Relic

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term for relic (seongyumul) translates the Latin reliquiae ("remains"); relics are also called "holy remains" (seonghae). The term refers to the bodily remains, such as bones, of saints (persons whom the church recognizes as having lived holy lives) or martyrs; to objects they wore or used; and to objects traditionally said to be connected with the Passion of Jesus. The Catholic Church generally divides relics into three classes: the bodily remains themselves are first-class relics, objects the saint used during life are second-class relics, and objects that have touched first- or second-class relics are third-class relics. The "Veil of Veronica," which tradition holds bears the imprint of Jesus' face, is also part of this tradition.

Biblical and Historical Background

Those who support veneration cite several biblical passages. 2 Kings 13:21 records that a dead man came back to life when his body touched the bones of Elisha. Acts 19:11–12 records that the sick were healed through handkerchiefs that had touched the body of Paul. By contrast, in 2 Kings 18:4 Hezekiah broke in pieces the bronze serpent to which the people had been burning incense, and Protestants frequently cite this passage as a warning against the veneration of objects.

The early church gathered for worship at the tombs of martyrs, and this custom developed into the veneration of relics. In 787 the Second Council of Nicaea decreed that relics be placed in altars at their consecration. During the Middle Ages, pilgrimages to view relics flourished, and the trade in relics and their forgery became widespread. During the Reformation, Martin Luther criticized the veneration of relics along with belief in indulgences. In 1543 John Calvin wrote a treatise criticizing relics, in which he pointed out that the same object was claimed to exist in several places. The Catholic Church reaffirmed the veneration of relics at the Council of Trent. The Orthodox Church likewise continues the tradition of venerating the remains of saints.

Practice in the Korean Church

Most Korean Protestant denominations do not practice the veneration of relics. Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and Full Gospel churches hold that relic veneration has no basis in Scripture and can lead to idolatry. The passage they cite in support of this view is the second of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4–5). Article 22 of the Anglican Thirty-nine Articles criticizes the worshipping of relics as a doctrine without scriptural warrant. Even within the Anglican Church of Korea, however, practice varies according to liturgical tradition.

Some Protestants also preserve the personal effects of martyrs such as Ju Gi-cheol and Son Yang-won in memorial halls. These items, however, are treated only as historical materials for remembering the martyrs' example of faith and are not made objects of prayer or veneration. The Korean Catholic Church is known to enshrine and venerate the remains of the Korean martyr saints at shrines and churches. Protestants on pilgrimages to holy sites encounter relics in churches in Europe and Israel, and they often view them as historical and cultural heritage.