Verified answer

The Catholic Church venerates anything that generates revenue - and replica relics are big money.

No, it isn't dangerously close to idol worship.

It is only idol worship *if* a person worships the creature instead of the Creator.

Veneration is not worship. We show veneration to such relics because it is a reminder of the glory and power of God and of the person who was so blessed by God in their lives on earth.

Those people, who we know are now in Heaven with God, are part of our family and these are reminders to us of their lives. A testimony to the life they led.

Think about someone who's father passed away. The child will have something of his--a coat, a ring, a necklace and so on--and many times (especially on the day he died), that child will pull out whatever it is of their father's and hug the coat, or kiss the ring and fondle the necklace. They show affection for these things because they belonged to a person they loved very much.

You'll see people go to a grave site and leave flowers and affectionately stroke the head stone. Why? Because it's their only tangible connection to their loved one--a relic.

We also see that some relics still hold the power of God within them:

The Old Testament records miracles associated with items which belonged to those who have died: a miracle was worked through the mantle of Elijah (see 2 Kings 2:14) and another through the bones of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21). In the New Testament handkerchiefs and clothing that had touched St Paul were brought to the sick so that they might be healed (Acts 19:11-12). Holy men and women – and things associated with them – became means by which God worked to help His people.

Here is a good site that explains relics:

http://www.cathedral.plus.com/therese/relics.pdf

I would also like to point out that the Catholic Church has never stood behind the selling of relics for an outrageous amount. You can buy relics from the Catholic Church, but the cost is to only cover the material needed (i.e. the gold, silver, bronze, brass, metal used to hold the relic in and the glass and such).

While some priests *did* abuse this by drving up the prices and selling relics illegally, the Catholic Church as a whole did not agree with such a practice.

It's a sin called simony, you can look it up. It has always been a sin, the selling of relics for more than what it cost to make is a sin. The only time buying a relic for more is acceptable is if you believe that it might otherwise fall into the wrong hands (i.e. Satanic cults and such) and by therefore buying it you are keeping the relic from being desecrated.

I just want to clarify that the actions by some does not constitute what the Catholic Church teaches and believes.

Relics

Mark 15:43; John 19:38 - Joseph of Arimathea sought Christ's dead body instead of leaving it with the Romans. Joseph gave veneration to our Lord's body.

Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1 - the women came to further anoint Christ's body even though it had been sealed in the tomb.

John 19:39 - Nicodemus donated over one hundred pounds of spices to wrap in Jesus' grave clothes. This is also veneration of our Lord's body.

Matt. 9:21; Mark 5:28 - the woman with the hemorrhage just sought the hem of Christ's cloak and was cured. This shows that God uses physical things to effect the supernatural.

Acts 19:11-12 - Paul's handkerchiefs healed the sick and those with unclean spirits. This is another example of physical things effecting physical and spiritual cures.

Acts 5:15 - Peter's shadow healed the sick. This proves that relics of the saints have supernatural healing power, and this belief has been a part of Catholic tradition for 2,000 years.

Rev. 6:9 - the souls of the martyrs are seen beneath the heavenly altar. Their bones are often placed beneath altars in Catholic churches around the world.

2 Kings 13:21 - Elisha's bones bring a man back to life. The saints' bones are often kept beneath the altars of Catholic churches and have brought about supernatural cures throughout the Christian age.

Rom. 13:7; Phil. 2:25-29; Heb. 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:7 – we are taught to honor the people of God and in 1 Cor. 4:16-17; 1 Cor. 11:1-2; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:7; Heb. 6:12; Heb. 13:7; James 5:10-11 – we are reminded to imitate them. Keeping relics of the saints serves both to honor and imitate their heroic faith in Christ (just as keeping articles of deceased loved ones helps us honor and imitate them).

Why is it that Protestants love to point a finger at Catholics over what they perceive as "worshiping idols," and yet they fail to keep so many of the Old Testament laws and see nothing wrong with it? If you wear a cotton polyester blend shirt, that breaks the law of not wearing garments of mixed thread. If you eat bacon, pork, shrimp, or lobster, you're guilty of eating unclean food. If you sit on the same chair that a woman who is having her monthly period has previously sat on, you're ritually unclean until you perform the necessary rituals. Odds are good that you've broken many parts of the Law, but you still think you're righteous enough to condemn Catholics for what you perceive as a transgression. (Never mind the whole worship/veneration nonsense -- we honor the person the statue represents, but that's probably too fine a distinction for you to grasp at this point.) Christ fulfilled the Law and set us free from all the niggling little "Thou shalts" and "Thou shalt nots," but that seems to apply only to the self-righteous fundamentalists and not to their Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ. Either you follow all of the Old Testament, or else you are a new creature in Christ, set free from the Law. And remember, the same standard that you use to judge us will be the standard by which God judges you. Paul didn't write the second Chapter of Romans for "sinners". . .he wrote it for those who thought they were righteous enough to judge their brothers and sisters. Romans 2: 1-23 Edit: I'm not about to edit anything out because there's no need. St. John said that those who hate their brothers are no better than murderers, and no murderer has eternal life. So if even hating a brother or sister in Christ (yeah, that includes us Catholics) is enough to condemn your soul to Hell, then it follows that physical murder isn't exactly going to earn you a spot on Heaven's "Top Ten Nice Guys" list, either. Between Christ, Paul, John, and the rest of the New Testament authors, the Ten Commandments are reiterated and receive their ultimate fulfillment for Christians. Is adultery still forbidden? Well, Jesus said that anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her. Does that mean physical lust isn't also adultery any more? Don't think so. The same fulfillment principle applies to the rest of the Ten Commandments, as well. And as is so glaringly obvious, you missed the entire point of what I *did* say. So I'll try it again. this time in smaller words and simpler sentences: If you're perfect, toss the first stone. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and don't judge if you don't want to be judged.

You kind of have to blame God and the Bible for this.

The belief that the relics of the saints have healing power is based on Holy Scripture:

+ Old Testament +

+ Once some people were burying a man, when suddenly they spied such a raiding band. So they cast the dead man into the grave of Elisha, and everyone went off. But when the man came in contact with the bones of Elisha, he came back to life and rose to his feet. (2 Kings 13:21)

Elisha's bones bring a man back to life. The bones of saints are often kept beneath the altars of Catholic churches and have brought about supernatural cures throughout the Christian age.

+ New Testament +

+ A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured." Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, "Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you." And from that hour the woman was cured. (Matthew 9:20-22)

+ She had heard about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak. She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." Immediately her flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. (Mark 5:27-29)

The woman already believed in the power of relics. She touched the hem of Christ's cloak and was cured. This shows that God uses physical things to effect the supernatural.

+ So extraordinary were the mighty deeds God accomplished at the hands of Paul that when face cloths or aprons that touched his skin were applied to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. (Acts 19:11-12)

Paul's handkerchiefs healed the sick and demon possessed. This is another example of physical things effecting physical and spiritual cures.

+ Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured. (Acts 5:15-16)

Peter's shadow healed the sick. This clearly shows that relics of the saints have supernatural healing power, and this biblical belief has been a part of Catholic belief for almost 2,000 years.

With love in Christ.

Please find a quote that is less that 1000 years old.

Veneration of relics is only a small, entirely optional part of Catholic spiritual life today.

Rather Catholics tend to focus almost entirely on Christ who is present in the Eucharist.

They are sinning when they do so. "Thou shall have no other gods before Me" is one of the commandments. I know the Catholics rationalize and explain it all, but what they say does NOT hold water.

God Himself is the only ONE we are to venerate !

The church made enormous amounts of money selling relics and pieces of the true cross so they had to legitimize relics.

Your quote has the answer to your question. I fear that you were so focused on Jerome's statement that they venerate the relics of the martyrs that you missed that part where he said. "...in order to better adore him whose martyrs they are."

adore/worship old bones and then throw money at the viewing of these old bones to raise money, in return you get a piece of paper that gives you X number of days out of purgatory.....

how is that any different than burning incense to the Roman Gods that so many Christians refused to do that got them sent into the arena with the lions??

Idolatry by any other name is still idolatry...