Relics I still do not understand

[dprewett]

It has been my understanding that we as Catholics were untile recently supposed to be put into cemetaries as not to distroy the body for ressurection. I know that is now ok to be cremated if you do not scatter the ashes. Thus keeping them in the same place. Why is it ok to take pieces of saints bodies and spread them all over the world in peoples houses. My father inlaw claims to posses relics which I have seen. Small pieces of fabric and from what I am told bone. Both are in tubes and very small. Can someone explain the need for relics and why this is.

 

[Thing]

The teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to the veneration of relics is summed up in a decree of the Council of Trent (Sess. XXV), which enjoins on bishops and other pastors to instruct their flocks that "the holy bodies of holy martyrs and of others now living with Christ—which bodies were the living members of Christ and ‘the temple of the Holy Ghost’ (1 Corinthians 6:19) and which are by Him to be raised to eternal life and to be glorified are to be venerated by the faithful, for through these [bodies] many benefits are bestowed by God on men,

Here

Personally I liked the nature documentary I watched about elephants visiting an elephant graveyard and correctly picking out the bones of their relatives, lifting them up in their trunks, swinging their great heads and calling out …

 

[dprewett]

Thanks, I guess I am still confused about what catholics can do with there bodies after earthly death and what seems to be ok with that of canonized catholics after death.

 

[Jermosh]

Thanks, I guess I am still confused about what catholics can do with there bodies after earthly death and what seems to be ok with that of canonized catholics after death.

Its really part of tradition out of respect for the martyrs under Rome, we used relics to have a particular piece of something holy, something from somebody who gave all to Christ. People were of a different mindset back then, taboos were totally different and most people actively participated in funerals and prepping of bodies for burial.

Its required for a consecrated alter, and the Church denounces private collections of 1st order relics. In fact, I believe the only place you can get a 1st order relic is from Roman religious order of nuns and it requires a not from the bishop.