THE FIRST CLASS RELIC OF BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS (1991-2006)
GRANTED TO THE PARISH OF ST. MARY, STAR OF THE SEA, LARGS
BY THE MOST REVEREND DOMENICO SORRENTINO
ARCHBISHOP-BISHOP OF ASSISI-NOCERA UMBRA-GUALDO TADINO
The relic consists of two snippets of Blessed Carlo’s hair. The Latin inscription on the relic reads “ex capillis Caroli Acutis” which translates as “from the (head) hair of Carlo Acutis.” The Certificate, signed by Archbishop Sorrentino, is in Latin, and translates thus:
“To one and all who will read this document, we guarantee and witness that, for the greater glory of Almighty God and the veneration of his Saints, and from the authentic remains which are kept with us, we have extracted from the authentic place this particle (i.e. the hair) from the body of BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS, and we have reverently placed it in a small, round, golden container, protected by crystal, securely closed, tied with a red, silk cord and marked with our seal, and have given it over with the faculty to keep it and to expose it to the public veneration of the faithful, in accordance with Canon Law. As a sign of authenticity, we have provided this testimonial document, signed with our own hand and marked with our seal. Given in Assisi on the 19th day of the month of June in the year 2024. +Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop.”
Future opportunities for veneration of the relic will be announced as appropriate. In due course, a simple shrine in honour of Blessed Carlo, who is to be canonised during the Holy Year of 2025, will be erected in St. Mary’s Church.
The veneration of relics hails from earliest times in the Church. St. John Henry Newman, who was at first sceptical of the devotion of relics, later came to believe that their importance can be associated with defending the Incarnation of Christ. As God became flesh and dwelt amongst us, so the bodies of the Blesseds and Saints were Temples of the Holy Spirit to the extent that they have been formally beatified or canonised by the Church.
It is not the relic itself which is of primary importance. We need to avoid superstition or magical notions in this matter. Rather, we are asking God to grant a grace or favour through the intercession of the Blessed or Saint whose relic we venerate. We are praising and thanking God for the power of His grace in the life and witness of the Saint or Blessed in question. We are also being reminded of our own vocation to holiness of life in our own spirit and body, something for which we need the help and assistance of our brothers and sisters who are already in the Communion of Saints.
Recently, in 2017, and with the full approval of Pope Francis, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has written the following:
“Relics in the Church have always received particular veneration and attention because the body of the Blesseds and of the Saints, destined for the resurrection, has been on earth the living temple of the Holy Spirit and the instrument of their holiness, recognized by the Apostolic See through beatification and canonization. The relics of the Blesseds and of the Saints may not be displayed for the veneration of the faithful without a proper certificate of the ecclesiastical authority who guarantees their authenticity.” (Instruction, “Relics in the Church: Authenticity and Preservation”).
Official Prayer for the Canonisation of Blessed Carlo: