How can someone know a "relic" is really a relic?

[Guest1]

Anyone?

Say a local Church claims to hold the blood of a saint.

How can one know it really is their blood?

Thanks.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Relics provided to churches generally come from the Vatican with a certificate of authenticity. There are officials at the Vatican who make sure the relics are the real thing.

If you just get some relic from another source with no certificate, then it might be real or might not be real.

 

[1ke]

Anyone?

Say a local Church claims to hold the blood of a saint.

How can one know it really is their blood?

In general, the more modern relics come with provenance. And some of the ancient relics do also, since some saints were venerated right away upon their death.

Some of the older relics— not so much. You can choose to venerate them or not.