Chapter II — On the worship owed to the Blessed Virgin, the Angels, the Saints, sacred Images, and the Relics of the Saints

I. Question I. Is worship owed to the Blessed Virgin, the Angels, and the Saints? Answer. Although God alone must be adored with the worship of latria, this by no means prevents us from venerating other persons with an inferior worship, on account of their peculiar conjunction with God. The Blessed Virgin stands eminent above all creatures, next after God; therefore she is worshipped with a peculiar worship, which we call hyperdulia. The Angels and the other holy men of God are adored with the worship of dulia. It is, then, of faith that the Blessed Virgin and the Saints reigning with God are to be worshipped with some adoration; and this was defined in the second Council of Nicaea, actions 2 and 3, and in the Tridentine. Innumerable testimonies of the Scriptures and of the Fathers the catholic Theologians adduce in confirmation of this truth against the most recent Heretics. Natalis Alexander, dissertation 25 of the fifth-century history, brings forward documents of every age.

II. The Angel, Apocalypse 22, forbade himself to be adored, as also did SS. Peter and Paul, as is had in the Acts of the Apostles. St. Thomas answers, II-II, q. 84, art. 5, ad 1: With one veneration we venerate God, which pertains to latria; and with another veneration we venerate certain excellent creatures, which pertains to dulia ... Therefore, according to the reverence which is owed to an excellent creature, David adored Nathan; but according to the reverence which is owed to God, Mardochai refused to adore Aman, fearing lest he should transfer the honor of God to a man, as is said in Esther chapter 13. And similarly, according to the reverence owed to an excellent creature, Abraham adored Angels, and so did Joshua, as is read in Joshua chapter 5 — although it can be understood that they adored, with the adoration of latria, God who was appearing and speaking in the person of the Angel. But according to the reverence which is owed to God, John was forbidden to adore the Angel, in the last chapter of the Apocalypse: both to show the dignity of man, which he has attained through Christ, so as to be made equal to the Angels — whence it is added there: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren; and also to exclude an occasion of idolatry — whence it is added: Adore God.

III. By this angelic doctrine all the sophisms of the Heretics are routed. What they obtrude — that this distinction of the worship of latria and dulia is nowhere indicated in the holy Scriptures, and was unknown in the first centuries of the Church — is of no weight. Doubtless the verbal distinction is not found in the holy Scriptures, but it is taught in very deed. St. Augustine mentions our distinction, book 10 of the City of God, chapter 1, and book 20 Against Faustus, chapter 21, where he has many things against the Heretics who calumniate us for erecting temples and altars to the Saints. For we erect temples and altars to God alone, and to him alone we offer sacrifices, although we do this under the invocation and name of the Saints.

IV. Question II. Is the use of sacred images licit and pious? Answer. All Catholics affirm it, and the Tridentine Synod defined this, session 24, decree 2. All adoration of sacred images is respective. It is licit to form an image of God the Father, and of each Person of the Trinity. Wherefore Alexander VIII deservedly condemned this thesis: It is a nefarious thing for a Christian to place a simulacrum of God the Father seated in a Temple. These sacred symbols are painted, that our mind be excited by these sensible signs to the worship of God. For the invisible things of God, understood, are seen through the things that are made.

V. Question III. Can sacred images be adored? Answer. Not only is the use of sacred images pious, but their worship too is pious and useful, as the sacred Councils have defined — especially the second of Nicaea, of Florence, and of Trent. Yet no other worship, as Bellarmine contends with others, is shown to sacred images than that which is attributed to the prototype.

VI. Question IV. Is there a precept of having and adoring sacred images? Answer. Of the use of sacred images there is no precept, whether natural or divine. But that an ecclesiastical precept has been introduced by custom with respect to the community of the Faithful is certain. We are commanded to adorn temples and altars with sacred images, and it is forbidden that a sacrifice be celebrated without an image of the Crucified. This precept, however, does not seem to bind individual Faithful, although a Catholic who should abstain from all use of sacred images could scarcely be excused from fault. The precept also presses that forbids their contempt. Now in practice a Catholic either adores or scorns them: for in practice one can scarcely prescind from either extreme.

VII. Question V. Are sacred relics to be adored? Answer. All Catholics affirm that sacred relics are worthy of adoration, as has been defined in several Councils: the second of Nicaea, action 3; the fifth of Carthage, chapter 5; the second Lateran, chapter 42; the Tridentine, session 24. And sacred relics must be worshipped with that adoration with which the persons whose parts they are, are worshipped. For relics are particles of the bodies of Saints — such as hairs, bones, nails, blood, teeth, ashes, garments, veils, cloths, and other things which touched their bodies, or which the Saints used. It is not licit to worship the worms of Saints' bodies, either privately or publicly, whatever Vasquez, Sanchez, and Castropalao say to the contrary. That sacred relics may be licitly and publicly worshipped, they must be of some Saint or Blessed by the public judgment of the Church; and, that the certainty necessary for showing worship may be had, the testimony of a Bishop asserting that this relic belongs to this or that Saint is required. The stealing of sacred relics is sacrilegious theft; and the selling of them is not free of simony. Similarly, sacred lambs, blessed with solemn rite by the supreme Pontiffs and destined for sacred use, are worthy of veneration. It is forbidden to paint them with colors and vermilion, and by a stronger right to sell them. A price can be exacted only for the material of which they are made. Care must nevertheless be taken lest, under the pretext either of the material or of the case in which they are enclosed, the price be increased, and simony lie hidden.

VIII. Priestly vestments, sacred vessels, and temples are worthy of veneration, since they are destined for the worship of God. Chalices and Corporals cannot be touched by Laymen, except by force of a privilege granted to lay Regulars, while they serve in the sacristy.

IX. Confessors and Preachers must instruct the Faithful...

diligently in the worship of the Saints, and warn them that all worship must ultimately be referred to God, whom they must worship in his Saints. The Blessed Virgin, the Angels, and the Saints are all creatures, who are worshipped only for God's sake, or on account of their intimate conjunction with God. The people are prone to superstition; therefore they must be diligently instructed.