Not Just Old Bones

The reaction to the arrival of the relics of St. Therese of Liseux in England has been very mixed within the media and society. The liberal-secularist media elite has been aghast at the idea of the thousands of people taking time to see some "old bones". The Times' Matthew Parris called for his fellow atheists to take to the streets to fight these "nutters". The Guardian's Simon Jenkins compared Catholic veneration of relics to shamanism or elephant worship and a Barnsley councillor twittered his distaste for "slobbering zealots". There has also been criticism from Protestants with protests at York Minster against idolatry. Even within the Catholic community some unease has been expressed at the perceived arcane and medieval practice of venerating the mortal remains of a Saint.

Many of the attacks fail to understand truly the veneration of relics. Veneration of relics is a natural human instinct. One only has to visit Red Square and view the body of Lenin or search eBay for a pen used by Ronald Reagan or a napkin used by Elvis Presley to acknowledge that we honour the possessions and bodies of those we love or respect and who have died . Even looking at the gravestones in a cemetery displays this point.

The Christian veneration of relics has biblical foundation. Miracles were worked through both the cloak of Elijah and the bones of Elisha. In Acts we see people healed by coming into contact with handkerchiefs touched by St. Paul. We also of course see a woman healed by touching the hem of Christ's cloak.

The early Church also treasured and venerated the remains of the early martyrs. After the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, the Smyrnaeans collected his bones, which they regarded as "more valuable than precious stones or refined gold", and laid them in a suitable place that they might venerate them. The importance of relics was emphasised by the second Council of Nicaea in 787, which declared that no church should be consecrated without relics being placed in the altar stone. Whilst miracles may be attached to relics they are not magic or Juju. As St. Jerome points out: "We do not worship, we do not adore, for fear that we should bow down to the creature rather than the creator but we venerate the relics of the martyrs in order to better adore Him, whose martyrs they are."

Relics help the believer to pray with faith and confidence because of their physicality. We can see, touch and kiss "the burnt-out remains of love for God". It is through this faith that God works miracles not because the objects are lucky charms or magic. We are brought closer to a holy person and this brings us closer to God.At Cologne in 2005 Pope Benedict summed up the part relics play in the life of the Church: "By inviting us to venerate the mortal remains of the martyrs and saints, the Church does not forget that, in the end, these are indeed just human bones, but they are bones that belonged to individuals touched by the transcendent power of God. The relics of the saints are traces of that invisible but real presence which sheds light upon the shadows of the world and reveals the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst. They cry out with us and for us ‘Maranatha!’ – ‘Come Lord Jesus!’”

The Dominican Friars will be leading Compline at the Oxford Oratory in the presence of St. Therese's relics on the 7th of October at 11:45. For more information click here.