relic worship
Honoring holy remains
Relic worship is the veneration of physical remains or objects associated with saints, holy figures, or sacred events.
In religious traditions, particularly Catholicism and Buddhism, relics—bones, clothing, artifacts—are believed to retain spiritual power or facilitate divine connection.
Critics use the term dismissively to suggest superstition or misplaced devotion: Their attachment to the founder's original manuscripts borders on relic worship.
- processionFormal moving line
- divine powerSupernatural strength of deities
- healing powerAbility to restore health
- venerationProfound admiring respect
- shrineSacred devotional place
glass case · artifact · sanctity · amulet · consecration · pilgrimage routes · shroud · Camino de Santiago · icon · medallion · holy site · sanctification · incorruptibility · patron saint · mysticism · medieval church · Middle Ages · altar
relic worshipanti-materialism
Opposition to prioritizing possessions
relic, relics, worship, worships, worshipped, worshipper, worshippers, worshipful, worshiping