From THE BBC:
A monk and two other people who were stopped at a Greek airport with the skull and bones of a nun say they were taking the remains of a saint to a monastery. Police said the three were going to Cyprus when the remains were found in their luggage at Athens airport. The three have been charged with theft and desecrating human remains. They deny the charges.
Police said the nun, who had once lived at a convent on the island, had moved to Greece before she died.
just recently finished the whole Cadfael series again. She writes to beautifully…
Well, this is certain;ly “A Morbid Taste For Bones” contemporary style.
Where is Cadfael’s formulaic young couple whose love is threatened?
Very funny, luv.
I think of my own loved ones who have passed on. Would I want a finger or a skull or any other part of them but perhaps a lock of hair or a container of ashes? With the ashes, I’d probably spread them somewhere, unless the person had expressed a desire for me to keep them. Will the next generation want the container of ashes?
The whole business of relics is such morbid nonsense. Your patron, John Henry, had the right idea to simply disintegrate. What a joke on the Vatican when the powers decided to disinter his remains.
He didn’t disintegrate. The two lovebirds are buried in the Welsh borders. I know exactly where.
Have you gone in the darkest part of the night to dig up a relic yet? If not, why not?
It’s on private property and I’m English. We don’t like trespassing. Anyway, the two of them should be allowed to rest in peace after all the trouble their friends went to when they died to make sure they did.
The whole ‘relic’ thing makes me shudder. Roman magic transfered badly into Christianity to the detriment of the faith.
FWIW
jimB
Here’s the thing: I don’t believe in miracles from relics, either, but I do believe in being on the safe side. You should have a JHN relic, MadPriest, because who knows but that you and Jim could have the first in a string of miracles obtaining jobs for the unemployed attributed to St John Henry? It could happen. 🙂
Well, then there’s the Portuguese gay activist (recently murdered in NYC by a whacked-out date; I’ll spare you the details) who was just dumped (his ashes) on unsuspecting subway riders! :-0
JCF, that’s not the sort of spreading of ashes that I had in mind. My brother-in-law and I spread some of my sister’s ashes in various places in City Park in New Orleans, where he and my sister met, but not on or around people. What we did was probably illegal, but no one was around to see the deeds done.
Well played, Sir.
(Radulfus is still my favorite abbot – written as a wise father.)
I plan on cremation – it’s the only way I’ll be getting my ashes hauled again.