Relics 

Items directly associated with the events of Christ's life (manger, cross, etc. ), or the physical remains of a saint (a bone, a hair, a limb, etc. ). Traditionally, a martyr's relics are often more prized than the relics of other saints. Also, some saints' relics are known for their extraordinary incorruptibility and so would have high regard. It is important to note that parts of the saint that were significant to that saint's life are more prized relics. For instance, King St. Stephen of Hungary's right forearm is especially important because of his status as a ruler. A famous theologian's head may be his most important relic. (The head of St. Thomas Aquinas was removed by the monks at the Cistercian abbey at Fossanova where he died). Logically, if a saint did a lot of travelling then the bones of his feet may be prized. Current Catholic teaching prohibits relics to be divided up into small, unrecognizable parts if they are to be used in liturgy (i. e, as in an altar; see the rubrics listed in Rite Of Dedication of a Church and an Altar).

Second-Class Relics 

An item that the saint wore (a sock, a shirt, a glove, etc. ) Also included is an item that the saint owned or frequently used, for example, a crucifix, book etc. Again, an item more important in the saint's life is thus a more important relic.

Third-Class Relics 

Any object that is touched to a first class relic. ^[3]

The sale of relics is strictly forbidden by the Church. The Code of Canon Law states:^[4]

§1190 §1 - "It is absolutely forbidden to sell sacred relics. Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches "

§1190 §2 - "Relics of great significance and other relics honored with great reverence by the people cannot be alienated validly in any manner or transferred permanently without the permission of the Apostolic See. "

Importance of Relics in Medieval Christianity

Since the beginning of Christianity, individuals have seen relics as a way to come closer to a person who was deemed divine and thus form a closer bond with God. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Since Christians during the Middle Ages often took pilgrimages to shrines of holy people, relics became a large business. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance A shrine, from the Latin scrinium (‘box’ also used as a desk like the French bureau) was originally a container usually made of precious materials used A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity The pilgrims saw the purchasing of a relic as a means to bring the shrine back with him or her upon returning home in a small way, since during the Middle Ages the concept of physical proximity to the “holy” (tombs of saints or their personal objects) was considered extremely important. Instead of having to travel hundreds of miles to become near to a venerated saint, one could venerate the relics of the saint within his or her own home. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity

Pre-Christian relics

At Athens the supposed remains of Oedipus and Theseus enjoyed an honor that is very difficult to distinguish from a religious cult, while Plutarch gives accounts of the translation of the bodies of Demetrius (Demetrius iii) and Phocion (Phocion xxxvii) which in many details anticipate Christian practice. Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Demetrius (from Greek &mdash Δημήτριος male form of Demeter) is the name of several notable people from Classical antiquity and Phocion (in Greek Φωκίων, also called Phokion, c402 - c318 BC nicknamed The Good) was an Athenian Statesman and The bones or ashes of Aesculapius at Epidaurus, and of Perdiccas I at Macedon were treated with the deepest veneration, as were those of the Persian Zoroaster, according to the Chronicon Paschale (Dindorf, p. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine Epidaurus (Ἐπίδαυρος Epidavros) was a small city ( Polis) in ancient Greece, at the Saronic Gulf. Perdiccas I ( Greek: Περδίκκας) was king of Macedon from about 700 BC to about 678 BC Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت Chronicon Paschale ("the Paschal Chronicle, also Chronicum Alexandrinum or Constantinopolitanum, or Fasti Siculi) is the conventional name 67). However; there is no tradition in Zoroastrianism or its scriptures to support this postulation. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings

Muslim relics

Footprint of the prophet Muhammad, preserved in the türbe (funerary mausoleum) in Eyüp, Istanbul. In Religion, a prophet (or prophetess) is a person who has encountered the Supernatural or the divine and serves as an intermediary IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Türbe is the Turkish word for " Tomb " and for the characteristic Mausoleums often relatively small of Ottoman royalty History Although this area lies outside the city walls, there was always a village here as the two streams provided plenty of fresh water and in the Byzantine period Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey

While various relics are preserved by different Muslim communities, the most important are those known as The Sacred Trusts, more than 600 pieces treasured in the Privy Chamber of the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul. The Privy Chamber is part of the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, where the Sultans have used as office and also kept the Sacred Trusts. The Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı or in Ottoman: طوبكابي بالاذيis a palace in Istanbul, Turkey, which was the official and Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey

Muslims believe that these treasures include the sword and standard of Muhammad, a hair from his beard, and the staff of Moses. Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Most of the trusts can be seen in the museum, but the most important of them can only be seen during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan or Ramazan ( Arabic: رمضان Ramaḍān) is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic The Quran has been recited next to these relics uninterruptedly since they were brought to the Topkapi Palace. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran

Cultural relics

Relic is also the term for something that has survived the passage of time, especially an object or custom whose original culture has disappeared, but also an object cherished for historical or memorial value (such as a keepsake or heirloom).

References

Bibliography

• Relics, by Joan Carroll Cruz, OCDS, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc, 1984. Joan Carroll Cruz, author was born on September 10, 1932, in New Orleans, and was educated (grade school high school and college by the School Sisters The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS formerly known as the Third Secular Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and of the Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus is an ISBN 0-87973-701-8
• Reliques et sainteté dans l'espace médiéval [1]
• Brown, Peter; Cult of the Saints: Its Rise and Function in Latin Christianity; University of Chicago Press; 1982
• Vauchez, Andre; Sainthood in the Later Middle Ages; Cambridge University Press; 1997

Relics in fiction

• The Relic by Eca De Queiros, Dedalus Ltd, UK 1994. ISBN 0-94662-694-4
• The Translation of Father Torturo by Brendan Connell, Prime Books, 2005. ISBN 0-80950-043-4

See also

• Amulet
• Ancestor worship
• Animism
• Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral
• Idolatry in Christianity
• Magic and religion
• Pilgrim
• Pilgrimage
• Relics attributed to Jesus
• Totemism
• Translation (relics)
• Veneration of the dead
• List of Buddhist topics
• Relics (Pink Floyd album)

External links

• Relics article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Holy Relics
• Relics
• Franciscan Relics- National Shrine of St Francis of Assisi
• Keeping Relics in Perspective
• A Place for Relics
• The veneration of the relics of saints - from the Summa Theologiae
• An Inventory of Relics by John Calvin
• Merchandising God: The Pope Tart - Karen Stollznow
• Book:Reliques et sainteté dans l'espace médiéval [2]
• Buddhist relics
• Cultural 'saints'? Friday March 03, 2006, Arts Hub
• Sacred Relics and Imperial Ceremonies at the Great Palace of Constantinople

• Reliquiae vs Rude Chaos: the Art of Michaël Magerat