This post is part two of my reflections on the Cathedral (Kölner Dom) in Cologne Germany. You can read part one here.
In this post I will focus on the Cathedral Treasury which, curiously, I had to pay €8 euro to see. No photos were allowed so I’ll have to use this stock photo. This is one section along one wall on just one of the four floors of 13th century vault rooms under the cathedral which have been updated to display millions and millions of dollars of gold, silver and jewels. The Cathedral Treasury was robbed in 1975 and so security today is quite tight.
While this wealth sits here, just outside sat a hungry beggar (who only got a measly one euro in his paper cup from me).
The Immorality of untouchable church Memorial Funds
Back in my denominational days I ruffled feathers with my suggestions that it was immoral for all our American churches to be sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars in “memorial funds” (waiting for the rainy day when the church may need new siding) —all the while we had no funds to start life-giving churches that could help people in our communities. There was once an audible gasp in a room of 1000 when I suggested from the platform that all our empty dying old churches sitting on prime downtown real estate ought to pray about selling their properties and using the money to launch ten new churches and outreaches to the hurting and the poor in the city. All this came back to my mind as I toured the Cologne Cathedral Treasury.
An ornate tomb for gold-plated skulls
I briefly mentioned this in part one of this post, but here are the details… the Cologne Cathedral was built to house the gold-plated skulls of the three wise men. These skulls are consider sacred relics and this church is a shrine intentionally built to house them so people can worship them. I’ll quote directly from the literature handed out at the Cathedral;
In 1164 Archbishop Rainald von Dassel transferred from Milan the bones of the Three Magi. A precious reliquary shrine was ordered to house these relics…. the famous relics drew the faithful from all of Europe and the Cologne pilgrimage became one of the largest of the Middle Ages.
Here’s a pic of the gold box that contains the skulls – I’d estimate it’s four feet high, six feet long.
While others (hundreds) were lighting prayer candles all around this gold box I was praying that some day the church would melt the box down, bury the bones in dirt and use the money to advance the Kingdom of God. What do you think that amount of solid gold is worth? I’ll let you read this last sentence from the literature yourself…
And that is where all the wealth in this treasury came from – relic worship. Kings and noblemen throughout the centuries have come here with priceless gifts paying homage to these three skulls. I underlined the word “imprimatur” which in Latin means “let it be printed” because an imprimatur “is an official declaration from the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church that a literary work is free from error in matters of Roman Catholic doctrine.” Really, do they not see any “doctrinal” error here? I just know those who brought gold to Jesus at his birth (the wise men) would reject the practice of bringing gold to their bones. Geesh.
One of the forerunners to the Reformation, Erasmus, was a satirist. He viewed these “relics” as a fraudulent fund-raising scheme to raise money for Rome. Erasmus decided one day to take an inventory of the relics of Rome and he published his findings which included two heads of John the Baptist, two bodies of St. Anne, three of Lazarus and a bottle of breast milk from the Virgin Mary. Calvin later continued the biting sarcasm in his published Inventory of the Relics which showed there were fourteen churches in Italy, Germany and France that each “had” one of the three nails that held Jesus to the cross. You get the point.
Treasure in heaven?
If you have read this blog for any length of time perhaps you are able to see a pattern in how I think – you’ll have to track closely to process this as I do. Here we have an ornate tomb built for three gold-plated skulls adorned with millions of dollars of gold and millions of dollars in jewels. While all that is still fresh in the forefront of my thinking, I then read today’s LA Times story about how hundreds and hundreds of bodies in the LA morgue are going unclaimed because poor families can’t afford funerals ($348 to pick up ashes at the LA county crematorium).
Having recently buried both of my parents and my grandmother I’m sensitive to these poor families. Only my mother had adequate insurance to cover her funeral – my brother and I split the cost of my dads and grandmothers – things were so tight when my grandmother died at age 95 in 2006 we didn’t even order a spray of casket flowers (and that offended one of her two yet-living friends).
Perhaps only a few at Church at the Gate know that we have bought gravestones, burial plots, hotel rooms, flowers and caskets for people in our church family and community who had no means. Yet here at the Cologne Cathedral, we have a highly guarded billion dollar church treasury adorning the supposed bones of the Wise Men. If the wise men were to come back to life today I’d think they’d take the gold to Jesus. And, Jesus would spend it on the poor families in Los Angeles.
Imagine the PR mileage the Catholic Church could get if just one of these priests here at the Cologne Cathedral sold just one piece from this “treasury” and used the money to pay for hundreds of funerals for poor grieving families in LA. The priest would surely get defrocked but at least he’d amass great treasure in heaven.
How much is a body part worth?
St. Mary’s College in my homestate of Kansas houses over 1200 relics, including the finger of St. Odilia. Apparently that young gal’s body part is priceless today. You’ll need to keep tracking with me here as I try to spell out the connection in my head between relics and human organ harvesting here in Europe.
One of the two main reasons I’m in Europe this summer is to work with church planters here to put on paper a strategy to establish lots of local mission outposts for the Kingdom of God all over Europe. A few days ago we were focusing on Moldovia and I mentioned our heart to start orphanages and how God spoke to me in 2004 about “becoming a blessing to women going through life alone” – widows, single moms, sex trade, etc, etc. – you know… the pure religion stuff of James 1:27). I did not know that besides poverty and sex slavery, Moldova is one of the top countries in the world for organ harvesting.
I was then told about the hundreds+ of 15 year old Moldovian girls who are taken each year and used in the sex trade and that after they’ve “served their purpose there” they are bringing a quarter of a million dollars each as they are sacrificed to harvest their organs (which are kept in cold storage and air lifted and sold to illegal distribution centers in the United States, Germany, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Israel, and South Africa).
We talked about starting a church/rescue mission there this year. I told our CATG congregation last year that one of these weekends I’m going to stand up at offering time and say… “one hundred percent of today’s offering is going to buy 13 year old girls out of the sex slave trade— so give generously.” I will do that this year. As we continued to talk about what God was calling us to do here we talked about chartering flights to the US full of these girls and Kristen and I figured we could house ten in our home.
Pardon me if this has gotten way long for you, I’ll end soon. In one of our church planting planning sessions I was asked what the obstacles are – of course money is always at the top of the list. A few days later I then find myself in this “sacred treasury” and I’m sorry if my report here is so critical and negative of what I saw there. It screams insanity to me that the “religious” are hoarding shocking amounts of wealth to adorn skulls while precious girls are being sold and slaughtered on the black market for parts.
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Jul 22, 2009 at 7:55 am
Building churches in Europe: The Cologne Cathedral 1 « Gate Post
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Jul 22, 2009 at 9:26 am
dr. patti
Thank you for your blog posts. My heart is being plowed and cultivated by your words, even as the tears run down my face. As one Supreme Court judge said: “where is the moral outcry by the church!” Everyone needs to see the hypocrisy and sin (‘miss the mark’) we allow in our churches today. Keep up the good work! enlighten us!
Jul 23, 2009 at 7:44 am
Bryce
Steve,
The Wikipedia definition of “imprimatur,” which you relied on for a quote in your post, is not entirely correct.
Just to be clear, the seal “imprimatur” is a statement of affirmation from the local bishop that a text may be printed – it is not a statement from the entire Church “hierarchy.”
It’s also important to remember that the statement you underlined on the brochure is historically accurate.
However, it would’ve been nice for the Archbishop of Cologne to include a further statement on the RCC’s position on relics – that *worship* of relics is a spiritual perversion.
Although we can only see the portion you highlighted, I would guess a clarifying statement is not included.
What can I say? In spite of several new and passionate Catholic youth movements, all is not well with the Church in Europe.
Jul 23, 2009 at 8:01 am
Steve Hickey
Dr. Patti – I’m glad to hear that what I’m writing here is helpful.
Bryce – thanks for the clarifications. You can tell I’m really turned off by some stuff but I do know better than to throw the baby out with the bath water in terms of the RCC. I will add that our biggest opposition overseas to church planting and evangelism is the RCC and especially in Latin America (brace yourself) I don’t even consider it Christianity. Even so, most of the time I’m pressing for reform in my own circles – the lazy-friendly, gooey grace of American evangelicalism and megachurchism.
Jul 24, 2009 at 7:08 am
PC
Steve, Referring back to the 10 lost tribes study with Steve Collins, does the bible even clarify the number of wisemen?
Jul 24, 2009 at 7:18 am
Steve Hickey
PC- Nope, the Bible doesn’t say there were three. Tradition has added that detail. And I too have thought much about Steve Collin’s Parthian Wise Men studies as I visited this supposed tomb of the wise men.
For those who are curious what we are talking about — here’s a little bit of Collin’s writing on the Wise Men. I asked him to give me a few paragraphs on this topic for Christmas blog a couple years ago… http://christmas.blogsiouxfalls.com/2007/12/16/the-wise-men-and-the-rest-of-the-story/ Be sure to read his replies also in the comments section.
Jan 14, 2010 at 7:49 am
R. Hamilton
First, I quite agree that worship, or even “veneration” of relics or
physical objects of any kind, or of any entity other than God,
is an abomination. Anything beyond an appreciation of historical
significance (and a measure of respect for persons of spiritual
accomplishment) is inappropriate.
Second, I agree that material treasure is of no eternal value.
Third, while I disagree with some of your conclusions or suggestions,
I think that the discussion you raise is worthwhile.
Having said that, the notion that church “treasures” should be
liquidated for the sake of the poor is in my mind, not reasonable,
because it addresses image and not substance.
Let me explain: in 2008, during a recession, total US charitable
giving (individual and corporate) was on the order of $300 _billion_.
The liquidation of objects, or even prime property, would be almost
impossible because there’s relatively little market for these objects.
Their value as works of art of historical significance far exceeds their
value in precious metals, gems, or even prime real-estate, but their
full value would be very difficult to turn into cash. Even if it could be
done, that would be a one-time source of money. Real needs are
never just one time, they call for ongoing involvement; and not just
feeding a bum repeatedly, but teaching them what they need to
help themselves and help others.
In his fiction book “The Bishop and the Three Kings”, Andrew Greeley
had a suggestion to address both image and substance; I’ll generalize
it rather than quote directly, because I don’t have the book handy.
Charge admission to sites that are historic and artistic spectacles, at
least to those portions of them (like the Kölner Dom treasury) not in
regular use for church services. Dedicate all of the admission above
the cost of upkeep specifically to service to the poor, and post signs
accordingly. I’d add further, provide online accountability, to
substantiate the claim and discourage corrupt diversion of those
resources. And provide a candid history of the abuses of the
pilgrimage trade.
Both the incredible artworks and the idolatry and corrupt commercialism
of the pilgrimage trade are a matter of history; destroying the
artworks won’t provide long-term change of behavior nor long-term
benefits for the poor.
On the other hand, converting facilities that are white elephants of
neither artistic or major historical significance, nor self-sustaining, into
productive facilities is perfectly sensible. Museum-like properties aside,
populations shift over time, and most church buildings are primarily
locations for assembly rather than of any significance in themselves.
So they should be located where they’re useful, or not even exist;
some groups get by quite handily gathering in member’s homes or
renting space from public schools that would otherwise sit idle on
weekends.
Now let me throw in an argument for _preserving_ some of the
more significant facilities. The contrasts are interesting. Some
buildings were meant to be almost oppressive, or at least to make
a person feel not just overwhelmed, but small. Others clearly
revealed social stratification (take the Doppelkirche Schwartzreindorf
as an example). Still others showed a much more optimistic view of
grandeur, if one that clearly went far in the direction of excess
(the Wieskirche). These represented the nature of their times, each
with its own errors, some of which were over-reactions to the errors
of earlier times.
I recall seeing one of the gold angels in the Dom treasury that looked as
if it might have been capable of limited movement (for fake miracles?).
And the Dopplekirche not only had a separate upper level for the nobility,
but from that upper level, one could listen quite nicely to anything below,
including the grumblings of the peasants. It’s not the considerable
artistry alone, it’s that such details provide a candor about human
foibles and the abuse of power that’s hard to find in most books, and
would seldom be encountered other than by those who routinely
serve the most troubled elements of society.
(Let me toss out another interesting example: San Xavier del Bac, near
Tucson AZ; built by native workers under the direction of Spanish priests.
The native artists’ interpretations of traditional scenes should also
provoke thought…)
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
(George Santayana)
To learn from history requires preserving both documents and sites
that are particularly descriptive.
I might add that I’m certainly not anti-materialist as such; I simply
believe that it’s wrong to be enslaved to materialism, or wallowing in
gross excess while doing very little to help others. I have no problem
with those who are reasonably generous enjoying responsible comforts;
and I would certainly never favor the _imposition_ by government or
any other human authority of any form of redistribution, since I think
that inevitably undermines individual responsibility and accountability.
How much one does is a matter of conscience. Certainly one should
do something; most should arguably do more than they presently do.
(I’d argue that the _least_ fortunate should also do more, because they’d
help transform themselves out of the attitudes that create much of
their misfortune by helping others instead of wallowing in their own
situation.) But charitable deeds in any amount cannot be done to earn
brownie points.
Finally, I’d note that we have it on good authority that the poor will
be with us always. As such, there’s simply a limit to what any one-time
change in behavior for the sake of image can accomplish. What’s needed
is changes first in people’s hearts, and second (following from that) in
institutions. Institutions as such _cannot_ lead; the most they can do
is mechanically sustain (mostly their own existence). Only an ongoing
change in the motivations of significant numbers of people will produce
improvements that last more than a few days or years.
Jun 25, 2010 at 1:44 am
Richard Tulloch
Interesting discussion – thanks. I’m a total sceptic on the relics issue, (and could even do without most cathedrals too) but they provide focus, photo opportunities, vantage points, stories, outlets for artists and craftspeople, and even stimulate entertaining debate like the one above. Not all bad!
Sep 1, 2010 at 10:31 am
shortermarvin
Black people, Allah Almighty God has free us from the state of captivity in all nations. For making: The Egyptians Exalted wife of Uriah. Being His true servants the Israelites: Marwa, Michael, Adam, Abel, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Mary, Jesus, Muhammad, Job, Noah, Malik, Hud and others. George W. Bush the ancient kingdom of Egypt was my county before slavery. The Sphinx is my forefather. Your forefathers deface it hoping to deceive me. By broking off it nose and lips. Stop robbing my forefather’s tombs and return all the treasures you and your forefathers stole. We are the faithful servants of the One and only Lord God that is in all bibles: “Allah Almighty God” the World Greatest Most High Exalted Creator and Ruler of the Universe. Who gave Abraham the title of (Muslim)? And he put the title on his people the African-Americans who is the Israelites & Egyptians (Muslims). Saying: “Allah” out of all those that case light, none can light a candle to You, Lord God. “Allah” please forgive us
the (nation) of Africa, that is not (Africa), but is the (nation) of {Israel}: Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Zaire, Mozambique, South Israel, Sudan, Angola, Chad, Burkina Faso, Benin, Algeria, Libya, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Zambia, Namibia, Togo, Botswana, Mali, Guinea, Somalia, Mauritania and other counties. “Allah” please have mercy, and grant Your peace upon all people on earth, so that we may leave America, Lord God
Aug 17, 2012 at 3:53 pm
Joshua S
Just like to point out that a proper understanding of Catholic theology would require one to differentiate between the words dulia, hyperdulia, and latria. These all translate to English as “worship,” but they bear important theological distinctions. Good points from everyone that commented, but just playing devil’s advocate and reminding that words taken out of context are improper in logical argument.