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<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\nQ: Recently at a Bible study session a discussion came up about relics. Why does the Church allow pieces of a saint\u2019s body to be distributed for relics? When the resurrection of the body happens all the saint\u2019s remains will not be in the same place. Isn\u2019t this the reason given as to why scattering of a person\u2019s ashes is not OK?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: As counterintuitive as it might seem at first, we as Catholics venerate relics for the very same reason why we prohibit the scattering of a departed person\u2019s ashes. Both of these points reflect our Catholic belief in the fundamental dignity of the human body and the necessity of always seeking to show it a fitting degree of respect and reverence.<\/p>\n Regarding the dignity of the human body, the Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/a> expresses this beautifully when it tells us that: \u201cThe human body shares in the dignity of \u2018the image of God\u2019: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n This sentiment is echoed in an otherwise rather prosaic 2017 document from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome, titled \u201cRelics in the Church: Authenticity and Preservation.\u201d<\/a> Before launching into a discussion on the proper verification and care of relics, this document notes that: \u201cRelics in the Church have always received particular veneration and attention because the body of the Blesseds and of the Saints, destined for the resurrection, has been on earth the living temple of the Holy Spirit and the instrument of their holiness.\u201d<\/p>\n Another reason why we have the practice of preserving or venerating saints\u2019 relics is because it harkens back to the ancient custom of the Church\u2019s first few centuries of celebrating Mass in the catacombs over the tombs of the martyrs. Even today, every Catholic church will ordinarily have a relic contained within or underneath the altar. The presence of these saints\u2019 relics reminds us of the communion of saints, that is, our \u201cfamily bond\u201d with the faithful Christians who have gone before us and are now directly present with God in heaven.<\/p>\n Still, I can see where our practice of preserving and venerating relics \u2014 or at least what we call \u201cfirst-class relics,\u201d which are typically some piece of the saint\u2019s physical body \u2014 might seem to complicate our belief in the resurrection of the body, insofar as it might be hard to imagine the \u201clogistics\u201d of how a body that exists in small portions in multiple locations might be resurrected.<\/p>\n But as the catechism teaches us: \u201cThis \u2018how\u2019 exceeds our imagination and understanding; it is accessible only to faith.\u201d And in the New Testament we read that Christ \u201cwill change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body\u201d (Phil 3:21). So it seems that, while our future resurrected bodies will truly be ours, they will also be renewed in a profound and mysterious way.<\/p>\n With respect to how the veneration of relics compares to the scattering of ashes, we can observe how respectfully saints\u2019 relics are kept. Generally, they are carefully guarded and always treated with fitting honor. On the other hand, the scattering of cremated ashes would seem to be fundamentally less respectful to the deceased, since at least on a surface level this could give the appearance of simply discarding the body.<\/p>\n Additionally, the 2016 document \u201cAd resurgendum cum Christo\u201d<\/a> from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith tells us that: \u201cIn order that every appearance of pantheism, naturalism or nihilism be avoided, it is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed in the air, on land, at sea or in some other way.\u201d That is, the Church is concerned that the scattering could reflect or foster false beliefs on the nature of death and resurrection.<\/p>\n Jenna Marie Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News. Send your questions to CatholicQA@osv.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n