Catholic/Anglican Caucus: Cardinal Burke Venerates Relic of the Head of St. Thomas More

National Catholic Register ^ | October 17, 2017 | Edward Pentin

[ebb tide]

The American cardinal says the witness to the Truth of the patron saint of politicians, who died defending the indissolubility of marriage when few others would, is “exceptionally important” today.

[Dr. Sivana]

It is no more idolatry than Mount Rushmore or Stone Mountain.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Neither am I. It is some combination of voodoo and abuse of a corpse, and is perhaps the most impossible thing to try and explain to non-Catholics.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Relics. Bones. It's a Bible thing.

"Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the body touched Elisha's bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet."

[laweeks]

It is no more idolatry than Mount Rushmore or Stone Mountain.

Well, I don't look at Mt. Rushmore or Stone Mountain as a collection of relics, nor do I pray to them. I still feel that it would be more appropriate to bury the poor guy's head rather than carrying it around and treating it like it was still worthy of reverence.

It's hard to believe that when all the prayers and attention are aimed straight at that object with the maximum of reverence, that there isn't some kind of idolatry.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Oh, lawweeks, it's even worse. Catholics even get into little tchotchkes like bits of cloth touched by saints: you know, holy hankies and such:

"God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them. Acts 19:11-12"

Still happens in our churches.

Sorry about yours.

[2harddrive]

Actually, NO. It is NOT idolatry, which is the WORSHIP of false gods or artifacts. This decapitated head is regarded with great respect and VENERATED, (revered) not worshiped, for its place in Roman Catholic history. The purpose is to inspire others to have and display the same great faith that he did, much like a Congressional Medal of Honor exhibit in a fine military museum.

[Mrs. Don-o]

#5

and

#7

[marshmallow]

An idol is something which comes between us and God. Something which separates us from God. Something to which we give our love and affection instead of giving it to God. In today's world, that's usually worship of the body, in the form of pornography or the search for the perfect body or the pleasure the body can give us. Idolatry can also be found in the form of love of material things such as money, possessions and worldly power.

This is true idolatry.

Veneration of the holy saints of God is not idolatry. On the contrary, it is an acknowledgment of the power of God to sanctify and redeem.

[ebb tide]

...perhaps the most impossible thing to try and explain to non-Catholics.

Perhaps only for a lax Catholic to explain.

[laweeks]

Kinda’ sounds like our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland where we have the shirt worn by so and so, the guitar played by so and so, the music stand used by so and so, etc., etc., ad nauseum. And the “relics” are behind glass, handled as if they were holy, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

[ebb tide]

Do you not have family photographs “behind glass”? Are they idols?

[laweeks]

Do you not have family photographs “behind glass”? Are they idols?

Only if I were remembered in their wills.

[Fido969]

My dad insisted on a Catholic funeral, and when he passed away my mom didn't want to give up his ashes. However, the Catholic church required he be interred right after the funeral to preserve the dignity of the remains.

Meanwhile, the Church is dealing in relics, skulls, bones - even tongues!

The hypocrisy infuriates me.

[ebb tide]

I’m surprised, as Catholics, that your dad was cremated. That’s something new since VII.

[vladimir998]

“...nor do I pray to them.”

Neither do we. You’re a product of public education aren’t you?

[vladimir998]

“The hypocrisy infuriates me.”

There is no hypocrisy there.

The relics of known saints and martyrs are venerated and often displayed so that people can easily venerate them.

Your father’s remains needed to be properly entombed. If he were a known saint, a canonized saint, or a martyr, then things might be different.

We’re talking about two different categories of remains and they are treated in two different ways. That’s not hypocrisy.

[laweeks]

Neither do we. You’re a product of public education aren’t you?

No, a product of Catholic education. And even then, I always wondered about praying to "things."

[vladimir998]

“No, a product of Catholic education. And even then, I always wondered about praying to “things.””

So you always wondered about something that none of us does? We venerate the relic. We don’t pray to it.

In his Letter to Riparius, St. Jerome (d. 420 AD) wrote in defense of relics, saying, “We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than to the Creator, but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order the better to adore Him whose martyrs they are.” https://aleteia.org/2016/08/01/4-quick-facts-about-the-veneration-of-relics/

https://www.catholic.com/tract/relics

The fact that you actually think venerating relics includes praying to them (when it doesn’t) makes me doubt that you have a Catholic education despite your claim to it.

Perhaps you’re confusing venerating the saint (which would include prayers of petition for intercession for instance) with veneration of their relics which includes no prayers to the relics at all. It’s the information age. There’s no reason to make mistakes like that as an adult. Try harder.