God's
prohibition against "graven images" (pecel is the relevant
Hebrew word, which the Jews translated as "eidoloi", i.e. "idols," in
the Septuagint) in the First Commandment (or Second Commandment,
depending on your numbering system of the Decalogue) in no way
prohibits art; it's a prohibition against the making of idols, i.e.,
false gods. This can be the only
interpretation of this Commandment for
any other interpretation would make a liar out of God -- blasphemy! He
commands Moses to make a fiery serpent (Numbers 21:8) and commands the
Israelites to adorn the Ark of the Covenant with statues of gilded
cherubim (Exodus 25 and Exodus 26). Solomon's Temple was dripping in
ornateness -- carved cherubim, palm trees, open flowers (I Kings 6) --
and it was commanded to be so by God (1 Chronicles 28:18-19). Ezekiel's
visionary Temple (Ezekiel 41) was likewise filled with statuary... And
what to make of interior of the 3rd c. Dura Europus Synagogue,
literally covered in frescoes (see picture above for one of the many
Old Testament scenes depicted in the synagogue)?
From the very
earliest times, Christians, too, have used images to aid in worship,
just as our Hebrew ancestors did. Here is
how 19th c. archaeologist Rodolfo Lanciani describes his investigation
of just one single area of the Christian Catacombs:
When, on
December 19, I entered the cubiculum no. 54, in which the paintings
are, and he began to point out to me the outlines of figures and
objects, I thought he was laboring under an optical delusion; I could
see nothing beyond a blackened and mouldy plaster surface. My eyes,
however, soon became initiated to the new experience, and able to round
the lines of this curious palimpsest. The dark spots soon grew into
shape, and lovely groups, inspired by the purest Christian symbolism,
appeared on the walls. There are thirteen pictures, representing the
following-named subjects: the Annunciation, the three Magi following
the star (which is shaped like the monogram Chi-Rho), their Adoration
at Bethlehem, the Baptism of our Lord, the Last Judgment, the healing
of the blind, the woman of Samaria, the Good Shepherd (twice), the
Orantes (twice).
See the fresco
of Christ as the Good Shepherd from the Priscilla Catacombs and the
statue of Christ as the Good Shepherd, ca. A.D. 225 below.
Catholics
use statuary and other icons in the same way most people use
photographs of their children on their desks at the office: to remind
them of someone. A statue of Christ reminds us where all salvation
comes from. Seeing an icon of Mary reminds us of her humility before
her Son and Savior and acts as a "window into Heaven". A statue of St.
Francis of Asissi reminds us of his obedience. A statue of Th�r�se of
Lisieux reminds us that all of us can find sainthood even if we're
"little" and "unimportant". And so on. [see Communion
of Saints for more on the Saints themselves as opposed to
representations of them]
The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes very clear the Catholic
stance against idolatry:
2112 The first
commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in,
nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God. Scripture
constantly recalls this rejection of "idols, [of] silver and gold, the
work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do
not see." These empty idols make their worshippers empty: "Those who
make them are like them; so are all who trust in them."God, however, is
the "living God" who gives life and intervenes in history.
2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan worship. It remains a
constant temptation to faith. Idolatry consists in divinizing what is
not God. Man commits idolatry whenever he honors and reveres a creature
in place of God, whether this be gods or demons (for example,
satanism), power, pleasure, race, ancestors, the state, money, etc.
Jesus says, "You cannot serve God and mammon." Many martyrs died for
not adoring "the Beast" refusing even to simulate such worship.
Idolatry rejects the unique Lordship of God; it is therefore
incompatible with communion with God.
2114 Human life finds its unity in the adoration of the one God. The
commandment to worship the Lord alone integrates man and saves him from
an endless disintegration. Idolatry is a perversion of man's innate
religious sense. An idolater is someone who "transfers his
indestructible notion of God to anything other than God." [quoting
Origen's Contra Celsum]
Another
important thing to keep in mind when considering whether or not images
displease God, which they obviously don't in themselves or He
wouldn't have commanded the Israelites to make some, is to remember
that God became flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. Christ is an
"icon" of the Father: "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in
Him Who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him Who sent Me" (John
12:44-45). Christ is "iconic" in the sense that there was
God Himself, in a form that we can see. As St. John of
Damascas (b. A.D. 676) wrote:
"It is obvious
that when you contemplate God becoming man, then you may depict Him
clothed in human form. When the invisible One becomes visible to flesh,
you may then draw His likeness. When He who is bodiless and without
form, immeasurable in the boundlessness of His own nature, existing in
the form of God, empties Himself and takes the form of a servant in
substance and in stature and is found in a body of flesh, then you may
draw His image and show it to anyone willing to gaze upon it"
If
you truly believe, though, that God doesn't want people making statues,
icons, or other images at all, for any reason, be sure to contact the
Louvre and have them throw out all the Bernini and Michelangelo
sculpture and paintings by Rembrandt... We might have to get rid of the
Lincoln Memorial and Mount Rushmore, also. Oh, and don't forget to toss
out your daughter's dolls, your "Precious Moments" figurines, teddy
bear refrigerator magnets, family pictures, and video collection, too!
The Taliban awaits you.
Misunderstanding?
Most statues in
Catholic Churches aren't "graven" anyway; they come from plaster molds.
I wouldn't have thought about getting persnickety about such things,
but then I came across this conversation online (edited):
Tessy62 -
what exactly is a graven image?
BrBob - Carved
decrease - it is like idol, Tessy.
BrBob - Like a statue
Tessy62 - what about crosses in churches, statues
in
catholic churches?
flick - does it have to be carved or just made by
man?
DelaYah - graven......6459. pecel, peh'-sel; from
H6458; an idol:--carved (graven) image.
BrBob - Yeah, Tessy
Tessy62 - those are wrong too?
Schmuel - yep they are graven images
decrease - yeah there are many relics, statue of
Mary,
etc in Catholic churches.
DelaYah - very wrong!
deemike - what if i carved a bear out of wood and
sold it for a way to make my food
Tessy62 - gee.
BrBob - No problem with that
Tessy62 - as long u dont worship it right?
BrBob - Unless you worship the bear
Schmuel - or the food
claudia - deemike.....I think it is something you
bow
the knee to or worship
deemike - that is what i think also
Tessy62 - thats chilling. i bet people dont think
about it..even crosses are wrong?
deemike - i have some glass bears
that my son gave me
when he was a little boy
BrTom - The glass bears are OK
Hmmm,
so: images
of Mary and crosses are bad (whether they are truly "graven" or not);
graven images of bears are OK, at least if you sell them for food;
glass images of bears are most definitely OK, at least if given to you
by your son. In fact all images -- even "graven" ones! -- seem to be OK
unless they're Catholic or the Washington Monument (which probably is
a Masonic thing).
It's either that sort of hypocrisy that's being shown above, or it's a
simple matter of their not believing that Catholics don't worship
plaster, wood, or marble, no matter how many Catholics tell them they
don't, no matter how deeply the Catechism expresses the Church's
abhorrence of idolatry. The only answer to that, I guess, is
"whatever."
Or is it the
respect shown for sacred objects that's the problem? Catholics bow to
icons and pray in front of (not to) statues -- surely that's idolatry,
eh? Nope. I don't know about you, but when the American flag comes out,
my hand goes right over my heart. Am I worshipping cloth? I think not,
and most Americans know the difference between respect shown for one's
country through the flag and "cloth-worship." I also kiss
pictures of family members (I can't help it; I'm Italian) but am not in
love with photographs per se. And how much you want to bet that
the owner of the glass bears above doesn't treat those bears with
loving care? Is that "worship" of the glass bears or a simple
expression of love for her son? Don't you have a special place in your
house for Holy Scripture? Don't you treat that "mere paper" in a
special way? I imagine that if you are like most Christians, the idea
of throwing Scripture against the wall or spitting on it is nauseating.
Does this mean you worship a book? The Ark of the Covenant with its
carved cherubim and the stone tablets it contained were "things" that
were treated with great reverence. Were the Israelites worshipping
those objects? And if you still don't get it, would you mind if someone
threw darts at pictures of your children? And if you were to mind, does
that make you an idolator? I mean, really. Think about it.
There was a
television show back in the day called "People are Funny," hosted by
Art Linkletter. In an episode that aired on April 4, 1955, Mr.
Linkletter invited a
female champion skeet shooter on to the show, ostensibly to show off
her skills
with a gun. Pictures of various faces would drop down, and she was to
shoot the images between the eyes. Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Linkletter
arranged
things such that one of the pictures that dropped was of the woman's
husband. Here's how it went:
Mrs. Thompson: Ohhhhh no! (audience
laughs)
Art Linkletter:
Whats'
the matter, Mrs. Thompson?
Mrs. Thompson:
Well, that's my husband!
Art Linkletter:
No, no, no, no, Mrs. Thompson, that is not your husband; --
Mrs. Thompson:
Oh yes, it is!
Art Linkletter:
--- that's a picture of your
husband.
Mrs. Thompson:
Oh, well, I still won't shoot him.
Art Linkletter:
For forty dollars you won't shoot it?
Needless to say,
Mrs. Thompson refused.
Because of the illogic and hypocrisy of some people's attitudes toward
Catholics on this matter (similar Old
Testament practices and post-Temple Jewish behaviors don't seem to
bother these same people), I sometimes I think it all amount to bigotry
against non-Jewish
Mediterranean and Eastern cultures. Truly. The Pope kisses the ground
of a country he visits, or a visitor to the Vatican kisses his ring (to
honor his ministry, don't you know), and some Protestants have
coronaries! Meanwhile, the Italian, the Spaniard, the Russian, the
Pole, and the Greek "get it" just fine. I hate to break it to everyone,
but the first Christians were Jews and Peter took his ministry to Rome,
Italy, a place where the men kiss each other on the cheek, the women
talk with their hands, and the children are above average. I can see
how these physical, sometimes emotional displays can make someone who
is not used to them uncomfortable, but -- well, we're perfectly fine
with it, thanks. Just don't assume the worst ("They kiss the Pope's
ring!!!!! They think he is God!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Devil-children, them
Catlickers are!!!!).
Christ as the Good Shepherd,
ca. A.D. 225
And this brings us to:
Holy water
(which recalls our Baptism), blessed salt, holy oil ("chrism" or "oil
of gladness"), relics, the sign of the cross, the blessing of meals,
homes and liturgical implements, etc. -- the entire concept that
objects and rituals can become "sacramentals," can be "set apart" and
consecrated for devotional use. "Where's THAT in the Bible?" Catholics
are often asked as they are accused of being dabblers in "magic." The
answer: everywhere! From the Old Testament bones of Elisha and
consecrations of altars and tabernacles and candesticks to the New
Testament miracles involving material things like the hem of Jesus'
garment, the mere shadow of St. Peter, and even mud and spit, blessed
objects and ritual are entirely Biblical (see Relevant Scripture
below).
A reminder: "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold,
it was very good." To believe that nature in itself is evil is the
heresy of gnosticism! Nature is GOOD. Matter and flesh are GOOD. God
Himself took on flesh -- how bad can flesh be? But God's sacramental
creation is broken and has been since sin entered the world
through Adam. Christ redeems, however, and the Holy Spirit sanctifies.
The Church, in Her wisdom, calls on the power of God to do just those
things as Her priests bless objects or people to dedicate them to a
sacred purpose. From the Catechism:
For
well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments
and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the
divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion,
Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all
sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any
proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the
sanctification of men and the praise of God. [emphasis mine]
If
you don't
like the idea of sacred things, then the burden of proof is on you:
when did God change the nature of these things? When did the
bones of Elisha lose their sacredness? At what point in St.
Peter's life did his shadow lose its power to heal, by the grace of
Christ? If you came across the robe that Jesus wore when the bleeding
woman touched the hem, would you think that it's just a piece of fabric
-- or would you treat it as a holy relic? Where does God say in
the Bible that there is no longer any such thing as a sacred
object?
The Sign of the Cross
Self-described
Torah-true Jews to this day wear tefillin on their foreheads and arms
as a sign of their identity and devotion1.
This practice stems from Deuteronomy 6:4-8:
"Hear, O
Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy
God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in
thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be
as frontlets between thine eyes."
Compare
those words with the words of St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem (d. A.D.
386)
"Let us,
therefore, not be ashamed of the Cross of Christ; but though another
hide it, do thou openly seal it upon thy forehead, that the devils may
behold the royal sign and flee trembling far away. Make then this sign
at eating and drinking, at sitting, at lying down, at rising up, at
speaking, at walking: in a word, at every act."
God speaking,
through Ezekiel, to the remnant of Israel (and don't forget that the
Church is "Israel"!), tells the faithful:
And the LORD
said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of
Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and
that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.
(Ezekiel 9:4)
The Catholic
Sign of the Cross is absolutely ancient, rooted not only in the Old
Testament but the New (Revelation/Apocalypse speaks of those who have
the sign of God in their foreheads -- and those who have the sign of
the Beast in their foreheads. See Relevant Scripture below). When
Catholics undergo the Sacrament of Confirmation, the Bishop (sometimes
a priest) seals the sign on our foreheads with holy chrism ("oil of
gladness"). St. John of Damascus wrote, "This was given to us as a sign
on our forehead, just as the circumcision was given to Israel: for by
it we believers are separated and distinguished from unbelievers."
Crossing one's self recalls this seal, and the invocation that is said
while making this holy sign calls on our God -- the Father, His Son,
and the Holy Spirit (the use of holy water when making this sign also
recalls our Baptism).
The Sign of the Cross is made thusly2:
Using two fingers signifying the two natures of Christ (human and
divine) or three fingers signifying the Trinity (Eastern Catholic and
Orthodox use):
- touch the forehead and say (or pray mentally) "In the name of
the Father,"
-
touch the
breastbone and say "and of the Son,"
-
touch the left
shoulder, then right shoulder, as you say "and of the Holy Ghost"3
Eastern
Catholics (and Orthodox) go from right shoulder to left and end by
touching their right side, above the hip, to symbolize Christ's being
pierced by the sword. We send a visible sign to the world and follow
the advice of St. Ephrem of Syria (died A.D. 373):
"Mark all your
actions with the sign of the lifegiving Cross. Do not go out from "the
door of your house till you have signed yourself with the Cross. Do not
neglect that sign whether in eating or drinking or going to sleep, or
in the home or going on a journey. There is no habit to be compared
with it. Let it be a protecting wall round all your conduct, and teach
it to your children that they may earnestly learn the custom."
Footnotes:
1 Similar to the way many good
Catholics keep holy water fonts near their front doors, Torah-true Jews
also, to this day, affix to their doorposts a mezuzah, a little box
containing a scroll inscribed with passages of the Torah. And, as a
sidenote, they also kiss the mezuzah and tefillin as a display of
veneration for what they represent.
2 There are other signs of the
Cross that Catholics make, too. One is to cross one's self or another
making a small cross on the forehead with the thumb (think of blessing
your children in this way!. NB: the use of "bless" here refers to a
parental blessing -- i.e., more or less a prayer for God's grace for
your child. Priests alone have the power to bless in the name of
the Church, to bless objects rendering them sacramentals, etc.).
Another sign is the large sign made in the air by bishops, priests, and
others in blessing persons or material objects.
Yet another is the series of small crosses made by the thumb on the
forehead, lips and breast just before the Gospel reading at Mass. The
sign on the forehead is to show that we believe the Gospel, the sign on
the lips is to show that we respect if and desire to speak of it, and
the sign on our breast is to show that we love the Gospel and want it
kept in our hearts.
3 The words in Latin are "In
nomine
Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti." Hebrew Catholics often sign
themselves using the appropriate Hebrew words: "B'shem haAv (In the
name of the Father) v'haBen (and of the Son) v'Ruach haKodesh (and of
the Holy Spirit)."
Relevant Scripture
Genesis
1:31
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very
good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Exodus 13:19
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn
the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall
carry up my bones away hence with you.
Exodus 25:18-22
"And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you
make them, on the two ends of the kapporeth. Make one cherub on the one
end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece with the kapporeth
shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread
out their wings above, overshadowing the kapporeth with their wings,
their faces one to another; toward the kapporeth shall the faces of the
cherubim be. And you shall put the kapporeth on the top of the ark; and
in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I
will meet with you, and from above the kapporeth, from between the two
cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you
of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel."
Exodus 26:1
"Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine
twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet stuff; with cherubim
skilfully worked shall you make them."
Exodus 29:7
Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and
anoint him.
Exodus 30:25-31
And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound
after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And
thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the
ark of the testimony, And the table and all his vessels, and the
candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, And the altar of
burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. And
thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever
toucheth them shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons,
and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's
office. And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This
shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
Leviticus 2:13
And every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt;
you shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking
from your grain offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
Numbers 5:17
And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the
dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and
put it into the water:
Numbers 21:8
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it
upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten,
when he looketh upon it, shall live. [Note John 3:14 - "And as Moses
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
lifted up"]
Deuteronomy 6:4-8
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the
LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in
thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be
as frontlets between thine eyes.
1 Kings. 6:23-28
In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten
cubits high. Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and
five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten
cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. The other
cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and
the same form. The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that
of the other cherub. He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the
house; and the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of
one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the
other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the
house. And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.
1 Kings 6:29-30
And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved
figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and
without.
2 Kings 13:20-21
And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites
invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as
they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and
they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was
let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on
his feet.
1 Chronicles 28:18-19
And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the
pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out their wings,
and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. All this, said David,
the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all
the works of this pattern.
Ezekiel 9:4
And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through
the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men
that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the
midst thereof.
Ezekiel. 41:17-19
"And on all the walls round about in the inner room and the nave were
carved likenesses of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between
cherub and cherub. Every cherub had two faces: the face of a man toward
the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the
palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple round
about"
Matthew 26: 7-10
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious
ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his
disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this
waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to
the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye
the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
Mark 5:25
And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had
suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she
had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had
heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For
she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And
straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her
body that she was healed of that plague.
Mark 6:13
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were
sick, and healed them.
Mark 7:32-35
And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his
speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him
aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he
spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and
saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
Mark 8:22-24
And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and
besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and
led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his
hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and
said, I see men as trees, walking.
John 9:6
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the
spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
Acts 5:15-16
Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid
them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing
by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of
the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them
which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Acts 19:11-12
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his
body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the
diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Galatians 3:13-14
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus
Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
James 5:14
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and
let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Revelation 7:3
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we
have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
Revelation 9:4
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the
earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men
which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Revelation 14:9-10
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead,
or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation;
and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of
the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb [the Antichrist has
his sign, too!]
Further Reading
 "Sacramentals"
entry from the Catholic Encyclopedia
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