Five related questions regarding the relics which consecrate Roman Catholic altars?

Question

The altars in Roman Catholic churches must be consecrated with a saint's relic (preferably a martyred saint). These "relics" are body parts, usually a small bone fragment but sometimes what is referred to as a "major" relic is incorporated within or under the altar. A major relic could be an arm, a leg, or perhaps even an entire body. I have five questions pertaining to this method of consecration:

1. Are altars with major relics more consecrated than others? If not, why use a whole leg?
2. Does the relic play a role in transubstantiation?
3. Is there a stockpile or inventory of body parts kept somewhere awaiting the consecration of new altars?
4. In the event that a Roman Catholic church closes, is the relic recovered? Is it "retired" or returned to "inventory"?
5. Is there a searchable database listing which relics are associated with each Church? Can we know how large a piece of saint is used or merely the saint's name?

Answer 1

1. No, size doesn't matter - grace matters.
2. No, transubstantiation doesn't require an altar.
3. No, it's not that organized.
4. Depends, relics cannot be sold so they either have to be retired and buried or go to other homes. It would be up to the local Bishop to deal with storage of the altar relic. But Canon Law says the altar can lose its dedication

Can. 1212 Sacred places lose their dedication or blessing if they have been destroyed in large part, or have been turned over permanently to profane use by decree of the competent ordinary or in fact.

5. No database and no correlation - the relics are not necessarily related to the saint of the Church (i.e. Our Lady and St. Joseph have no 1st degree relics, so they couldn't have churches dedicated to them if that were the case). If you want to find out whose relics are at an altar, you'd have to ask someone at a parish. I have no knowledge of any of the relics of any of the churches I go to, which is kind of sad, but might give you some indication of how important the relics are to average Catholics, it might be another "one of those things", so I wouldn't get hung up about it if I weren't a Catholic - we've got plenty of other weird stuff to worry about going on in the Church!

Also, the degrees of relics are:

• 1st degree

  Any body part, hair or blood from the saint

• 2nd degree

  Something that the saint touched or used during their lifetime. Saints like St. Maximillian Kolbe, who was cremated at Auschwitz, and St. Anthony of Egypt, who was buried in secret so his body wouldn't be fought over, only have 2nd degree relics.

• 3rd degree

  Something touched to a saints grave or over their corpse.

Answer 2

Five related questions regarding the relics which consecrate Roman Catholic altars?

Generally speaking only one question at a time is permitted on this site. However I can see how these 5 subcategories considered as one possible question.

1. Are altars with major relics more consecrated than others? If not, why use a whole leg?

The size of a martyr’s relics are irrelevant as long as the portion of the body in question can be recognized as human, thus geting as they can be distinguished as humaman bone. This is why documents of authenticity are so important.

2. Does the relic play a role in transubstantiation?

No, such Masses are considered valid yet illicit. In times of persecution priests have said the words of consecration without any table or altar available whatsoever. Nature always finds a way!

3. Is there a stockpile or inventory of body parts kept somewhere awaiting the consecration of new altar?

No, there is no stockpile of relics. However, a priest while in Rome may ask about certain relics and be directed to where on May obtain relics for legitimat reasons.

4. In the event that a Roman Catholic Church closes, is the relic recovered? Is it "retired" or returned to "inventory"?

There is no Roman database for such information. If an altar is deconsecrated the relics in the burial chamber are in the possession of the local bishop for future consecration of churches.

5. Is there a searchable database listing which relics are associated with each Church? Can we know how large a piece of saint is used or merely the saint's name?

No! There is no known database for such information. In fact Rome is highly douubious of anything electronic!

As said, priests may obtain relics free of charge from a particular Congregession of the Vatican a relics of a saint for any valid saint, even if for personal interest.

Such information is held at the local level of each diocese and is considered of lesser importance as regards to the Local Church.