Re: "Relics"
David Alexander (mozart1@ix.netcom.com)
Mon, Jan 30 1995 22:26:36 GMT
>Finally, I have no idea about the origins of the Catholic Church's
>practices concerning cutting fragments from bones of martyrs and saints
>and placing them in reliquaries. The most sacred relics are kept in the
>Vatican in bejeweled sealed goblets; Life magazine did a story on them a
>decade and a half ago and showed photos of them.
When I was in a monastery studying to be a priest we were taught that
the practice of relics was a holdover from the pre-Christian peoples'
beliefs and practices. Like many doctrines and practices of the Church
(this is not intended to inflame), it arose as the Church spread
throughout pagan lands. Various practices (such as venerating holy
places, the doctrine of the Great Goddess of Ephesus/Marian cult
practices (the word 'cult' is used in its technical meaning here)), were
incorporated into Christian thinking and practice and gradually became
part of the accepted norm. A classic example of this is the evolution
of the doctrine of the Trinity. 1st-century Judaic Christianity was
completely unfamiliar with this doctrine. The belief originated with
the Pauline writings, was only gradually (and with much bloodshed)
accepted throughout the Hellenistic Christian world, and was
'canonized', i.e., accepted as official doctrine, in the year 325, by
way of a majority vote of bishops. The doctrine was officially
proclaimed by a then-pagan emporer Constantine (who accepted Christian
baptism on his deathbed), and became church/state doctrine.
For me, this watering down of pure Christian doctrine only makes the
case more strongly for further guidance from God to enlighten mankind
(i.e., Muhammad, the Bab, and Baha'u'llah).
Peace, salam, shalom, whatever.
:)
--
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