In response:
You are assuming God had anything to do with those images.
They may be satanic, for all you know.
You, apparently want to believe they are true.
There is no proof any of those “relics” are actually what they claim.
God makes it clear we are not to bow down to any but himself.
Idolatry is always wrong.
Yet Romans bow down, worship, fondle, kiss, adore, pray to, etc.
All wrong.
This made me laugh!
“these precious relics are no different than a beloved family photo album.”
Best.
Idolatry is putting something in the place of God, who/which is not God. Any such entity elevated in this way is an abomination. (e.g. Sex/drugs/rocknroll, these are modern day idols one should avoid.)
Catholics do not do that. You can claim through caricatures that Catholics do that, but it is not reality. It may even give you chuckles.
Sectarian protestantism does something very similar. It puts in the place of true religion a false man-made religion. The purpose of this man-made religion is not necessarily to foster any particular creed or belief system, as many various protestant sects do not believe in the same doctrines, and they seem to have no quarrel with each other, despite vast discrepancies. No, the purpose of many sects is to prevent souls from finding true religion. It is to prevent souls from having access to the Sacraments. The origins of every one of these sects is satan. That is, only God-founded religion is true religion, this has been true since the time of Adam. Jesus says to enter by the narrow gate, but if the soul cannot find the gate, being obscured by supposedly “christian” gatekeepers, then few if any of the benefits that Christ left His Church will be enjoyed by the faithful.
His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Living a life of perfect christian charity, living a life of virtue, being immersed in Sacramental Grace, it truly is the easiest way. It is what He wanted for us. He said He would be with us all days, even to the end. And He is, in the Tabernacle. He is our food. We commune with Him.