IN the NEWS - Veneration of 1,700-year-old skull

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: Exodus 20:4

"During an elaborate ceremony where the skull of Saint Agatha was placed back in a gold bust, the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, bowed and kissed the relic as part of Christian tradition. This ritual is part of the Catholic rite of veneration.

The 1,700-year-old skull is believed to belong to Saint Agatha, a third-century martyr and patron saint of Catania, Sicily. According to Christian lore, she died in prison around 251 AD during Emperor Decius’s persecution of Christians.
After her death, she was honored as a martyr and became Catania's patron saint. Her relics were then taken to Constantinople centuries later, before they were returned to her place of birth in 1126. For this particular event, a prayer vigil was first held on Aug. 16, followed by the restoration of the skull.
Footage of the ceremony quickly surfaced on social media, shedding light on the ancient tradition followed in Catholicism. According to Catholics, the act shows respect to the saint rather than worshipping her remains, but has ignited debate around the veneration of relics.
Many non-Catholics said the ritual was "idolatry," meaning the worship of a physical object or image as a God." 

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