VATICAN CORNER
In Christianity, the mortal remains of deceased saints are associated with the holiness of their souls which await reunion with their bodies in the resurrection; therefore those mortal remains should receive special care and veneration (deep respect). The word relic comes from the Latin relinquo, literally meaning I leave, or I abandon. A sacred relic is a piece of the body of a saint, an item owned or used by the saint, or an object which has been touched to the tomb of the saint. There are three classes of relics. The first-class is a part of the saint’s body. The second-class is a piece of the saints clothing or something used by him, while the third-class is an object which has been touched to a first-class relic. According to church rules, a church altar should possess within it a first-class relic of one of the saints. On December 16, 2017, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints updated its rules governing the use of relics of saints and sainthood candidates, issuing new guidelines that govern how body parts and cremated remains are to be obtained, transferred and protected for eventual veneration. The Code of Canon Law reads it is absolutely forbidden to sell sacred relics and they cannot be transferred permanently without the permission of the Apostolic See. The new instructions explicitly rule out selling of human remains of Catholic Saints like hair strands, hands, teeth and other body parts of saints which are sometimes for sale for high prices in online auctions like eBay. The new instructions also prohibit the use of relics in sacrilegious rituals and warn that the Church may have to obtain consent from surviving family members before unearthing the remains of candidates for sainthood. One current legal case prompted the new warning. There is a legal battle over the remains of Fulton Sheen, the American archbishop known for his revolutionary radio and television preaching in the 1950s and 1960s. Sheen’s niece went to court to force the archdiocese of New York to transfer Sheen’s body from under the altar of St. Patrick’s Cathedral to Peoria, Illinois, where Sheen was born, ordained a priest and where his sainthood cause has been launched. The new guidelines allows for cremated remains to be used as relics, and also make clear that bishops must agree in writing to any transfer of the remains, and calls for absolute secrecy when a body is unearthed and a relic taken for eventual veneration. The relics of the saints and their veneration is just another treasure Jesus Christ has given the Church. Relics summon us to appreciate the heroic men and woman, boys and girls, who have served God so selflessly and generously, and to appreciate the love and mercy of the Almighty who called these saints to the bliss of unending life in His eternal kingdom.
Sources: catholiceduca!on.org, catholicnewsagency.com, time.com, dailymail.co.uk, the local.it