Posted on 09/06/2013 7:15:37 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
A relic hunter dubbed 'Indiana Bones' has lifted the lid on a macabre collection of 400-year-old jewel-encrusted skeletons unearthed in churches across Europe.
Art historian Paul Koudounaris hunted down and photographed dozens of gruesome skeletons in some of the world's most secretive religious establishments.
Incredibly, some of the skeletons, said to be the remains of early Christian martyrs, were even found hidden away in lock-ups and containers.
They are now the subject of a new book, which sheds light on the forgotten ornamented relics for the first time.
Thousands of skeletons were dug up from Roman catacombs in the 16th century and installed in towns around Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the orders of the Vatican.
They were sent to Catholic churches and religious houses to replace the relics destroyed in the wake of the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
Mistaken for the remains of early Christian martyrs, the morbid relics, known as the Catacomb Saints, became shrines reminding of the spiritual treasures of the afterlife.
They were also symbols of the Catholic Church's newly found strength in previously Protestant areas.
Each one was painstakingly decorated in thousands of pounds worth of gold, silver and gems by devoted followers before being displayed in church niches.
Some took up to five years to decorate.
They were renamed as saints, although none of them qualified for the title under the strict rules of the Catholic church which require saints to have been canonised.
But by the 19th century they had become morbid reminders of an embarrassing past and many were stripped of their honours and discarded.
Mr Koudounaris' new book, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints from the Catacombs, is the first time the skeletons have appeared in print.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Well! Would that language and attitude reflect the spirit you listen to?
What the hell does having a black representation of Christ have to do with paganism, Christianity or “whoring”? That’s called common sense.
As far as the early roots of Christianity, it makes perfect sense to borrow a little from the old religion. You Protestants wouldn’t be here if you didn’t borrow a little from our old religion.
More than you know......
Matthew 12:33-37 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Your religion is more dangerous to Christianity then Islam. Islamists will only kill the body of Christians.
In part because most protestant denominations didn't even exist 400 years ago. But the Eastern Orthodox church also venerates relics.
I’m not a Protestant and I borrow nothing from your religion.
I told you I can’t read red type! How can you make me see the errors of my ways if I can’t read what you’re saying?
OK, so what are you? Muslim?
Just highlight the text with your mouse.
White on blue as if by magic. :)
[6] Who said to them: Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [7] But they thought within themselves, saying: Because we have taken no bread. [8] And Jesus knowing it, said: Why do you think within yourselves, O ye of little faith, for that you have no bread? [9] Do you not yet understand, neither do you remember the five loaves among five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? [10] Nor the seven loaves among four thousand men, and how many baskets you took up?
[11] Why do you not understand that it was not concerning the bread I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? [12] Then they understood that he said not that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. [13] And Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi: and he asked his disciples, saying: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? [14] But they said: Some John the Baptist, and other some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. [15] Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am?
[16] Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] And Jesus answering, said to him: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. [18] And I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. [20] Then he commanded his disciples, that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
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God bless you, friend. You are are a soldier of Christ.
There’s a fine line between syncretism and abomination. When you can say your practice is pretty much identical to the vile practices of a death cult like Santa Muerte, that should be a clue as to which side of that line you’re falling on.
Pot, kettle, black.
Not sick, Biblical
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28
Yup, pretty much says it all. Obstinate even to the point of hellfire. Kind of reminds me of those who will refuse to repent even when they are given the opportunity AFTER Christ’s return.
A few minutes in some cultures
“despite the hate and persecution.”
...going in both directions.
Hmm... who is it that runs around calling people bigots all the time? Oh yeah... liberals.
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