Theft of saints heart

My issue is not with the rights and wrongs of someone stealing a body part from a church or elsewhere.Theft is ,of course, wrong.

My issue is with the fact that in this day and age some people in Ireland (from either tradition) venerate /worship body parts. All the comments from the church concerned make it clear that this body part was of religious, not anthropological or medical, importance .

Yes, people have been preserving and/or venerating body parts for millenia .They've also been telling fortunes from cards, dancing round totem poles and many other ludicrous activities for a long,long time. Indeed, in Ireland one can see trees covered with rags and other items "for luck". But surely the foulest of these ancient and nonsensical traditons is keeping bits of flesh and bone as religious items(relics).
 
oldnick said:
My issue is not with the rights and wrongs of someone stealing a body part from a church or elsewhere.Theft is ,of course, wrong.

My issue is with the fact that in this day and age some people in Ireland (from either tradition) venerate /worship body parts. All the comments from the church concerned make it clear that this body part was of religious, not anthropological or medical, importance .

Yes, people have been preserving and/or venerating body parts for millenia .They've also been telling fortunes from cards, dancing round totem poles and many other ludicrous activities for a long,long time. Indeed, in Ireland one can see trees covered with rags and other items "for luck". But surely the foulest of these ancient and nonsensical traditons is keeping bits of flesh and bone as religious items(relics).
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I still dont understand your issue though - I knew you werent belittling the theft - I just dont get why it being from a church is significant to you. Would it make a difference if it were from a museum? I suppose where Im lost is the use of the word "foul" and in your first post you referred to it as "disgusting" assuming the poor man was dead I dont really get what is so foul or disgusting. Its quite interesting actually. It is a body part. As I said in my previous post they are many cases through history of bodies (full or in part) being perserved.

On the religious side - the body part or any relic shouldnt be "worshipped". As catholics should align to the catechism where the worshipping of false Gods (incl. relics) is not allowed based on the first commandment "I am the Lord your God". Essentially to avoid idolatry. And yes - I know that doesnt happen and many people get attached to medals etc.
 
I'm so sorry that I'm not able to better explain my abhorrence at the whole idea of body-parts being preserved for other than practical reasons (medical etc) - and the fact that many people do indeed worship/venerate those body parts. (If worship is not the right word then perhaps venerate, treat as sacred.).

No point me going on as I'm clearly unclear.
 
Did anyone steal some fava beans and a nice chianti from a local shop?
Oh, wait, that would be for his liver.
 
casiopea said:
On the religious side - the body part or any relic shouldnt be "worshipped". As catholics should align to the catechism where the worshipping of false Gods (incl. relics) is not allowed based on the first commandment "I am the Lord your God". Essentially to avoid idolatry. And yes - I know that doesnt happen and many people get attached to medals etc.
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Isn't that why Protestants don't venerate Mary (This post will be deleted if not edited immediately's mammy)?
 
The oddest relic of all is the Foreskin of This post will be deleted if not edited immediately.
Seriously.

In the Italian town of Calcata, 30 miles north of Rome, on the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord the alleged foreskin of This post will be deleted if not edited immediately was paraded around the town, the parishioners kneeling and crossing themselves as it went past.
This went on for a few hundred years until, mysteriously, thirty years ago the holy relic was stolen.

I state this purely for information as I've stopped passing comment on such practices.
 
We visit graveyards in respect to our dead. Perhaps some feel some "presence" as a result. We go to church (well some of us anyway) to feel some "presence" - if we lose a loved one through a road traffic accident we place flowers at the site.

All these make people comfortable in themselves somehow. Well, let's respect their privacy and leave them to their beliefs. They are doing no harm to anybody. It is the same with people finding inspiration etc from relics.
 
Frankly, some of the comments on this thread are repellent. Live and let live folks, please.... :)
 
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