Catholic Exchasnge Article

[burnside]

This article speaks of relics of Saints and a fragment of Our Lady’s
Robe being handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church.I was under the impression that one of the proofs of the Assumption was that there were no bones or garments left when Mary was assumed into Heaven.

catholicexchange.com/node/61874

 

[puzzleannie]

I am sure Our Lady owned more than one robe and did not take them all with her.

 

[burnside]

The book by David Hartline,"The tide is turning towards catholicism"states on page 81:-

Another point worth considering for our fundamentalist friends:
For centuries,especially in the Middle Ages,Christians collected relics of Saints.These were obtained through scrupulous and unscrupulous agents.Throughout the world,there exist pieces of bone,clothing,and other fragments related to Saints.
Yet there is one important person for whom there is no relic to be found.Catholics and Eastern Orthodox are the only Christians to believe that Mary was bodily assumed into Heaven.Belief in her bodily assumption was solemnly defined as a dogma on All Saints Day 1950 by Ven.Pius XII,and has been believed since the
apostolic age(more on this belief later).If Catholics and Orthodox
made up the idea of the Assumption,then where are her relics?One can logically deduce that the ancient Catholic belief that Mary was bodily assumed into Heaven is historically accurate.

 

[DallasCatholic]

The book by David Hartline,"The tide is turning towards catholicism"states on page 81:-

Another point worth considering for our fundamentalist friends:
For centuries,especially in the Middle Ages,Christians collected relics of Saints.These were obtained through scrupulous and unscrupulous agents.Throughout the world,there exist pieces of bone,clothing,and other fragments related to Saints.
Yet there is one important person for whom there is no relic to be found.Catholics and Eastern Orthodox are the only Christians to believe that Mary was bodily assumed into Heaven.Belief in her bodily assumption was solemnly defined as a dogma on All Saints Day 1950 by Ven.Pius XII,and has been believed since the
apostolic age(more on this belief later).If Catholics and Orthodox
made up the idea of the Assumption,then where are her relics?One can logically deduce that the ancient Catholic belief that Mary was bodily assumed into Heaven is historically accurate.

As puzzleannie mentioned, having a robe that Mary may have worn during her life (I don’t know the providence of this relic so I can’t comment on it’s authenticity) does not negate Mr. Hartline’s assertion. Most people when they make the statement (Hartline didn’t come up with this…it has been around for a long time) are referring to first class relics…ie parts of the actual body. For many ancient saints we have actual bones or pieces of the body that are venerated, none of this exists for Mary.

 

[burnside]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.I thought a relic included clothing.For example,Padre Pio’s mitten.

 

[DallasCatholic]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.I thought a relic included clothing.For example,Padre Pio’s mitten.

Something that was worn or belonged to a Saint (clothing, crucifix, rosary…etc) is a second class relic. A third class relic is something that was touched to the body of a Saint (usually a cloth) after their death or something that was touched to the shrine or reliquary of the Saint.