Normatives

«The honor paid to sacred images is a respectful veneration, not the adoration due to God alone. Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. The movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward the reality it represents.» (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2131-2132)

«The relics direct us toward God himself: it is he who, by the power of his grace, grants fragile human beings the courage to bear witness to him before the world. By inviting us to venerate the mortal remains of martyrs and saints, the Church does not forget that, in the end, these are indeed poor human bones, but bones that belonged to persons visited by the living power of God. The relics of the saints are traces of that invisible but real presence which illumines the darkness of the world, revealing the Kingdom of Heaven that is within us.» (Benedict XVI, Address to young people at World Youth Day, Cologne, August 18, 2005)

The General Postulation is responsible for the custody and distribution of the relics of the blesseds and saints belonging to the Order and those not belonging to the Order. To request relics, the following norms must be taken into account:

  1. It is the responsibility of the General Postulation to evaluate the requests received and to grant relics, accompanied by the certificate of authenticity bearing the seal of the same Postulation.
  2. Every request must reach the Office of the General Postulation by means of a letter on official letterhead, with the signature of the responsible official and the office stamp. For first-class relics, the request must necessarily be accompanied by the original nihil obstat of the local Ordinary; requests by telephone or fax are not considered.
  3. As a rule, only requests from parish priests or superiors of religious communities are accepted. It must always be specified that the request for relics is for public veneration by the faithful; the place in the church or public chapel where the relic will be placed for veneration by the faithful must be clearly indicated.
  4. Requests from lay persons, including seminarians, are not considered except in exceptional cases. Requests from relic collectors are not considered. Only one relic of a particular saint or blessed is granted.
  5. Requests are accepted for places where a cult already exists or where devotion is to be increased.

A) To request relics, fill in the form.

B) If the request is accepted, the relic will be sent or personally delivered only after the Office of the General Postulation has received the original letter from the Bishop. The address is:
General Postulation OCD, Corso d’Italia 38, 00198 Rome.