The Veneration of Relics in Catholic Faith

Scriptural Foundations, Patristic Witness, and Ecclesial Discipline

I. Scriptural Foundations for the Veneration of Relics

The Catholic practice of venerating relics is firmly grounded in Sacred Scripture, both in the Old and New Testaments. The biblical witness demonstrates that God chooses to work through material realities associated with His holy servants, thereby sanctifying matter and revealing His power through it.

1. Relics in the Old Testament

Exodus 13:19

“Moses took Joseph’s bones with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.’”

This passage illustrates Israel’s reverence for the bodily remains of the righteous. Joseph’s bones were treated not as mere remains, but as sacred signs of God’s covenant and promise.

2 Kings (4 Kings) 13:20–21

“Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, behold, a raiding band was seen, and the man was thrown into the grave of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet.”

Here, God works a miraculous resurrection through the bones of a prophet, demonstrating that divine power may remain operative through the bodily remains of His servants even after death.

2. Relics in the New Testament

Matthew 9:20–22

“A woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His garment… Jesus turned and said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And instantly the woman was healed.”

The healing power associated with Christ’s garment affirms that physical contact with sacred objects, when joined to faith, can be an instrument of divine grace.

Acts 19:11–12

“God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.”

This passage explicitly demonstrates the apostolic Church’s recognition that objects associated with holy persons could become channels of God’s healing power.

II. The Witness of the Early Church Fathers

The earliest Christians understood relics in continuity with biblical faith and rejected any notion of idolatry. Instead, they articulated a clear distinction between adoration (latria) owed to God alone and veneration (dulia) given to saints.

1. Saint Augustine (A.D. 354–430)

In The City of God, Saint Augustine affirms the dignity of the human body, especially that of the saints:

“If a father’s coat or ring is cherished by his children out of love, how much more should the body itself be honored, which is far more intimately united to the person than any garment. These bodies belong to human nature itself and are not to be despised.”

Augustine grounds relic veneration in Christian anthropology, emphasizing the unity of body and soul.

2. Saint Jerome (c. A.D. 340–420)

In Ad Riparium, Jerome carefully clarifies Catholic belief:

“We do not adore the relics of the martyrs with the worship of latria… but we honor them so that we may glorify Him whose witnesses they are. We honor the servants so that the honor shown to them may be reflected upon their Master.”

Jerome explicitly rejects pagan worship of the dead and affirms that honoring relics ultimately honors Christ Himself.

3. Saint John of Damascus (c. A.D. 676–754)

In Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Saint John of Damascus offers one of the most profound theological explanations of relic veneration:

“The bodies of the saints are living temples of God. God dwelt in them and walked among them… Though they have fallen asleep, they are not dead. From them flow healings, miracles, and blessings by the will of God.”

He further explains that death, for the saints, is a sleep in hope of the resurrection, not a separation from divine power.

III. Theological Foundations: Body, Soul, and Resurrection

Catholic theology affirms that:

The body and soul remain forever connected, even after death.
The bodies of the righteous will be raised and glorified at the resurrection.
The saints, living in God, continue to intercede for the Church.

Because the human body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19), it deserves reverence, especially when sanctified by heroic virtue and divine grace.

As Saint John of Damascus observes, if God could bring water from a rock in the desert or from the jawbone of a donkey, it is not unreasonable that He should work miracles through the relics of His saints.

IV. Classes of Relics in Catholic Tradition

First-Class Relics

Physical remains of a saint (e.g., bone, hair, blood)
Instruments of Christ’s Passion

Second-Class Relics

Objects personally used or owned by a saint
Instruments of martyrdom

Third-Class Relics

Objects that have been touched to a first- or second-class relic
(These may be created by the faithful, including by touching objects to a saint’s tomb.)

V. Placement and Care of Relics

Relics are ordinarily preserved:

Within the altar (in a sealed sepulchre)
In a reliquary, often crafted in symbolic forms such as arms, heads, crosses, or caskets

Reliquaries serve both devotional and catechetical purposes, reminding the faithful of the sanctity of the human body and the communion of saints.

VI. Canonical Norms Regarding Relics

Canon Law 1190

1. It is absolutely forbidden to sell sacred relics.
2. Relics held in great veneration may not be transferred permanently without the permission of the Apostolic See.

The Church strictly condemns simony, the buying or selling of sacred things for profit.

In rare cases, relics may be purchased only to prevent desecration, and never for personal gain. Such actions must be undertaken prudently, avoiding auctions or practices that encourage commercial exploitation.

Legitimate relics are obtained only through official Church channels, such as:

Religious orders
Shrines
The Vicariate of Rome

Any donation requested is solely to cover costs associated with authentication and containment, never for profit.

Places Where First-Class Relics May Be Venerated

AUSTRIA

Vienna

Relic: The Lance of Saint Longinus (the lance used by the Roman soldier to pierce the side of Christ)
Location: Hofburg Treasury (Schatzkammer), Vienna
Note: The shaft of the lance is preserved at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome.
Relic: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Location: Convent of Saint Elizabeth, Vienna
Description: The saint’s skull is preserved here, crowned with the royal crown she wore during her lifetime.

BELGIUM

Brussels

Relic: Saint Boniface of Brussels, Bishop of Lausanne
Location: Church of Notre-Dame de la Chapelle, Brussels

Gheel (Province of Antwerp)

Relic: Saint Dymphna
Location: Church of Saint Dymphna, Gheel

CANADA

Midland, Ontario

Relics: Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions (Canadian Martyrs)
Location: Martyrs’ Shrine, Highway 12, Midland

Quebec

Relic: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
Location: Saint Francis-Xavier Mission Church, Kahnawake
Relic: Saint Anne
Location: Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Quebec
Note: The majority of Saint Anne’s relics are preserved in Apt, Provence, France.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Prague

Relics: Saint Wenceslaus; Saint Vitus
Location: Saint Vitus Cathedral, Prague
Relic: Saint Ludmila
Location: Basilica of Saint George, Prague

Note:

Also of historical interest is the Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice) in Kutná Hora. While not a shrine to canonized saints, it reflects medieval Christian burial practices and devotion to the dead.

ECUADOR

Quito

Relic: Venerable Mother Mariana de Jesús Torres (incorrupt)
Devotion: Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Good Success
Location: Convent of the Immaculate Conception, Quito
Note: Public veneration of the image is permitted during specific liturgical seasons.

EGYPT

Alexandria

Relic: Saint Mark the Evangelist
Location: Saint Mark’s Church, Alexandria
Note: A cenotaph is also maintained at Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy.

ENGLAND

London

Relic: Saint Edward the Confessor (incorrupt)
Location: Westminster Abbey
Relic: Saint John Southworth
Location: Westminster Cathedral
Relics: Saints Thomas More and John Fisher
Location: Church of Saint Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London

Durham

Relic: The Venerable Bede
Location: Galilee Chapel, Durham Cathedral

FRANCE

Ars

Relic: Saint John Mary Vianney (incorrupt)
Location: Basilica of Ars

Lisieux

Relic: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Location: Carmelite Convent Chapel

Nevers

Relic: Saint Bernadette Soubirous (incorrupt)
Location: Convent of Saint Gildard

Paris

Relics: Crown of Thorns; fragment of the True Cross
Location: Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris
Relic: Saint Catherine Labouré (incorrupt)
Location: Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Rue du Bac

Toulouse

Relic: Saint Thomas Aquinas
Location: Basilica of Saint Sernin

GERMANY

Cologne

Relics: The Three Magi
Location: Cologne Cathedral
Relic: Saint Albert the Great
Location: Church of Saint Andreas

Trier

Relic: The Tunic of Christ
Location: Cathedral of Saint Peter

HUNGARY

Budapest

Relic: Right Hand of King Saint Stephen (the “Holy Right”)
Location: Saint Stephen’s Basilica

INDIA

Chennai

Relic: Saint Thomas the Apostle
Location: Santhome Cathedral Basilica

Goa

Relic: Saint Francis Xavier (incorrupt)
Location: Basilica of Bom Jesus

IRELAND

Dublin

Relic: Saint Valentine
Location: Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church

Downpatrick (Northern Ireland)

Relics: Saints Patrick, Brigid, and Columba
Location: Down Cathedral

ITALY (Selected Highlights)

Rome

Relics of the Passion: Titulus Crucis, nails, thorns, True Cross fragments
Location: Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
Relic: Saint Peter the Apostle and numerous Popes
Location: Saint Peter’s Basilica
Relics: Saints Agnes, Cecilia, Lawrence, Paul, Sebastian, Monica, Ignatius of Loyola
Locations: Various major basilicas throughout Rome

Assisi

Relics: Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi
Locations: Basilica of Saint Francis; Basilica of Santa Chiara

Turin

Relic: The Holy Shroud
Location: Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

SPAIN

Santiago de Compostela

Relic: Saint James the Greater, Apostle
Location: Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Ávila

Relic: Saint Teresa of Ávila (incorrupt)
Location: Convent of Saint Teresa

UNITED STATES

Chicago, Illinois

Relics: Over 2,000 relics, including Apostles and Doctors of the Church
Location: Saint John Cantius Parish

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Relics: Extensive relic collection
Location: Saint Anthony’s Chapel (Troy Hill)

Emmitsburg, Maryland

Relic: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Location: Seton Shrine

Pages

Mar 10, 2014

The Relics