May 07, 2020 09:00:00

Why was the Bishop who took Mary Magdalene's finger torn back and was not punished?

The

sacred relics of dead saints are believed to cause miracles and have been worshiped in various religions. Especially in Christianity, sacrament ceremonies require sacred relics such as the saint's body or part of the body, and many bishops and monks use sacred relics not only by means of gifts and purchases but also by robbery methods. It is said that he had obtained.

When Monks Went Undercover to Steal Relics | JSTOR Daily
https://daily.jstor.org/when-monks-went-undercover-to-steal-relics/

Around the 12th century, Bishop Hugh of Lincoln Cathedral visited the Fecamp Abbey in France. A holy relic known as 'Mummy of Mary Magdalene's Arm' was enshrined in the Fecamp Monastery. Bishop Hugh hopes 'I want the power of Mary,' and tried to shap Maria's arm with her own hands before many monks were watching.

However, due to his lack of strength and the inability to cut off his arm, Bishop Hugh bites into Maria's hand and tears off two fingers. The monks who witnessed the scene said they couldn't do much in fear until Bishop Hugh put Maria's finger in his pocket. Then, at each sacrament, Bishop Hugh justified himself by telling the monks that 'nothing is as sacred as the finger of Mary he had obtained.'

In fact, around the 9th and 12th centuries, bishops and monks were competing with other monasteries to increase the pilgrims and funds of the monastery by obtaining holy relics by all means. The skull of

St. Fides , located in the Abbey of Sainte-Foy , was originally enshrined elsewhere.

The remains of St. Fides were encased in a monastery in the town called Agen, but were stolen by a monk who settled in Agen around the 9th century. The monks lived in Agen for 10 years, and over time, earned the trust of the townspeople, and were entrusted with the protection of the relics. As soon as the monks took up their duties, they stole the skull of St. Fides and later brought it back to the town of Conque, where the Abbey of Sainte-Foy was built.

The strange thing about the theft of holy relics is why the bishops and monks could steal without being punished. The story of the theft of holy relics was passed on to posterity because the monks left a book describing all the details of the theft, and so many genres called 'furta sacra' were created. I had a book. Some historians argue that many of the holy relic thefts that have taken place in history are exaggerated or complete myths.

However, if it were an exaggeration or a myth, it would be strange to write a book about the theft, which would otherwise be what you want to do, like a heroic story. Even if it is a true story, there are many books that openly cover the methods of theft that should be hidden, so it is still unclear whether the theft of the relic is true.

There is also a theory that the reason why the theft was not punished was that 'those who were able to carry away the relics are not thieves.' It is thought that the sacred relics have 'the power of the saints who cause miracles', and that 'the thieves can be stopped'. It was believed that holy relics that should not be taken away would be too heavy for a thief to touch or the doors of the room would not open. In other words, the fact that the holy relics are taken away by somebody is thought to have 'wanted the holy relics to be taken away,' and it is highly probable that the theft was not punished.