BISHOP
VELYCHKOVSKY MARTYR SHRINE POLICY:
To obtain a 1st Class Relic of Bles= sed Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsky one requires a letter from the pastor of your Catholic Church or from the Bishop of your diocese, stating that he or she = is a Catholic of good standing.
Important information
regarding first class relics
Well-intentioned, but uninformed Ca= tholics are advised to know that bidding and posting of relics on Internet auction = sites are prohibited. When the practice of venerating small pieces of bone fragme= nts of the bodies of the saints became widespread as early as the fourth centur= y, abuses often accompanied this devotion in the form of simony, that is the buying and selling of sacred things. Church authority did what it could to assist the faithful against deception and stop those who were profiting from the sale of fraudulent relics. In medieval times, those who created or will= ingly sold, disseminated or displayed false relics for veneration were subject to immediate excommunication reserved to the bishops. Nevertheless, even relic= s of which the validity is certain, Canon #1190 of the revised 1983 Code of Canon Law uses the strongest language written in the Code to prohibit the sale of relics, "Sacras reliquias vendere <= span class=3DSpellE>nefas est." "It is absolutely forbidden t= o sell sacred relics." The use of the word "nefas" ("nefarious") only appears in the Code to describe sins against t= he Blessed Sacrament, forced ordination and priests breaking the seal of confession.
In no way may a relic be sold. The = Church does allow a contribution to be made to cover expenses such as for the relic case (theca) and mailing charges. These contributions are normally made to = the non-profit Church distributors of first class relics. These contributions a= lso help to support the canonization causes of holy persons who have been officially declared Blessed by the Church.
The trade of these sacred items on = Internet auction sites is all the more dubious when the seller's identity is unknown= and when the relic's documentation of authenticity is questionable or missing. = Even more disturbing is the possibility that an unscrupulous buyer could be using these sacred items for profane use. It is not safe to assume in cyberspace = that only good Catholics bid on relics for noble reasons.
Catholics who, for whatever reason,= have acquired a first class relic, such as through the estate of a deceased relative, and do not find it useful in their own spiritual life, would do w= ell to consider a few options:
Offer = the relic freely to another family member, friend or person of faith who would benefit from = its intended purpose to increase one's faith and aid one's spirit of prayer and devotion. Recall that the reason, why first class relics became so esteemed= in our tradition to those who were fortunate enough to possess them, was due to the belief that the saint's intercessory power permeated their every bone a= nd marrow.
Offer = the relic to the local church or return it to the religious community to whom the particular saint belonged.
Specif= ically bequeath relics in verbal and/or written form to loved ones so there is no uncertain= ty regarding their disposition after you are called from this life. The Surviv= ors are apt to cherish these keepsakes, not only because of their sacred nature, but also be cause of your care and concern in determining who will inherit them.
Handle= relics sensibly and reverently, without abuse. Also resist the temptation to rationalize the disposal of these sacred items.