Carlo Acutis relics are being sold online. The Catholic Church isn’t happy
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Why the Catholic Church isn’t happy about relics of Carlo Acutis being sold online
- The Catholic Church, with the help of Italian police, is investigating the online sale of relics purportedly belonging to Carlo Acutis, a millennial set to be canonized as a saint.
- The Church condemns the sale of relics, which are typically body parts or clothing of saints, as a sin and an offense against religious belief.
- Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, was known for his deep faith and tech skills, creating an online exhibit of eucharistic miracles.
- The increasing demand for relics associated with Acutis has fueled the illicit online trade, with items like locks of hair fetching high prices.
- Church officials emphasise that relics are meant for veneration and prayer, not commercial exploitation, and are typically distributed freely to parishes and churches.