What is relative adoration?

[savedbychrist]

This Good Friday I have been troubled with the “Adoration of the Cross”. Upon searching I got the idea that we indeed adore or worship the Cross, but such worship is directed to God at last. I’m still a bit confused about these concepts. Can someone clarify on:

1. What does relative adoration actually mean? I’ve seen a source that says it’s “adoration through the mediation of a supposit”, but I have no idea what supposit means, and as I search further more theological terms come up that I don’t understand.
2. In relative adoration, do we adore the object (e.g. the Crucifix) and such adoration is passed onto God (i.e. the object receives adoration, but it does not end here and it passes further to God); or do we make use of the object to adore God (i.e. the object receives no adoration at all in the whole process)?

It seems rather troubling to me, since from my understanding, all latria (adoration), whether absolute or relative, is reserved for God alone. Even we adore the Cross only because it’s the sign of Jesus’ passion and there is absolutely no intention for wood-worship or idolatry, it still doesn’t feel right that we are adoring something else than God.

 

[Vico]

This Good Friday I have been troubled with the “Adoration of the Cross”. Upon searching I got the idea that we indeed adore or worship the Cross, but such worship is directed to God at last. I’m still a bit confused about these concepts. Can someone clarify on:

1. What does relative adoration actually mean? I’ve seen a source that says it’s “adoration through the mediation of a supposit”, but I have no idea what supposit means, and as I search further more theological terms come up that I don’t understand.
2. In relative adoration, do we adore the object (e.g. the Crucifix) and such adoration is passed onto God (i.e. the object receives adoration, but it does not end here and it passes further to God); or do we make use of the object to adore God (i.e. the object receives no adoration at all in the whole process)?

It seems rather troubling to me, since from my understanding, all latria (adoration), whether absolute or relative, is reserved for God alone. Even we adore the Cross only because it’s the sign of Jesus’ passion and there is absolutely no intention for wood-worship or idolatry, it still doesn’t feel right that we are adoring something else than God.

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Iconoclasm

… As defined by II Nicaea, these images may be lawfully displayed and venerated. The respect shown them really is given to the person they represent. …

 

[Zaccheus]

from my understanding, all latria (adoration), whether absolute or relative, is reserved for God alone

Modern Catholic Dictionary, Iconoclasm

… As defined by II Nicaea, these images may be lawfully displayed and venerated. The respect shown them really is given to the person they represent. …

Just so. We worship God alone. Objects like a crucifix help us focus our thoughts but that’s all.

 

[porthos11]

We not only worship the Cross but we worship it with the adoration of latria, the worship due to God alone. Relative latria is the key. Insofar as the Cross is an image of Christ our worship passes to its prototype. It is impossible for the Cross to receive worship as it is not a rational being.

Your best reference is the Summa III.25.3 and III.25.4. In III.25.3 “I answer that”, St Thomas explains the difference between the mind’s movement toward the image as a thing in itself or as in image of something. It is the latter movement we engage in because the movement of the mind towards the image as an image is the same movement as towards the person represented.