8.208. Why are relics, medals, and sacramentals (like scapulars) still promoted?
Many today mistakenly dismiss relics, medals, scapulars, and other sacramentals as outdated, superstitious, or even magical trinkets. However, these holy objects have always played an important role in the life of the true Catholic Church—not as ends in themselves, but as means to stir faith, devotion, and grace in souls.
1. What are sacramentals?
Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church to prepare us to receive grace and to sanctify different circumstances of life. They are not sacraments (which were instituted directly by Christ), but they dispose us to receive the graces of the sacraments more fruitfully. Examples include blessings, exorcisms, holy water, the Rosary, the Brown Scapular, and the Sign of the Cross.
As the Catechism of the Council of Trent explains:
“Sacramentals differ from sacraments, in that they do not of themselves confer grace, but excite pious dispositions in the soul, by means of which we may obtain grace.”
The Church, with her authority to bind and loose (Matt. 16:19), has instituted these devotions to aid the faithful in their spiritual battles. They are expressions of the Church’s maternal care, offering visible signs that remind the faithful of invisible realities.
2. Relics: Physical reminders of God’s friends
Relics—whether of the body (first class), clothing (second class), or items touched to a saint (third class)—have always been venerated by the faithful, beginning with the early Christians. The bones of martyrs were carefully preserved and honored. This is not worship, which belongs to God alone, but veneration, or reverence, for those who are united with God.
Scripture itself shows the power of relics:
A man was brought back to life when his body touched the bones of Elisha (4 Kings [2 Kings] 13:21).
People were healed when Peter’s shadow passed over them (Acts 5:15), and others were healed by touching cloths used by St. Paul (Acts 19:11–12).
These miraculous events reveal that God often chooses to act through the physical world—just as He did in the Incarnation.
3. Medals and scapulars: Signs of protection and promise
The Miraculous Medal was revealed to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830, with the promise that:
“those who wear it with confidence will receive great graces.”
Millions have testified to its spiritual and even physical effects. It is not the medal that works the grace, but the faith and prayers of the Church accompanying it.
The Brown Scapular, given by Our Lady to St. Simon Stock in 1251, came with the promise:
“Whoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”
This isn’t a magical guarantee, but a pledge of Our Lady’s protection to those who live in a state of grace and practice the Faith sincerely. As Pope Pius XII said:
“The scapular is a sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary... let all of you wear it devoutly and perseveringly.”
Scapulars and medals serve as visual commitments to a Catholic life. They remind the wearer of his duties and invoke the intercession of saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
4. Are these objects superstitious?
No. Superstition is the belief that a thing has power apart from God. The Church condemns this. Sacramentals work through the prayers and blessing of the Church, and their efficacy depends on the disposition of the user. They do not operate automatically or magically. To treat them as charms or lucky items is indeed superstitious—but to use them with faith, as tools of sanctification, is a time-honored practice of the saints.
As St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote:
“He who keeps the scapular, prays the Rosary, and lives in the grace of God will not be lost. These devotions are signs of salvation for the faithful.”
5. A rejection of these things is often a rejection of the Faith
Modernist parishes have, tragically, removed sacramentals from daily life. The post-Vatican II “church” downplays relics, scoffs at medals, and sees devotion to saints as excessive. Yet these practices have always belonged to the visible marks of Catholic identity.
Why? Because modernism tries to deny the supernatural, makes religion interior, emotional, and horizontal—detached from the real presence of God in matter and form. But Catholicism is incarnational: Christ came in the flesh, and the Church continues to sanctify the material world through physical things.
True Catholics cling to sacramentals because they are signs of continuity with the Church of all time. They aid our perseverance, protect our families, and sanctify our surroundings.
| Category | Traditional Catholic View | Modern Novus Ordo View | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | To assist in sanctification and spiritual protection | Often dismissed as symbolic or sentimental | Church has always affirmed their power when used devoutly |
| Relics | Venerated as channels of grace; used in altars | Rarely emphasized or venerated | Scriptural and apostolic practice |
| Scapulars & Medals | Worn as signs of devotion and Our Lady’s protection | Seen as old-fashioned or optional | Popes and saints promoted them with clear promises |
| Misuse | Discouraged superstition; promoted pious use | Either ignored or caricatured as magical thinking | Proper catechesis is essential |
| Continuity | Consistent with Church tradition and saintly practice | Disconnected from pre-conciliar identity | Loss of visible Catholic identity |
Summary:
The veneration and use of sacramentals such as relics, medals, and scapulars is deeply rooted in the biblical, patristic, and liturgical traditions of the Catholic Church. Far from being superstitious or outdated, these objects represent the incarnational nature of Catholicism: the belief that God works through the material world to bring about our sanctification.
Relics remind us of the heroic virtue of the saints and often serve as instruments of grace. Medals and scapulars, particularly those promoted by Our Lady, have been confirmed by numerous popes and miracles throughout history. The Brown Scapular, for example, is a visible sign of Marian protection, while the Miraculous Medal reminds us to turn to Our Lady for help in trials.
The rejection of sacramentals in modern Novus Ordo parishes is a symptom of a deeper crisis: the loss of supernatural faith and the abandonment of tradition. By contrast, traditional Catholics preserve and promote the use of these holy objects because they foster virtue, devotion, and divine protection.
These sacramentals are not talismans. Their effectiveness comes from the Church’s blessing and the faith of the user. They are tools in the spiritual life—reminders of the presence of God and aids to salvation. Saints like St. John Bosco, St. Padre Pio, and St. Louis de Montfort all strongly recommended their use.
To discard them is to cut oneself off from centuries of Catholic wisdom and practice. To embrace them is to walk with the saints—and to walk under the mantle of Our Lady, who lovingly provides these means for our sanctification and perseverance in these dangerous times.
Further Reading:
The Glories of Mary – St. Alphonsus Liguori
The Secret of the Rosary – St. Louis de Montfort