Worshiping phisical remains of saints = idolatry?
By Khayam
@Khayam (346)
Romania
November 20, 2008 4:22pm CST
Most of the Catholic and Ortodox Churches have a reliquary, a container for relics (most of the times, phisical remains of saints, pieces of clothing, or other objects associated with holy figures) that functions as a shrine.
Many of these reliquaries or philatories (transparent reliquaries designed to contain and exibit the bones of saints) are often being exibited in public and carried in procession on the saint's feast day or in other holly days. The faitful often venerate these relics, by bowing before the reliquary and kissing it. Although, the Second Council of Nicaea establishes a clear differentiation between the veneration of relics and the worship that is due to God alone, the attitude of the believers, the text of the prayers, the processions might be perceived as idolatry.
What is your oppinion on this issue?
P.S. I'll be away from home for 2-3 days, but i can't wait to read your comments
2 responses
@remrick (202)
• Philippines
22 Nov 08
I've read some stuff about the differentiation between veneration for the saints and mary and adoration for God... There are different Latin terms applied to both cases... However, my opinion is that there's really no difference between the two... I mean, if you bow down and kneel before an image or a physical object, which is essentially what an idol is, you're already attributing aspects of the deity to that physical object by your actions... we can't really make a distinction, and the Bible makes no such distinction, too... In the ten commandments, God says you shall not create for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven or on earth; you shall not bow down to them or worship them... and besides, why "venerate" physical objects? why should they be venerated when they're just physical objects? even if they belonged to saints or are representations of them, what is the point of "venerating" them?
@nimnim74 (250)
• Philippines
20 Nov 08
It's not really worshiping the relics, the relics just represents or just like a picture of who he symbolizes. Like for example if you love your girlfriend sometimes you tend to look at her picture and kiss it, it's just the same you are loving your girlfriend in the picture not really the photo. And it is not the most important part if you see the relic the important is you have faith that God really exist with or without the relics. that's only my opinion as what I know in the teachings of our church.
