Catholic sacramentals · Devotional cords
Historical origin: European Catholic Piety, Modern Age.
What is and what is not
This object or practice belongs to the field of Catholic piety and must be understood from the general doctrine of the sacramentals. The sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church who, by their prayer, prepare to receive grace and sanctify the circumstances of life. They do not confer grace in the same way as the seven sacraments and do not act automatically. Matter, color, or form have no magic power.
History
The cords in honor of the holy angels were born in pious cofradies and associations as visible signs of belonging, prayer and moral commitment. Their colors, knots and prayers varied according to religious places and families; therefore there is no single universal model or linear history. They are understood in the light of the Church's faith in angels as spiritual creatures in the service of God, never as impersonal energies that can be controlled by an object.
Its development is inserted into a broader Christian history. From the first centuries, the faithful used the sign of the cross, blessings, water, oil, clothing, pilgrimage and images to keep alive the memory of Baptism and the communion of the saints. In the Middle Ages, the cofradies and reduced forms of religious habits grew; the Modern Age multiplied rituals, medals and sanctuary memories. The contemporary liturgical reform called for a review of these practices so that they lead to the liturgy, sprout from it and avoid superstitions.
Christian use and blessing
He invites him to imitate obedience to God and to ask for spiritual custody. It does not allow to invoke the names of angels other than Scripture or to practice divination, esoterism or magic.
The blessing must be done with a rite approved and by the competent minister. The faithful responds to that prayer by living the Gospel: faith, hope, charity, participation in the Eucharist, confession when necessary and works of mercy. A sacramental does not replace a medical consultation, a prudent decision or moral duty.
doctrinal sources for deepening
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1667-1679
- Code of Canon Law, 1166-1172
- Directory on popular piety and liturgy
