One of our local parishes has a Crypt of the Saints, one man's [amazing] private collection he donated for public viewing. To be in the same room with hundreds upon hundreds of relics of Roman Catholic saints, was overwhelmingly cool.
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 ...
No, they were called 'catholic' according to the forged writings of Ignatius...
But let's see, Ignatius says catholics...Apostle Paul says Christians...Which one??? Which one do I chose???
According to someone, catholic means universal...Your religion added the capital C...
Antioch is the first place followers were called universal??? I think not...
Yes, because any documents that show that the early Christians were actually Catholic must have been forged! I am sorry if history does not support your views.
To know Jesus is to be BOTH Christian and Catholic.
Nice try but we all have access to the supposed writings of Ignatius and his word was 'catholic', not, Catholic...To turn catholic into a specific denomination as your religion has done is nothing less than deceitfull...
You can't become a Christian by someone dropping water on you...It's a change of heart...It is trusting Jesus for your future...People are not Christians just because they are Catholic according to God in the scriptures...
To be a follower of Christ is to be a Christian.
To belong to the Catholic church is to be Catholic.
The two are not synonymous terms.
Christian ≠ Catholic.
Catholic ≠ Christian.
Follower of Christ = Christian. Some of whom may belong to the RCC.
......And one can be BOTH a Christian and a Catholic.
.....Yet the Caholic Church is part of the giant family tree called the Christian faith.
Yeah. That’s possible.
But being a Christian does not by default mean being a Catholic.
And being a Catholic does not by default mean being a Christian.
They are not mutually exclusive, nor are they synonymous.
Let’s agree to disagree.
Catholicism does not own Christianity.
I follow Jesus not man or organizations and will not accept man assigned labels.
I personally don’t care what someone calls themselves, but if they are going to try to impose their beliefs on other such as saying that everyone who is baptized is by default a Catholic, then I will speak up.
You infallible? LOL! You post mistakes a lot, and they get corrected by Catholics!
One of our local parishes has a Crypt of the Saints, one man's [amazing] private collection he donated for public viewing. To be in the same room with hundreds upon hundreds of relics of Roman Catholic saints, was overwhelmingly cool.
**Try Elisha’s**
Correct. And the bones were where they belonged......in a tomb. And the people that lowered the dead man in the tomb were hiding a body, not looking for a miracle. It was the last miracle to complete the ‘double portion’ that Elisha requested.
The RCC is as much a showtime religion with their relics as some of these megachurches are with their big screens and rockin music. That reminds me of something my dad used to say about playing pool, “If you can’t shoot good, shoot hard.” Meaning, some people will think you’re good because you put on a fast (with the cue), loud (balls crashing all over the table) show.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
“Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;
this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum
Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”
Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?
What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.
And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”
As a result of this, many (of) his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of you a devil?”
He was referring to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he who would betray him, one of the Twelve.” [John 6: 49-71]
Scripture doesn’t get any simpler than that...If you don’t get that scripture, I don’t know what to tell you...
“Awesome” is exactly right. Holding the casket and remains of one of the apostles? I don’t care what you believe, if you don’t feel a little awe at the thought that that’s a possibility, check your pulse.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.