25/08/2026
ST AGATHA’S RELIC: UNDERSTANDING CATHOLIC VENERATION BEYOND THE SOCIAL MEDIA NOISE
By Kelly Tafisa Nkole
In recent days, images and videos showing the veneration of what is traditionally identified as the skull or head relic of St Agatha of Catania have circulated widely on social media. Alongside the images have come numerous comments, questions and, unfortunately, claims that demonstrate a serious lack of understanding of Catholic teaching and practice.
Some bloggers and commentators have described the event as “worshipping a skull,” while others have suggested that Catholics have abandoned Christianity by venerating the remains of a saint.
Such claims deserve an answer — not with anger, but with truth, history and proper Catholic understanding.
WHO WAS ST AGATHA?
St Agatha was an early Christian virgin and martyr from Catania in Sicily. According to the ancient Christian tradition surrounding her life, she remained faithful to Christ despite persecution and was martyred for her faith.
Her witness is remembered because she placed Christ above her own safety and earthly life.
For Catholics, therefore, St Agatha is not a goddess, nor is she an object of worship. She is a saint — a person who lived a life of heroic Christian witness and is now honoured by the Church.
Her feast is celebrated on 5 February.
SO WHY DOES THE CHURCH KEEP HER RELICS?
This is where much of the confusion begins.
A relic is a physical object associated with a saint. In the case of a first-class relic, it is a part of the saint's body.
Catholic devotion to relics is connected to the Church's belief in the resurrection of the body and in the communion of saints.
Christians have honoured the remains of martyrs from the earliest centuries. The body of a person who gave his or her life for Christ is not considered worthless simply because that person has died.
The Church sees the relic as a physical reminder of a real person who lived, suffered and remained faithful to Christ.
The relic itself is not God.
The relic does not become a god.
The saint does not replace Christ.
VENERATION IS NOT WORSHIP
This is perhaps the most important point.
Catholicism makes a fundamental distinction between worship and veneration.
Worship belongs to God alone.
Catholics worship the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
When Catholics venerate a saint, they are not saying that the saint is God. They are honouring the saint because of God's grace manifested in that person's life.
This distinction is essential when discussing St Agatha's relic.
Therefore, seeing a bishop, priest or faithful person kiss a relic does not automatically mean that the person believes the relic itself is divine.
The gesture is an expression of honour and devotion.
It is comparable to the way people respectfully kiss or embrace something that reminds them of a loved one. The honour directed toward the relic ultimately points beyond the object to the person it represents — and, in Catholic understanding, ultimately to God whose grace made the saint holy.
“BUT IT IS A SKULL”
This reaction has been common online.
Yes, what is traditionally identified as St Agatha's head relic is a human bodily relic.
That may appear strange or uncomfortable to people unfamiliar with Catholic tradition.
But calling it “devil worship,” “paganism” or “worship of a skull” without first understanding Catholic teaching is not an accurate representation of what Catholics believe.
The Catholic Church has a long-established theology and history surrounding relics. The Archdiocese of Catania has even devoted scholarly study to the history of St Agatha's cult, relics and written testimonies surrounding them.
A 900-YEAR STORY
The events surrounding St Agatha's relics are not something that suddenly appeared on social media in 2026.
The Archdiocese of Catania is currently marking the 900th anniversary of the return of St Agatha's relics to Catania.
According to the Archdiocese, her relics were returned to Catania in 1126 after having been kept in Constantinople. The year 2026 therefore carries particular significance for devotees of St Agatha.
The Archdiocese organised an extraordinary exposition of the relic of St Agatha's head on 21 and 22 July 2026, inviting the faithful and pilgrims to come for prayer and veneration.
This was therefore not some secret ceremony invented for social media.
It was part of an officially organised Catholic jubilee connected to centuries of devotion and the 900th anniversary of the return of the relics.
WHY DID PEOPLE KISS THE RELIC?
The kiss should be understood within the language of Catholic devotional gestures.
Catholics may kiss a crucifix, a Bible, a rosary, an icon, a relic or another sacred object as a sign of reverence.
The physical gesture should not automatically be interpreted as worship.
The Church's intention is important.
A Catholic who kisses the relic of a saint is not necessarily saying, “I worship this object.”
Rather, the gesture expresses reverence for the saint and the Christian witness represented by the relic.
THE REAL PROBLEM: SOCIAL MEDIA WITHOUT CONTEXT
Perhaps the greatest lesson from the St Agatha controversy is the danger of forming conclusions from a short video.
A 30-second clip can show someone kissing a relic.
It cannot, by itself, explain Catholic theology.
It cannot explain 1,500 years of Christian history.
It cannot explain the distinction between latria — worship owed to God alone — and the honour given to the saints.
And it certainly cannot tell us what is happening in the heart of every person participating in the ceremony.
Before declaring something “idolatry,” “paganism” or “devil worship,” responsible journalism requires us to investigate what the people involved actually believe.
A CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE REPORTING
There is nothing wrong with asking questions about Catholic practices.
In fact, questions can lead to greater understanding.
But there is a difference between asking:
“Why do Catholics venerate relics?”
and declaring:
“Catholics worship a dead person's skull.”
The first is a legitimate question.
The second is a serious accusation that requires evidence and theological understanding.
Bloggers, journalists, commentators and social media users have a responsibility to avoid spreading claims simply because a photograph or video looks unusual.
Catholicism has a rich history, theology and tradition. If we want to criticise it, we should first understand it.
ST AGATHA POINTS US BACK TO CHRIST
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that the purpose of Christian devotion to the saints is ultimately to point believers toward God.
St Agatha is honoured because of her witness to Christ.
Her relics are honoured because they remind the faithful of a Christian woman who lived her faith courageously.
The focus should therefore not end with a skull, a reliquary or a ceremony.
The focus should return to the question:
What kind of faith produced a woman willing to remain faithful to Christ even in the face of suffering and death?
That is the story worth telling.
St Agatha's relic is not the centre of Christianity.
Christ is.
And St Agatha's witness, properly understood, points us back to Him.
Media Team / Catholic Perspective
“Before you call a Catholic practice strange, take time to understand what Catholics actually believe.”
