Associated Press
VATICAN CITY – Roman Catholic officials reminded the faithful Monday it is sacrilegious to buy or sell religious relics, after news reports and a church Web site suggested fans of Pope John Paul II could get a piece of his white cassock by making an online donation.
For several weeks, the diocese of Rome has been offering the chance to order a relic of the late pontiff from the Web site dedicated to his cause for beatification. Users click on the initiative and an e-mail is sent to the diocese requesting a piece of the late pope’s cassock.
No money is exchanged. But next to the relic initiative, users can click on “Freewill offering for the cause,” which provides a host of bank transfer coordinates or credit card instructions for those who want to make a donation for the beatification effort.
On Monday, the diocese of Rome reissued an interview with Monsignor Marco Frisina, director of the diocese’s liturgy office, in which he said it was sacrilegious to buy or sell relics.
“You can absolutely never buy or sell relics of any type because they are something sacred, they don’t have a price,” he said. “The problem of the sale of relics is very diffuse on the Internet, and let me say this is a sacrilege.”
Diocesan officials said they reproduced the interview, which originally appeared in the official magazine of John Paul’s beatification cause “Totus Tuus,” after Italian media reports suggested the faithful could buy parts of John Paul’s white cassock online.
Private television Mediaset, for example, headlined its Monday story “Wojtyla’s clothes sold on the Web,” following the Italian media practice of referring to John Paul by his given name, Karol Wojtyla.
The interpretation that cassock pieces were for sale may have arisen from a banner running along the campaign’s Web site from the cleric spearheading the beatification cause, Monsignor Slawomir Oder, which linked the distribution of the relics to cash donations.
“I would like to cordially thank you for the generous donation you have made to support the cause of beatification and canonization for the Servant of God John Paul II and I apologize in advance for the delay in sending out the relics,” Oder wrote.
The banner, which ran on the site early Monday, was no longer active later in the day.
John Paul died April 2, 2005, after a nearly 27-year pontificate. Less than two months later, Pope Benedict XVI waived the traditional five-year waiting period and allowed the beatification cause to begin, responding to the chants of “sainthood immediately” that erupted during John Paul’s funeral.
The diocese of Rome, which carried out the primary investigation into John Paul’s life and virtues, handed its dossier to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints on the second anniversary of John Paul’s death.
It is now up to the Vatican to decide whether to recommend to Benedict that John Paul be beatified, the last major step before possible sainthood. The Vatican already is studying a possible miracle needed for beatification: the inexplicable cure of a French nun afflicted with Parkinson’s disease.
The cult surrounding relics dates to the earliest years of Christianity, with relics representing a physical memory of the deceased.
The church has two classifications: corporeal relics, or parts of the body, and non-corporeal relics, which are items that were in contact with the deceased’s body, such as a robe. Corporeal relics can be venerated publicly only for someone who has been beatified, but the faithful may pray to non-corporeal relics for a person being considered for beatification.
On the Web:
John Paul’s beatification cause: http://www.vicariatusurbis.org
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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posted September 24, 2007 at 6:24 pm
I’m sorry…but praying to anybody or anything other than God for anything and everything to me is both pagan and heresy, especially inanimate objects. What makes these things holy, anyways? They are mere objects that fade from time…where did Paul or Jesus teach about this in the Bible? Don’t tell me it is a tradition…this is paganism dressed as “Christian” tradition.
posted September 24, 2007 at 10:52 pm
Surely the RCC doesn’t want to have even the appearance of selling those relics, which is seriously against their principles. So the only thing to do is take down the offering windows, return what’s already come in and give pieces of his clothes to anyone who asks.
After all, WWJD?
posted September 24, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Well, Nnmns, to be fair, from the sound of it it’s not even a kind of PBS, “give a donation of $10 and get a free relic!” sort of thing; it’s more of a “take for free, but here’s a suggested donation” thing. But you’re right, it does seem a little too close, they should try to change that image before someone starts nailing something to a door. (…Just curious how many pieces of the thing are for sale, though…I mean, giving away something that may have divine powers seems a bit tacky, if they really think it could do miracles, it seems better for a church…but still, having a piece would be an interesting talking point.)
God bless.
posted September 24, 2007 at 11:36 pm
The article is written poorly. Catholics do not pray to relics, but they may reflect on the relic and how the person it pertains to lived their life. It’s no different than prayer in front of a cross or statue – the prayer is not to the object, but the object is a focus of reflection to set the tone for the prayer.
posted September 25, 2007 at 3:34 am
Exactly–Relics are not prayed to. They are tools used to connect one with the sacred. For instance, if I was to come into contact with a piece of clothing of a saint, I would use the opportunity to reflect upon the person’s faith and devotion and how I can be more faithful myself and devoted to God myself. Saints are considered as such upon Earth for a reason, you know?
posted September 25, 2007 at 10:01 am
Martin Luther must be having a hearty laugh! 500 years later and almost nothing seems to change. I’ve repreated this before, “History does not repeat itself, but it does often rhyme”. How long will it be before they start to sell off parts from the Popemobile or chunks of the skis he used?
posted September 25, 2007 at 10:19 am
I’ve been to Roman Catholic shrines, like St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal and St. Bonaventure’s Monastery in Detroit where the gift shop was selling bits of the habits of Frere Andre and Fr. Solanus …. how is this different? Not to mention all the places selling bottles of holy water & oil.
posted September 25, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Expresso,
Pagans honor God as well as you do, we just recognize that he/she comes in many forms. I hardly want to be compared to someone getting excited over a garment of a man who controlled the spirit of others with so many rules and regulations that they can’t think for themselves.
I am not the least impressed with who the Catholics call saints. They look at murders as great heroic people just because they killed in the name of the church. Patrick is one of the worse. He killed off the druids and their religion. That is not the kind of person I would acknowledge as great. Although they have borrowed some rather wonderful Goddess’s to be saints such as Brigid.
posted September 25, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Ruairi
At least Patrick – the posser – has been reduced to the status of an cartoon Lephrechaun. Personally I favor the saint me dear mother loved so much (tho she was a rabid Protestant Congregationalist) – Fiacra, the patron of gardeners and hemmorhoid sufferers. A little scatalogical humor goes down well with a toast to many of the saints!
posted September 26, 2007 at 9:11 am
Ruairi,
It saddens me when people assume that when others people don’t think like them they “can’t think for themselves” or their spirit has been “controlled”. There are fundamentalist Catholics, as there are fundamentalists in every religion, but not everyone with strong convictions is being “controlled”. Pope John Paul II was the successor of St. Peter, and as such was worthy of respect by all Catholics, even if they disagreed with his personal stances. He, like the amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, demonstrated heroic forgiveness when he personally forgave his would-be assassin. He valiantly fought communism in Poland and the “savage capitalism” of the west. He was a champion of peace, justice, and human life. Millions of the worlds Catholics sincerely disagreed with his stances on many issues, be he had the courage to stand up for his sincerely held beliefs.
I must say I don’t know much about the murders you say were committed by St. Patrick, or other saints. Despite the bloody and tragic history of the Church (which John Paul II specifically asked for the forgiveness of the world) I don’t remember ever reading a Catholic book that praised a Catholic saint for killing anyone. You may disagree with the beliefs of these saints, but it is simpy untrue that many, or certainly most, canonized Catholic saints were murderers of any kind.
posted September 26, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Relics wanted: Anything related to St Mathurin, my patron. He is the appointed saint for my birthday (Nov 1 – All Saints Day), as well as the patron for fools, clowns, and sailors. As such, extra large shoes (or toes), red noses (real or cosmetic), or shocking hair (any color – or all colors) accepted. Payment will be in seltzer bottles and wooden nickles. Will also consider relics from St.Genesius or Vitus (patrons of comedians).
posted September 26, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Just because I am not Christian now, doesn’t mean I didn’t grow up that way. If you question anything that you are taught, your in the wrong. If you don’t do things just their way your wrong. I call that controlling. I would rather hold my fate in my own hands than the so called leaders of most churches. Especially the more visible they are in a community.
As for the late pope:
I don’t see why following someone in their job makes them worthy of respect. It what they did after that which is important. He did do many worthy things, but he still told woman that they should have no control over their bodies. There are still probably millions of woman in poor countries listening to the leader of their faith saying that you should have babies continually even if you can’t afford to care for them.
As for Patrick, I did not mean to imply that all saints were killers, but I am sure that he wasn’t the only one who killed in the name of the church. I hate having my Irish heritage tied to him at all. I agree with Jestrfyl that it is something to have him portrayed as a cartoon,although I won’t insult the Faeries by calling him a leprechaun. However, St Pats day is the day he died, which I think is rather ironic.
posted September 30, 2007 at 11:37 am
If I am correct, weren’t relics, body parts etc. sold many centuries ago just so some folks could make money? Aren’t there still claims that some churches have a piece of the cross Jesus was crucified on? Also with the right amount of money you could buy your way into “heaven”. So selling some pieces of a robe that belonged to JP2 isn’t a new thing. I wonder when it became against the church laws. JP2 was just a man. He had a lot of power over those who felt it necessary to do as he said no matter what. Why would someone want a piece of his robes? There are those who collect articles of clothing of rock stars, football heros etc. so I guess the desire to have a holy robe piece is about the same thing. It is one way to make a buck for the church…it needs to pay the folks it wronged by covering for the abusive priests.
posted October 1, 2007 at 1:17 pm
pagansister,
There are enough pieces of the True Cross to build Noah’s Ark. If you think about it – concretely neither one would be very attractive (who would want to collect gopher wood covered with poop from animals unknown?)
posted October 1, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Pagansister mutters a common misconception, “there are enough pieces of the True Cross…” As someone once said, “The real scandal about pieces of the True Cross is that so much of it is missing.”
As says, “Think about it…” A cross large and stable enough on which to nail or hang a man is a large chunk of wood, let alone considering the crosspiece.
Where are all these pieces of the True Cross about which she mumbled? In all my 67 years, including living for two years in Africa, nearly two in SE Asia & one in Germany in addition to making several trips to Europe as a tourist, I’ve never seen a single bit of the True Cross, eager as I am to see one. A Noah’s Ark all these unseen pieces will not make. Exaggeration of Pagansister’s sort is worthy of a politician. Is she one?
posted October 1, 2007 at 10:43 pm
Since:
Most definately NOT a politician.
posted October 2, 2007 at 12:14 am
Since,
It was I, the laughing fool to your left (and almost everyone else’s too) that made the remark about the pieces of the “True Cross” and Noah’s Ark. Ya know what? Our totem is the empty cross, so why drag a bunch of splinters around? As much as I like and agree with pagansister, I would not want her to shoulder the blame for my scatalogical wit. So sharpen your barb and point it over your sinister shoulder, I’ll be there to fetch the fletching and whittle the shaft to toothpicks.