Images and Saints: Reassessing the Relevance of the Council of Trent in Contemporary Nigerian Catholic Practice

Abstract

The veneration of saints, their images, and relics has been part of Catholic devotion and piety from time immemorial. The images and relics serve as means of instruction and reflection in catechesis and prayer which help to direct the heart and mind to the reality they represent. However, the abuses associated with the sacred use of images and relics, which tend to undermine the orthodoxy of Catholic piety could be said to be as old as the devotion itself. This has continued unabated, even though the Church tries to correct the abuses through conciliar and magisterial documents. Among contemporary Nigerian Catholics, the sacred images and relics are being used as if they possess an inherent power to save and protect. This tendency which is contrary to true Catholic piety appears to divert attention from the powerful God to powerful sacramentals (images and relics). This research therefore concentrates on the problem of abuses and misconceptions associated with the devotion to saints, relics, and images among Nigerian Catholics. It raises the questions: what is the true position of saints, images, and relics in Catholic spirituality? What are the causes of the abuses? How could the abuses be reduced? The objective of the research is to affirm and emphasise the true position of saints, images and relics in Catholic spirituality thereby reducing the abuses. Hence, it is significant in the promotion of true piety and devotion especially among contemporary Catholics in Nigeria. The method of theological analysis is adopted in the research to arrive at a logically consistent and coherent conclusion. The earlier studies on the subject matter could not identify a conciliar document that could be implemented in Nigeria to reduce the abuses. Thus, the novelty of this research lies in proposing the seemingly forgotten decree of the council of Trent as a panacea to the problem. The findings reveal that, apart from ignorance and poor doctrinal catechesis, the abuse could also be traced to the influence of African Traditional Religion on Nigerian Catholics.