07-023
First and second
class relics
I would like to
use this post to conclude my Munich trip and also use it to bring the religious
topics back to my city.
In one of my
previous posts, I have talked about Christian relics. I have also shown my
collection of third class relic prayer cards. I am now going to talk about
first and second class relics.
St. Peter's Church in Munich
Situated in the
city center of Munich, the Peterskirche, or the St. Peter’s Church,
is not only a beautiful church full of history. Several saints rest peacefully
inside. Their remains, however, are not buried six feet under the ground. Their
skeletons are displayed inside reliquaries for public veneration.
Relic of Saint Honoratus
One of the
relics displayed inside the Peterskirche is the relic of Saint
Honoratus. A skull and bones, decorated with gold, jewels, and sumptuous
fabrics, are displayed in a large glass reliquary. The inscription on the
reliquary reads, “Corpus S. Honorati, Martyris”. A second inscription on the
side of the reliquary reads, “Hl. Honoratus aus den Katakomben”. These phrases
literally mean, “The Body of Saint Honoratus, Martyr” and “Saint Honoratus from
the Catacombs”.
Saint Honoratus
was a significant figure in early Christianity. He was born around 350 AD in
northern Gaul (modern-day France) into a consular Roman family. In 426 AD, he
was consecrated as the Archbishop of Arles, where he worked to restore order
and orthodoxy.
However, the
relics displayed inside Peterskirche are not the real Saint Honoratus.
During the sixteenth century, human remains were unearthed from the catacombs
in and around Rome and subsequently relocated to churches across Europe. These
catacombs had served as burial grounds for early Christians who faced
persecution during the Roman Empire. Among the discovered bones were those of
martyrs—individuals who had sacrificed their lives for their faith. These
martyrs were revered as saints. Occasionally, inscriptions on catacomb plaques
provided clues about the identities of those interred, but for the nameless, a
fitting moniker was bestowed upon them, often inspired by a specific devotion
or in honor of another beloved saint.
There were two
more relics inside Peterskirche. But I was not allowed to walk close to
them so I did not take any photos.
Hong Kong is a
city located 8000km away from the Holyland and almost 10,000km away from
Europe. However, we do have relics in our local parish. “Which churches in Hong
Kong have relics inside?” I asked one of my Catholic friends. Instead of
telling me the locations, he simply said, “Many!”
He is right. There are many. Located in the Central district of Hong Kong is The Hong Kong Catholic Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception. A number of relics can be found inside.
Chapel of Chinese Martyrs
Inside the
Chapel of Chinese Martyrs are the relics of 16 Chinese martyrs. The relics are
first class relics, mainly ex ossibus, or bones of the martyrs. They were
placed inside a wooden relic box and placed at the foot of the side altar. It
is not allowed to look inside the relic box.
Relics of Chinese martyrs
The 16 martyrs
are:
- St. Gabriele Taurin Dufresse, bishop
- St. Giuseppe Zhang Da-Peng
- St. Joannes de Triora, priest
- St. Franciscus Clet, priest
- St. Joannes Gabriel Perboyre
- St. Martha Wang-Luo Man-De
- St. Alberico Crescitelli, priest
- St. Anna Wang
- St. Erminia di Gesu, religious sister
- St. Maria della Pace Bolsena, religious sister
- St. Clelia Nanetti M Chiara, religious sister
- St. Maria Adolfina Diericks, religious sister
- St. Maria Amandina del S. Cuore, religious sister
- St. Maria di San Giusto, religious sister
- St. Maria di Santa Natalia, religious sister
- Blessed Sister Maria Assunta Pallotta, religious sister
On the left
side of the chapel are the relics of Saint Joseph Freinademetz and Blessed
Gabriele Allegra. Joseph Freinademetz was a Ladin Catholic priest and
missionary in China. He arrived in Hong Kong in 1879 and set up a chapel on the
island of Yim Tin Tsai. He is also the first priest from Hong Kong to be
canonized.
Relics of Saint Joseph Freinademetz and Blessed Gabriele Allegra
Gabriele
Allegra, a Franciscan friar and Biblical scholar, achieved the first complete
translation of the Bible into Chinese. His Studium Biblicum Translation (SBV)
is revered as the definitive Chinese Bible among Catholics. He was beatified in
2012.
Relics of Saint Joseph Freinademetz --
a piece of his clothes
Relic of Blessed Gabriele Allegra --
a piece of bone from his right middle finger
The relic of
Saint Joseph Freinademetz is ex indumentis, or a piece of his clothes. It is a
second class relic. The relic of Gabriele Allegra is ex ossibus, a piece of
bone from his right middle finger. It is a first class relic.
Holy Wood of The Cross, a first class relic
On the right
side of the chapel is, believe it or not, a small fragment of the cross of
Jesus! Since the cross is associated with Christ’s Passion, it is a first class
relic.
On the left
side of the Chapel of Chinese Martyrs is the Evangelization Chapel. Inside, you can
find the relic of Pope John Paul II. The relic is ex capillis, which contains
12 threads of his hair. It is a first class relic.
Evangelization Chapel
Reliquray holding the relics of Pope John Paul II
Relics of Pope John Paul II -- 12 threads of his hair
Finally, the relic of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina can be found at the side of the nave.
Relic of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina
A better angle showing the cloth
Sorry
about the poor quality of the photo. The relic is surrounded by brown glass,
causing difficulties for me to focus my camera. It is a piece of cloth used for
wiping the wound at his side. As the cloth is soaked with Father Pius’ blood,
it is ex sanguinis, a first class relic.
St. Anthony's Church
Situated on the
western side of Hong Kong Island is the St. Anthony’s Church. The church
is one of the biggest parishes in the western district. As the name of the
church suggests, St. Anthony is its patron saint. And inside the church, there
are relics of St. Anthony.
Statue of St. Anthony inside the St. Anthony's church
The relics are
placed in front of the statue of Saint Anthony for veneration. On Tuesdays, ex
ossibus, or the bones, of St. Anthony are displayed. On other days, ex pelle,
or the skin, of St. Anthony is displayed.
Reliquray holding the relics of Saint Anthony
Relics of Saint Anthony -- his skin fragment
I was allowed
to walk close to the reliquary. I went there on a Tuesday but I only saw the
skin of St. Anthony, not his bones.
St. Teresa's Church
St. Teresa’s
Church
on the Kowloon side also allows visitors to have a close look at their relics.
The relics of St. Teresa and the relics of her parents St. Louis and St. Zelie
Guerin Martin are displayed side by side near the main altar.
Relics of St. Teresa (left) and St. Louis & St. Zelie Guerin Martin (right)
The relics of
St. Louis and St. Zelie Guerin Martin are ex corpore, or from the body. The
church did not mention which parts of the body they are from. They look like
two pieces of seaweed to me. I searched the image of their relics using Google
camera. A church in France also acquired the same relics and on their website,
they said their relics are two fragments of skin.
Reliquray holding the relics of St. Louis & St. Zelie Guerin Martin
Two fragments of their skin
St. Teresa’s
Church
also did not explain what exactly the relic of St. Teresa is. I again searched
the image of the relic and found a similar one being sold on an online
religious artifact store. The website of the store said the relic is “Ex ligneo
pulvere, mixto pulveri corporis, quem residuum continebat prima capsa
funeralis”. I put the phrase into Microsoft Copilot and it returned me the
meaning as “From the remains of the wood, mixed with the dust of the body, the
residue of which was contained in the first coffin”.
Reliquray holding the relics of Saint Teresa
her ash
I believe there
are many Christian relics scattered around my city. If I find more of them in
the future, I will share them here.
Go back to the Lobby ...
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