- Guibert of Nogent, On the Saints and Their Relics.
Guibert wrote his book on saints and relics over five hundred years after Gregory of Tours composed his History. By Guibert’s time, the cult of saints had come to dominate Christian devotional life, and churches could claim considerable prestige (and wealth) if they were active in the relics trade and were viewed as sites for pilgrimages. A century before Pope Innocent III tried to curb some of the most egregious abuses of relics (see Fourth Lateran Council, ch. 62, referenced in my Introduction), Guibert had already voiced concerns about the corruption of the cult of the saints (see Madigan, 342). Briefly summarize Madigan’s discussion of the medieval Christian understanding of the relationship between the physical body and spiritual power (324). With this context in mind, examine the selection from Guibert. - How does Guibert’s passage illustrate Madigan’s point about the power of relics?
b. How does Guibert assess the cult of saints in his own time: how does the passage demonstrate the medieval period’s obsession with relics, what difficulties and abuses have emerged, and what theological problems do they present?
c. What solution does Guibert propose for curbing the abuses associated of relics, and how would you imagine the reactions to this by members of the church who benefited from relics and pilgrimage?
In early Christianity a Saint was any baptized in the Catholic Faith. After the Great Persecution Martyrs acquired the state of Saints to be venerated, at their tomb, and soon became physicians surrogates, entitled of the supernatural power of healing and even resurrecting a dead body (Madigan 321-322). Since we are in the supernatural realm, we are in the invisible energy world, were, the bones rests or anything touched by the Saint can have healing strength. Shrines were built on relics of Saints, Feast Calendars established that would attract pilgrims to the burial places. Saints by their virtues were powerful at God’s Throne and could intercede for health, fertility (of human, animals, and ground) and safety. The Saints’ rests were believed to emanate parfum scents, the odor of sanctity (Madigan 324).
They were considered on the model of the Roman Patronus, that would advocate, intercede, and help those who venerated them(324). All the above, provided great power to the Shrines. The problem though, was not in the Saint’s veneration act itself, or in the belief of their intercession, many miracles have been documented throughout history, the issue was the very thin line between venerating canonically a Saint, through prayers and pilgrimage to his/her tomb, and the rise of superstition about relics. A second issue embedded in the “power” of relics, was the easy raising of traffic of false relics, theft and translations for monetary reasons.
We need to remember that the majority of people were illiterate, unable to reason on Bible scriptures and Theological matters, therefore, very easy preys of storytellers and superstition, moreover in an era of death diseases and in practice inexistent medical care (as we conceive it today) they were willing to go bare feet, as penance, in pilgrimage like for instance to the famous Santiago of Compostela, or the famous Via Francigena, in exchange of a Saint favor for healing; furthermore they would be willing to give to the Shrine all their possessions, still for obtaining health as a gift’s exchange.
The critiques of Guibert of Nogent do not refer to the “canonical” “healthy” veneration of Saints, seen as powerful intercessors of the Most High, through prayers, good deeds and penance, but to the fraud enveloping churches and shrines claiming false relics. Once the black market of relics started, it must have been difficult to control it and maybe many religious bought false relics in good faith. What Guibert does with his writings is almost an Aristotelian analysis through logic and reason, for instance, denouncing that heads cannot duplicate, therefore the fact that two different groups state of possessing the head of a Saint, is a proof that one or both are false. As Madigan writes at page 432, Guibert “was himself devoted to relics, but deplored the practice of unsubstantiated practice”. He supports his thoughts through the “evidence of trustworthy writers” (342) asking cleric’s intervention and control in order to verify the authenticity of relics. Beside a serious matter of lying, Guibert underlines the sinful practice of venerating false relics and saints that would affect also true good faith believers. He also proposes to live the Saints in the ground were every human being Saint or not belongs, since “we are dust and dust shell return”.
The Fourth Lateran Council, ch. 62, forbids the display and marketing of relics, storytelling and use of false documents for profit. Veneration must be approved by the authority of the Roman Pontiff. It also suggests care and alms for pilgrims. In fact hospitals are born from “hospitalia”, places were pilgrims could find rest and care during their pilgrimages.