QUESTION and ANSWER
on the Veneration of the
Relics of True Cross

Since when do Christians venerate relics?

The veneration of relics is as old as the Christian faith.

The veneration of relics is not a question of proof or science but an act of faith. Throughout history, there has been an unbroken chain of tradition in the veneration of relics and reference can be found in both the Old and New Testaments where the Holy Scriptures fully supports the true virtue of relics and the request to honor them. (See II Kings 13:20-21, Exodus 13:19, Mark 5:25-29, Acts 5:15-16). Historically their significance differed from place to place, and from person to person. There was no class of individuals, be they theologians, kings, or peasants, for whom relics were not of the greatest importance.

We read in the Acts of the Apostles, that already in the lifetime of St. Paul, his relics worked extra-ordinary miracles: "When handkerchiefs or cloths which had touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases were cured and evil spirits departed from them." (Acts 19:11-12) Therefore we can be sure that already in Apostolic times, relics of the Apostles and, of course, of Our Lord were preserved and venerated.

Similarly we read in the  passio of St. Polycarp of Smyrna, a disciple of St. John the Evangelist who received martyrdom in 156 AD, that after his death the Christians " took up his bones which are more valuable than precious stones and finer than refined gold, and laid them in a suitable place where the Lord will permit us to gather ourselves together in gladness and joy ...". Since the passio was written only a year after his death, it also documents the customs that either the relics of the saints and martyrs were taken into the early Churches or, later, that Churches were built over the tombs of the martyrs. When Christianity spread and more Churches were built than there were martyrs, it was considered sufficient to enclose relics in the altars as symbolic martyr tombs. This tradition is still kept - in every Catholic altar, relics are enclosed.

Already in ca. 400 AD, St. Gregory of Nyssa, when he wrote about 40 martyrs who were burned on stake, stated: "Their ashes and all that the fire had spared have been distributed throughout the world so that almost every province has had its share of the blessing. I also myself have a portion of this gift and I have laid the bodies of my parents beside the relics of these soldiers (of Christ)."

Relics were venerated by Church fathers and Doctors of the Church such as St. Augustine, St. Ambrose of Milan (who, himself, searched for several local Martyr's relics), St. John Chrysostom and St. Jerome, who clearly stated:

" 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."

When the request for relics became so great, shrines -stone reliquaries- were created with a small opening on top and another on the bottom for Oil to flow through the remains of the martyr, given out to the faithful as relics. Also “brandae”, clothes which touched the relics, were venerated.

Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to the images and relics of the saints?

It is not allowed to pray to the crucifix or images and relics of the saints, for they have no life, nor power to help us, nor sense to hear us.

Why then do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints?

We pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints because they enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and desires, and by reminding us of Christ and of the saints, that we may imitate their virtues.

What veneration does the Church permit us to give to relics?

The Church permits us to give relics veneration similar to that we give images. We do not venerate the relics for their own sake, but for the sake of the persons they represent. The souls of canonized saints are certainly in heaven, and we are certain that their bodies also will be there. Therefore, we may honor their bodies because they are to be glorified in heaven and were sanctified upon earth.

What is there special about a relic of the true cross on which Our Lord Died, and also about the instruments of His Passion?

The relics of the true Cross and relics of the thorns, nails, etc., used in the Passion are entitled to a very special veneration, and they have certain privileges with regard to their use and the manner of keeping them that other relics have not.

On the Veneration of the Relics of the Passion and Cross of Christ

The origin of the Christian practice of venerating relics lies in the veneration of the martyrs, who witnessed to Christ by shedding their blood for love of him. In early Christian centuries churches were built near their bodies. Portions of the martyr’s body, often the bones, were placed under – or in – the altar as sign of Christian hope and of the communion between the living and the dead.

There is no relic of Christ’s own body. At the core of Christian faith is the affirmation that he was raised from the dead and lives at the right hand of the Father. The instruments of the Passion which touched his body became objects of veneration following Saint Helena’s search for the True Cross.

The veneration of the True Cross finds its origin in the legend of Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine, who is said have unearthed three crosses at Golgotha, and is said to have verified though a series of miracles which was the True Cross of Christ. Pilgrims returning from Jerusalem, and later from Rome, took relics with them and disseminated them in different parts of the world.

The roots of devotion to the Cross, to the instruments of the Passion, and to other objects associated with the life of Christ are long, deep and strong in the piety of the Christian people, beginning with pilgrims in Jerusalem and continuing to our own day.

So strong has the practice of the veneration of the Cross been in Christian history that it has found its way into the Liturgy of Good Friday, where all the faithful are invited to demonstrate their reverence for the Cross of the One whose wounds have healed us. The veneration of the Cross on Good Friday is an expression of our faith and hope in Christ whose Paschal Mystery we celebrate and share in most fully in the Easter celebration of the Resurrection.

The veneration of holy places and objects is meant to bring us into a deeper share in Christ’s mysteries: his life, mission, suffering, death and Resurrection. It is in the Liturgy of the Church that we see and celebrate the unity of the one Paschal Mystery of Christ: self-giving love unto death lives forever; the power of love prevails over all evil; suffering and sorrow give way to hope and joy never ending.

Saint Leo the Great reminds us: The mystery of the life of Christ has passed over into the sacramental life of the Church. Through the veneration of these relics – from the collection of the Apostolate for Holy Relics – all the faithful have the opportunity to deepen their faith in Christ and to share in his mysteries celebrated in their fullness during the Sacred Triduum. Then, on Easter morn, voices will ring out with vigor and joy, echoing the earliest proclamation of the Christian faith: The Crucified One lives! Christ is risen – truly risen from the dead!