Posted on 12/03/2013 6:11:20 AM PST by marshmallow
What sort of religion keeps dead people’s bones, puts them on display, and expects people to kiss them? Catholicism - and it's awesome.
What sort of religion keeps dead people’s bones, puts them on display, and expects people to kiss them? This weekend’s news reminds the world that the veneration of relics is still very much part of the Catholic faith. As a fitting climax to the Year of Faith, Pope Francis put on display for the first time the bones of St. Peter, the first Pope.
The news headlines focused on the sensational, and many journalists asked the obvious questions, often missing the point and skimming over the facts to report superficially. There are some excellent questions that arise from the reports of St. Peter’s bones being produced: What are relics and why are they important to Catholics? Why do Catholics kiss the bones of dead people? Are Catholics really so gullible as to believe in the authenticity of relics (we know they’re fake, right)? Could those bone fragments really be the remains of Peter the Apostle?
A relic is anything associated with a person who has been canonized as a saint or beatified as blessed. There are three categories of relics: a first class relic is some part of the person’s mortal remains. The relic could be a fragment of bone, hair, skin, or blood. The relic is taken when the body of the saint is exhumed as part of the canonization process.
A second class relic is some object or part of an object which was regularly used or worn by the saint during their earthly life. There are many second class relics. These might include the saint’s belongings, clothing, furniture or a part of these things. Second class relics of Pope John Paul II, for example, include.......
(Excerpt) Read more at aleteia.org ...
I’m rooting for the Catholics!
You are welcome to come to the Catholic Church anytime. Try to find a conservative one. Thank you for your concern, but obviously as one who looked for Jesus in the Methodist Church for 17 years and found Him not, I have no need of Protestantism. I found Jesus living in the Catholic Church.
Not a chance.
I’ve been set free. I will not submit to the bondage of a works based salvation ever again.
Good luck with that.
I’m trusting in Jesus.
I've been to more Roman Catholic houses of worship than I care to remember.
The musty smell of idolatry keeps me away.
Bones to the left
Bones to the right
Kneel down, kiss them
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Sorry, couldn't help myself........thought we needed some kind of football cheer........
I am with you there. I really wish that my Church would get out of this relic business. It’s not relevant to the Gospels or our mission, and only serves to convince fellow Christians and others that we’re a weird, creepy cult.
No thank you for that.
Peter was the first Pope who presided at the Council of Jerusalem.
To whom did Jesus give the Keys of the Kingdom after Peter repented three times. Think about it.
Yup. OK. I can agree with you on that one.
It's not much different than the excesses of the word of faith movement and the getting slain in the spirit nonsense does to the non-Catholic church.
Not Elijah as he actually was taken up into heaven. Try Elisha's, that is in the Bible.
Wrong. James does. It's written in there clearly.
oops.
Thank you for your concern, but obviously as one who looked for Jesus in the Methodist Church for 17 years and found Him not, I have no need of Protestantism.
You tried one liberal denomination and gave up?
As I said (and you conveniently left off the comment) I found Jesus living in the Catholic Church. Why go astray?
Beat me to it!
There is only ONE “holy father”, His name is Jehovah. To call anyone else your holy father is blasphemy.
Matthew 23:9 KJV
“And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”
Neither Jesus or Mary was 'assumed' into heaven. Jesus ascended into heaven, and Mary's body remained in the ground. Scripture accounts for Enoch and Elijah's being taken up into heaven. It also accounts for Christ's ascension into heaven, yet is silent on anyone else.
To be Catholic is to know Jesus.
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