Catholic Sacramentals · Crosses and medals
Historical origin: Benedictine Europe, a form now consolidated in 1880.
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 medal gathers the image of Saint Benito and a cross surrounded by Latin initials. The letters summarize Christian invocation against evil and a profession of trust on the cross of Christ. Some of these formulas are documented in the Benedictine field since the Modern Age; the so-called Benedictine Jubilee of 1880 set and widely disseminated the current design. He is not a talisman, nor does he act to carry engraved metal: blessing is a prayer of the Church and the center is the victory of Christ.
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
It is appropriate to ask a priest or deacon for his blessing with the approved rite and to learn the meaning of the initials. Solemn formulas of exorcism are not domestic prayers.
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
