25/08/2026
“So, is St. Agatha’s relic the same thing as a traditional African religious skull? No. They may look similar physically, but their religious meaning and use are different.
For Catholics, St. Agatha’s relic is not a god and it is not an object we worship. It is a sacred reminder of a woman who lived and died for her Christian faith. Catholics venerate the saint and honour her relic, but worship is reserved for God alone.
In some African traditional religious practices, however, human remains especially those of ancestors can have a different spiritual role. They may be connected with ancestral veneration, rituals, consultation, offerings or other traditional practices. But we also have to be careful because African traditional religions are not one single religion; practices differ from one culture to another.
So the important question is not simply, ‘Does it look like a skull?’ The real question is: What does the community believe about it, and how is it being used?”
