Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Relics

There is much confusion among those wishinbg to identify religious relics, due to the use of Latin abbreviations. I have put together a short list of the more common ones:

arca mortuaria - mortuary box, container
arca sepulerali- coffin
breviario - breviary
coronse spinse D.N.J.C. - crown of thorns of Our Lord Jesus Christ
[cravio] corporis - body
de velo - from the veil
domini nostri jesu christi, D.N.J.C. - Our Lord Jesus Christ
domo - house
ex bireto - from the biretta
ex capillus - from the hair
ex carne - from the flesh
ex cineribus - from the ashes
ex indumento - from the clothing
ex ligneo pulvere, mixto pulveri corporis, quem residuum continebat prima capsa funeralis - from the remains of the wood, mixed with the dust of the body, the residue of which was contained in the first box, [or sarcophagus]
ex ossibus - from the bones
ex praecordis - from the stomach or intestines
ex praesepis - birthplace of D.N.J.C.
ex pelle - from the skin
ex pluviali - cope [ cloak wore for Benediction ]
ex sportula - from the little basket
ex stipite affixionis - probably means "from the whipping post"
ex strato - from the covering [ blanket ]
ex tela serica quae tetigit cor - from the silk cloth which touched the heart
ex tunica - from the tunic

Now let's move forward to the initials that follow the name to which the relic belongs:


AP. - Apostle
C. - Confessor
D. - Doctor of the Church
E. - Bishop
EV. - Evangelist
F. - Founder of Order
Lev. - Deacon
M. - Martyr
Poen. - Penitent
PP. - Pope
Reg. - King or Queen
V. - Virgin
Vid. - Widow