Been a bit low on blogging lately. In fact I've spent a few days in Brugge. Might as well make the most of Europe before we're all banned from it.
Odd little chapel in Brugge: the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Within that little chapel is a vial - a Byzantine perfume bottle containing a cloth stained, they say, with the blood of our Lord.
Though some say it came back from Jerusalem, the odds are on it having been "liberated" from the Sack of Constantinople. Before the Islamic conquest of that city, the Catholic Crusaders got there first.
The devout walk up to the altar in the side aisle, gaze upon the relic for a short time, cross themselves and leave.
I watched from afar. I can't believe it's really a genuine relic of Jesus too unlikely, too undocumented. So I wasn't going to cross myself before it. But I don't want to dismiss someone else's faith. And you never know... So I bowed to the altar and left.
Check out the Thorn Reliquary in the British Museum. "What if?". "That's ridiculous. It can't possibly be." "But just supposing...".
ReplyDeleteSo I gave it the benefit of the doubt, said the "Kyrie" and left.
(You can google it; The Thorn Reliquary is one of "The history of the world in 100 objects" radio series.)