§ 1. On Worship in General

What worship is. Every care concerning some thing is marked by the name of worship or cultivation: care of the body, of knowledge. More specially, however, it signifies the recognition and practical observance of the excellence of a Superior. Thus all acts by which man subjects himself to God so that he may render to Him what is owed to Him are acts of divine worship. And such are all acts of the virtue of religion.

When we say this, we by no means affirm that those acts are wholly acts either of worship or of religion: for not insofar as they are directed to our good, but insofar as they express an order toward God, are they acts of worship. But that they may be acts of religion or worship, it is enough that they manifest an affection of subjection toward God and of trusting reverence.

Finally, more strictly, acts of worship are acts protestative of divine excellence and of man's subjection under God; or the acts which we have called elicited acts of religion.

Of how many kinds worship is. I. Worship is interior, in devotion of the mind, and exterior, which is subdivided into private and public. Public ritual worship is called liturgical, of which below. Sacraments also pertain to public worship: for they are at the same time for the remedy of sin and for divine worship: whether by consecration they depute a man to divine worship, as Baptism, Confirmation, and Order; or purify the consecrated worshiper, as Penance and Extreme Unction; or prepare worshipers and represent a holy thing, i.e. the union of Christ and the Church, as Matrimony does; or are themselves acts of worship, as is the confection of the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is done by sacrificing.

From c. 1256, public worship is that which is rendered "in the name of the Church by persons legitimately deputed for this and by acts which from the institution of the Church are to be exhibited to God, the Saints, and the Blessed alone." In this canon, as is clear from the Constitution Quamvis iusto, 30 April 1749, § 12, of Benedict XIV, to which we are referred in a note, the particle and adds not a second required condition, but another form of public worship, so that it has only the force of or.

Acts which are permitted to be exhibited only to God, the Saints, and the Blessed are: to place images on an altar, to depict them with halos, rays, or another sign which manifests and excites worship, to hang votive tablets or votive gifts at their tombs, to light a lamp before relics or to propose them for public veneration. On the contrary, that persons not beatified be depicted on the walls or in the colored windows of a church, without a sign of sanctity; that, with the Ordinary consenting, to whom the matter must be referred, things obtained "from a vow" with testimony of a grace received be kept secretly: these do not pertain to public worship.

Although not a few pious writers are still accustomed, in describing the lives of Saints, to insert protestations which have their name from Urban VIII, nevertheless those decrees have now been abrogated by the Constitution Officiorum of Leo XIII, 25 January 1897. Cf. our De prohibitione et censura librorum, n. 19 note and 79.

Today only these can be honored with public worship who by decree of the Holy See have been numbered among the Saints or Blessed. This discipline was introduced by Alexander III (1159-1181), and perfected by Urban VIII. Therefore, concerning the formal canonization of Servants of God who are prior to Alexander III and are named in the martyrology, the Church is not solicitous. Immemorial worship rendered to Servants of God who lived after Alexander III and before the time fixed by the Constitution of Urban VIII¹ can remain in the state in which it is. Indeed, concerning their beatification a process can be instructed "by way of worship or of an excepted case," so that that worship may be formally approved. Once this approval has been obtained, the Servant of God is equivalently beatified. Cf. canons 2125-2135. More recent Servants of God, on the contrary, cannot be beatified or canonized unless it has first been established that no public worship had been given to them. Therefore the process is called "by way of non-worship." - From the decree of S.R.C., 26 August 1913, Servants of God can no longer be called Venerable from the time their cause has been introduced, but only from the time the heroicity of virtues or martyrdom has been proved.

Canonization, but not Beatification, contains an infallible and irreformable judgment. Therefore "Saints can be honored everywhere and by any act of worship of that genus (dulia); but the Blessed cannot be honored except in the place and manner which the Roman Pontiff has granted" (c. 1277, § 2). These modes are shown, some from immemorial custom, others from a special indult. Cf. Wernz, Ius Decret. t. 3, n. 367.

Private worship is honorably bestowed on him whose sanctity is morally certain to you. Thus baptized infants, although, because they have exercised no heroic virtues, they are not subjects of canonization (Wernz, t. 3, n. 365), can be invoked by parents and brothers as true intercessors before God.

¹ I.e. the year 1534. On account of a particular cause, however, that time is taken with a certain greater latitude. Cf. Epitome iur. can. II, 602.

— II. Worship is distinguished as latria, which is proper to the infinite divine Majesty; dulia, which honors the singular likeness with God which the Saints participate. The special name hyperdulia is today reserved to acts by which the singular dignity and sanctity of the Virgin Mother of God is honored, on account of the peculiar proximity to God which divine maternity conferred upon her. Cf. 2, 2, q. 103, art. 4, ad 2. Hence indeed she is akin to the Word, because she is consanguineous with the human nature which the person of the Word espoused to Himself.

Except sacrifice, which is proper to the worship of latria and pertains to public worship, other external acts, according to the intention of the one honoring and the circumstances, can manifest latria or dulia: thus genuflection, the lighting of lamps, and also fumigation (the offering of incense).

— III. Worship is distinguished besides as absolute and relative. Absolute worship is terminated at persons; relative at things which are connected with a person and thus participate a certain sanctity, which is the cause why they cannot be treated unworthily and can be positively affected with honors: relative honors indeed, because they are mediately referred to a person. Among these things, relics themselves are placed. Cf. c. 1255 § 2. Persons themselves who represent others more worthy, e.g. Legates who represent a Prince or the Supreme Pontiff, are honored with relative worship. But we can, almost as we honor God in His Saints, merely use an image for representing to ourselves a person, and thus directly, through the image, honor the person represented: then the image itself is not honored. The declared reason for relative worship shows why the worship of an image is not the same as the worship of the person; why the image of a less worthy person can be honored more than the image of a more worthy one; and why the various images of the same person are honored in various degrees.

— Concerning the worship of relics, cf. canons 1283-1287.

That we may gather these things into a few points: a) Only those relics can be honored with public worship in churches which have legitimately been "authenticated." b) Holy relics whose documents of authenticity have perished cannot be exposed for public veneration without the judgment of the Ordinary of the place. In these matters the Vicar General needs a special mandate. c) Ancient relics are confirmed in the possession of their veneration, unless it is certain that they are false. d) Ordinaries of places must prudently remove from worship a relic which they know certainly not to be authentic; and at the same time restrain imprudent attacks.

Notable relics, or those which in some church are honored with great veneration of the people, cannot validly be alienated or transferred perpetually into another church without permission of the Apostolic See. Notable relics are the body, head, arm, forearm, hand, leg, or that part of the body in which the martyr suffered, provided that it is entire and not small (c. 1281, § 2). The same cannot be kept in private houses or oratories without the express license of the Ordinary of the place (c. 1282, § 1). Relics of the Most Holy Cross are never to be exhibited for public veneration in the same case with relics of the Saints, but are to have their own separate case (c. 1287, § 2). Finally, "to sell sacred relics is wrong" (c. 1289, § 1).

— Concerning the worship of sacred images. Cf. cc. 1279-1281, 1385 and 1399.

The blessing of images is not prescribed by any canon as to be done; but "if images exposed to public veneration are solemnly blessed, this blessing is reserved to the Ordinary, who nevertheless can commit it to any priest" (c. 1279, § 4). - No unusual image can be placed in churches, even exempt ones, or in sacred places unless it has been approved by the Ordinary of the place: to this certain cautions are prescribed by c. 1279, §§ 1-3. - "Precious images, i.e. those outstanding by age, art, or worship, exposed to the veneration of the faithful in churches or public oratories, ... are never to be repaired without consent given in writing by the Ordinary; who, before he grants license, is to consult prudent and expert men" (c. 1280). - Precious images, or those which in some church are honored with great veneration of the people, cannot validly be alienated or transferred perpetually into another church without permission of the Apostolic See (c. 1281, § 1). - Sacred images to be printed must be submitted to ecclesiastical censorship; moreover printed images are prohibited which are alien to the sense and decrees of the Church (c. 1385, §§ 1, 3°; and 1399, 12°).