Catholic Sacramentals · Crosses and medals
Historical origin: Caminos de Santiago, XIo-XII centuries and beyond.
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 vine shell became a distinctive of the pilgrims who arrived in Compostela during the Middle Ages. It could be collected in Galicia and soon venerated near the sanctuary under ecclesiastical regulation. Its convergent lines were interpreted as an image of different paths that reach the same goal. The cross-red sword of Santiago had a different development, linked to the Order of Santiago and its iconography. The modern combination of cross and venera sums up pilgrimage, penance and apostolic witness.
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
The deer alone does not prove to have completed the Way nor does it grant automatic indulgence. It is a memory of a pilgrimage that calls for conversion, Eucharist, reconciliation and charity.
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
