I was recently gifted a medal with an ex indumentis relic. Now, the red protection has been lost and I'm not sure if the white in my medal is the relic itself or some base... How are medal relics made? I'm really worried for this...
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1Welcome to the website, not sure this is the proper place to ask such a question. But was your relic a 2nd class relic that was actually something from a saint or a 3rd class relic that was simply a cloth that was blessed by touching the relic of that saint? They are both unfortunately labeled as "Ex indumentis". I understand your concern, I would be concerned as well if something happened to a relic I was gifted. The red from what I can see is overtop of the material. The white material is not some kind of base, it should be the cloth itself. I'm not catholic, but interested in this stuff.– WyrsaCommented Aug 26 at 15:33
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1Can you please post a picture of the relic in question?– Ken Graham ♦Commented Aug 26 at 15:51
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Thank you for your answer... I do feel it as cloth... Supposedly, it's a 1st class relic, as it is supposed to be cloth from his clothes... But according to what you said, it can be something else... The nun who offered it to me thought it was just something that has touched the saint's bones... I'm not sure...– Cristina Isabel Calado FilipeCommented Aug 26 at 21:26
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As a child, I had in my collection, a small picture of St Martin De Pores praying. At the base, it has a small opening the size of a punch hole which contained a miniscule piece of white cloth, believed to have been the relic of the Saint.– Kadalikatt Joseph SibichanCommented Aug 27 at 2:23
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Christina I believe by the catholic definition a 1st class relic is something that is literally of the body of the saint in question. 2nd class is supposed to be something that the saint had, for example a piece of cloth from their clothing. 3rd class is something simply blessed and touched by the saint/their remains.– WyrsaCommented Aug 27 at 8:45
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1 Answer
I'm orthodox, but we have relics too. I've researched a little bit about the catholic side of things. They like to publicly explain everything so it was just a matter of doing online digging and verifying. I am doing my best to explain from a catholic perspective.
How are medal (ex indumentis) relics made?
The first thing is that their are different "classes of relics"
1st Class: Mortal remains of the saints themselves (Bones, blood, flesh, organs, etc), or anything related to the passion of Christ. (Crown of Thorns, column of the Flagellation, ... )
2nd Class: These are objects that came into close contact with a saint, such as articles of clothing, objects used by a saint, or the devices uses to torture or kill a martyr. (For example the wristwatch of St John Paul II is a 2nd class relic)
3rd Class: Are objects that have been touched to a first- OR! second-class relic. Prospective third-class relics are often rosaries, bits of cloth, or medals.
From your description, I believe you have a relic similar to this.
Ex indumentis means “from the clothing,” and its presence on the medal suggested the cloth was a bit of Saint "insert name here"'s clothing—or perhaps a piece of their burial cloth. As such, it would be a second-class relic.
Unfortunately, the term is misleading as it is quite often simply a cloth that has been touched to another relic. I found this personally distasteful, it felt like a lie of implication.
It seems from what I can see, unless a relic is clearly stated to be am ex indumentis 2nd class relic, then it is likely a 3rd class relic. This is not a bad thing, just wish it was more clear when relic "producers" sell them.
During my research, I found this article on the national catholic register about someone who had their priest help them make a 3rd class relic. I think this is more aligned with the purpose of the Church than the selling of relics. Which honestly makes me shiver in fear for the person selling things like especially when the label is an implied falsehood.
I believe my misgivings are because for me in the Orthodox church, something is either a relic or it isn't. We do not have the categories. To us a "3rd class relic" is simply a blessed object. For example, our personal ikons are supposed to be blessed. By catholic standards, our ikons are technically 3rd class relics. We sell these all the time, though I believe we personally have them blessed after we buy them, they are likely also blessed before they are sold. So I guess the only thing really bothering me was that it felt like a lie, ex indumentis should only be valid for 2nd class using the catholic standards.
Clearly it is "okay" because the catholic church isn't doing anything about it. And now I will refrain from anything saying more than that I am unhappy with this situation on behalf of catholics.
Regarding the actual production... First and second class relics were typically distributed as small pieces sealed in a container called a theca. The theca was tied with a red thread, red spanish wax, and imprinted with the seal of the one preparing the relic. These were usually produced and sealed by a bishop, leader of a religious order, or postulator for the cause canonization.
In addition to small metal thecae, second class relics were often sealed in paper reliquaries as an inexpensive way of raising awareness of the causes for canonization. Today, most of the paper reliquaries produced contain only third class relics.
I believe this is the case for your relic because in 1994 new norms regarding the concession of relics were issued which greatly reduced the laity’s access to First and Second class relics (Notitiae 30/1994, 349-350). These restrictions on distribution have been tightened further since the issuance of these norms.
