Santoro indicated that relics have the power to facilitate devotees with a deeper connection with God and promote intimate reflection on the Passion of Christ, especially as the beginning of Lent approaches. “People are deeply attracted to them,” he noted.
“A relic doesn’t contain any magical power or anything like that. The people have to contribute their faith and God performs these miracles through these great men and women,” Santoro added.
The Catholic Church categorizes relics into three types. First-class relics include parts of a saint’s body, such as hair, blood or bones, as well as objects that were in direct contact with Christ, for example, a fragment of his cross, his tomb or his manger. Second-class relics include objects that a saint used during his or her lifetime. On the other hand, third-class relics are items that have been touched by a first-class relic.