authenticity of relics?

martinedwards

don't want to hijack the St Anthony thread.

so, apart from the remains of someone who has died in the last few years, say JP2, what are the chances of the bones in the casket actually being those of the saint?

I mean, there is enough fragments of the cross to build Noah's ark in cathedrals around the world.

personally, I'm doubtful.

Benny_Cake

I wouldn't think there are any guarantees, and the further back you go, the more doubtful the authenticity of the relic would probably be. I believe that during the middle ages there were multiple relics doing the rounds which were purportedly Jesus's foreskin. Although He was the son of God I'm pretty he would have only had one!

I'm guessing that for Catholics though, the relics are simply to point to the life of the saint in question as an example of Christian faith, and ultimately to God. So perhaps authenticity isn't the most important thing.

Doc Farrell

Although there are many relics whose authenticity are very disputed I haven't ever heard of the relics of St Anthony being among them?

http://www.capuchin.org/events/parish/detail/2bd

It's certainly the most ridiculed of Catholic traditions but for ordinary parishioners it can be an unusually intense and direct religious experience.

Or as a reporter in the other thread might say; deadly buzz.

Effects

I'd imagine there's a reasonable chance they aren't real. Relics have been proven false in the past but a lot of people still won't accept the truth about them. The Catholic Church has a proven track record of suppressing honesty and truth in all sorts or matters.
There were a lot of people out to see Anthony's relics and if it helps them lead better lives then it's not all in vain. It is quite strange to keep the body parts of a person in fancy cases in my opinion. I noticed one women with a missing poster in the queue last night and my heart went out to her. At least if she thinks it might help her then she'll feel better about her situation.

Manach

During the Medeival era, Relics were a means to bind the community closer to the faith. Given the structure of Europe at the time, with the Church acting as the de facto guarantor of international agreements etc, the use of non-authentic relics would undercut that position, hence the amount of such counterfeit items would be low (Hitchcock - A history of the Church).
The relic themselves serves many purpose, on of which as a mori mortis, rather akin to the Paris catacombs, to remind people that they are not living in the perpetual now, but others of the faith have gone before and there will be others after - as befits a living Church.

Effects

Someone told me recently that if a relic, for example Padre Pio's robe, touches another piece of cloth then that cloth also becomes a relic. Hence all the medals who can buy that claim to have a piece of relic/robe in them.