Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login
Domestic Church
 4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Subject Topic: Relic Authenticity? Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message << Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
Sarah
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Aug 17 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1624
Posted: April 26 2007 at 12:36pm | IP Logged Quote Sarah
My SIL came back from Rome with a "relic" of JPII that she bought at a religious store on the street.

My husband is skeptical of its authenticity. It came in a plastic sleeve with no writing, but the medal itself says "relic", has a little window with something white in it and has JPII's head on the front. It doesn't appear to be of high quality medal (plastic?) and it came with no explanation.

This has led me to ask whether anyone knows if a true relic can just be sold on the street in Rome/Italy (or anywhere). My BIL bought one of St. Rita in Italy.

I know there are different classes of relics but can they be sold? No blessed object can be sold. Are these in that category?

What do you know about this? I started thinking about this when someone recently asked for a JPII relic here on the forum. I wanted to send her this one I have but my husband was worried about its authenticity which cannot be verified at all. Glad to see she got a reliable one from someone else!

__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9


Back to Top View Sarah's Profile Search for other posts by Sarah
 
Jacinta
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie


Joined: Dec 12 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20
Posted: April 26 2007 at 5:08pm | IP Logged Quote Jacinta
Relics cannot be sold, but the reliquary (sp?) can, so when you "buy" a relic, that is what you are paying for. The plastic seems odd to me. When we bought relics in Rome (almost seven years ago now!) even the cheapest reliquary available to us was made of gold or at least gold-plated. I thought there had to be precious metal in there somewhere - perhaps someone else knows for sure. We bought our relics from a monastery on a street in Rome, and we were supposed to have a letter from our bishop (trying to guard against weird people buying relics to resell them or other inappropriate things). We got certificates of authenticity sent to us afterward, signed by someone official at the vatican. (Can you tell this was a long time ago? )

That's what I know...maybe someone else knows more?

Jacinta
Back to Top View Jacinta's Profile Search for other posts by Jacinta
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  [Add this topic to My Favorites] Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com