Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
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catholic terms:shrines,cult,fraternity etc | anthony | Wednesday, April 8, 2009 |
Question: Hello Bro Ignatius, secondly is angel Micheal the same as saint Micheal? Can you please offer some explanation and many thanks for your help so far. |
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Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
Dear Anthony: Sorry for the delay in answering. Here are some definitions: Shrine: In general, a holy place. It may be a box-shaped repository in which relics of a saint are preserved; or the sacred image or statue of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, or a saint in church or at home to which special devotion is given. But mainly shrines are prominent sacred localities. They may be the burial place of a saint, or where he or she lived or died, or where a heavenly apparition took place. Shrines are the focuses of pilgrimages by the faithful and often of miraculous phenomena approved by the Church. (Etym. Latin scrinium, box, bookcase.) [Source: Catholic Dictionary] Cult: 1) A definite form of worship or of religious observance, sometimes rendered "cultus," especially when referring to the worship of saints. 2) Also a particular religious group centered around some unusual belief, generally transient in duration and featuring some exotic or imported ritual and other practices. (Etym. Latin cultus, care, adoration; from colere, to cultivate.) [Source: Catholic Dictionary] The first definition is the one that the Catholic Church uses most often. A Cult in that definition can refer to the cult of Mary. That refers to the veneration of Mary. The "worship of saints", by the way, is not referring to the worship given only to God. The English word "worship" derives from three Latin words latria, dulia, hyperdulia. From the article Saint Worship from Catholic Answers:
Fraternity: An association for special religious purposes. [Source: Webster's Dictionary] Examples of Catholic Fraternities are spiritual groups such as the Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities, or benefit and service groups like the Order of Foresters, the Holy Name Society, and Knights of Columbus, or student Catholic fraternities on college compasses. Saint Michael: St. Michael is Michael the Archangel. The reason the angel Michael is a "saint" when he is not human is that the word "saint" means a person worthy of honor and veneration. The Archangel is honored and venerated in the Church, as is the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael. God Bless, Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum
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