Reliquaries

Abstract

Abstract The word relic is derived from the Latin reliquiae (“remains”), and in Roman Catholic tradition has reference to some object, especially a part of the body, clothes, or item of close association, which remains as a memorial of someone of religious significance. Relics are carefully preserved as objects of veneration. The bones of Polycarp were regarded as “more valuable than precious stones and more to be esteemed than gold,” therefore they were to be laid in a suitable place. Relics must be sealed securely within a reliquary and authenticated by a pope or religious authority prior to any exhibition for veneration. A reliquary may be a box, case, or shrine that houses a relic. Reliquaries are of exquisite craft and ornamented with precious metals and stones. The Chasse of Champagnat (c.1150) from the church of Saint‐Martial is ornamented in gilded copper and champlevé enamel, as Martial (the first Bishop of Limoges) was thought to be the 13th apostle, according to legend. Complex containers may resemble the relic it enshrines, or may contain other body parts, such as the Reliquary Arm of Peter (c.1230). Some reliquaries contain scenes of martyrdom (e.g. Reliquary of St. Thomas Becket, c.1195–1200) and others have been formed entirely into full‐body statues that were displayed on altars or carried in ceremonial procession (e.g. Reliquary Statue of Sainte Foy, c.11th century). Throughout the medieval era in Byzantium and Europe, both relics and reliquaries were prominent forms of artistic production. Many world religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, have a reliquary cult. Relics may be preserved in mosques, stupas , or temples, to which pilgrimage becomes a means of gaining merit before God. Relic worship within Buddhism (such as the Buddha's relics) is an undisputed fact, whereas veneration is stated as a central component of Roman Catholicism. Relic worship prompted Protestants to vigorously oppose any notion of relics.