Religious Relics Trivia Quiz

Answer: Incorruptibility

This is an image of St Bernadette Soubries, perhaps one of the most famous incorruptible saints in the Catholic church. She died in 1879 and was exhumed in 1909, when she became a candidate for beatification. It was then, that it was discovered that her corpse was uncorrupted.

She was promptly reinterred and exhumed in 1919 and then again in 1923. Her body still did not display the decay that would be expected of a 45 year old corpse. After her third exhumation she was dissected and it was reported that her organs were still soft and malleable.

She was then placed in a crystal reliquary at the convent of St. Gildard located in Nevers, France. She is not the only Catholic saint displayed in this manner, and at one time, incorruptibility was thought to be a sign by God that this person was worthy of sainthood and veneration.

Answer: Pontius Pilate

The Pontius Pilate Inscription contains the only known mention of Pontius Pilate in any ancient artifact. The face of the stone announces that it was part of a gift from Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, to Tiberius Caesar.
The Pontius Pilate Inscription is considered by many theologians to be extremely important to the field of Biblical Archeology and helps to confirm that that writings found in the Christian Bible are founded in historical fact as opposed to myth.

Answer: St. Catherine

St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) is considered one of the greatest theologians of her period. Her severed, mummified head sits on public display in the Basilica San Domenico in Siena with her thumb in a separate reliquary lying nearby. This type of religious relic is not as uncommon as you might think. Pieces of a deceased saint body, as wells as their bones, blood and sweat are considered holy.

This type of display can be seen in many of the older Catholic churches in Italy, as well as other parts of Europe.

Answer: France

The Gothic style building known as the Palace of Tau or the Tau Palace is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the former Abbery of Saint-Remi. It is home to many religious relics including a piece of the 'true cross', a strand of hair from the Virgin Mary, and various remains of several saints, all held in jeweled reliquaries.

The reliquary in this photo is said to contain a thorn from the original crown of thorns, that was said to be worn by Jesus during his crucifixion.

Answer: Buddha

This ancient tooth, which is attributed to Gautama Buddha, and is displayed in a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. There are many differing stories about the death of Buddha but it is usually accepted that he died in 540 B.C. and his remains were cremated. Four teeth were supposedly found in the ashes and smuggled to varying areas in Asia.

This tooth is thought to be the only one that has not been lost in the annals of time.

Answer: A cloth containing the blood of Christ

According to "The Liber Testamentorum" written in 1120, which recorded all major donations to the Cathedral of Oviedo, this large reliquary once contained holy relics of both Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The book states that it was created by the disciples of the twelve apostles. Only three sides are decorated, indicated that it was meant to rest against a wall or altar.

The arc has not been opened in modern times which adds to the intrigue. It was thought to have originally held a blood stained cloth that was believed to have been wrapped around the head of Christ after crucifixion and before burial. What is inside? Will we ever really know?

Answer: A nail from the crucifixion of Christ

The Heiliger Nagel is just one of about a dozen relics which claim to be made from or containing one of the nails used in the crucifixion of Christ. This elaborate relic is housed in the Bamberg Cathedral located in Bamberg, Germany. At he very top of this piece is a long, upright nail being supported by two angels.

The validity of the claim cannot be proven as there are at least a dozen other similar nails at different locations which all claim to have been used in the crucifixion.

Answer: False

The Druid Arch is a natural rock formation found in the Needles District of Druid Arch, in Canyonlands National Park in Utah. It is a naturally made formation and is not a Druid relic.

Answer: A piece of a cloak purported to have been made by the Virgin Mary

The faithful believe that the image of the Tilma, or cloak, of a poor indigenous Mexican named Juan Diego, was miraculously created by the Virgin Mary in 1531. The image - which continues to baffle scientists - is now the most recognizable religious symbol in Latin America, and devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe is a favorite of Catholics throughout the Americas.

Answer: Linen

The first recorded mention of the linen burial cloth known as the Shroud of Turin was in 1354. It appears to portray the front and back image of an emaciated male that bears marks of stigmata. Scholars, theologians, and scientists have debated for centuries what this relic actually is.

Some believe it to be the burial shroud of Christ, some believe it to be a cunningly conceived fake, and others believe it to be from the wrong time period and admit they are not sure what it actually is.