Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Tomb of Santa Susanna

Today is her feast, August 11.

SANCTIS MART GABINIO SVSANNAE ET FELICITATI SACRVM.

Inside this altar are the remains of Sts. Susanna, Gabinus and Felicity the Roman (patron saint of parents who have lost a child in death).

3 comments:

  1. Instead of saying "corpse" or "remains" for saints it would be appropriate to use the term "relics."

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  2. But since there are three classes of relics, using the term "remains" does [normally] specify "bodily remains" and hence would always refer de facto to first class relics.

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  3. "Relics" are sanctified by definition whereas "corpses" and "remains" (which terms were commonly utilized on this blog) are not. It is interesting that the Bolsheviks immediately started to refer to the "corpses" and "remains" of saints, so as to make them merely historical figures without any connotation of sanctity, as they took them from the churches to be put up as exhibits in museums like Egyptian mummies. Assuming one is addressing even those who are uneducated in "classes" of relics it's best to cut to the chase. Reverence costs nothing. There is quite enough secularization going on as it is.

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