In 1543 Calvin’s Traité de reliques appeared, a work in which he attacks the veneration of relics. The complete title of this work in English translation reads: A Very Useful Account of the Great Profit that Christianity Will Again Receive If It Takes Inventory of All the Sacred Bodies and Relics that Are Located in Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and Other Kingdoms and Countries.

From the title itself, one cannot gather that the author is attacking the veneration of relics, but Calvin’s name and the contents make that clear. Since that was the intention, the title was more or less satirical. The treatise was written in French so as to reach the common people. Those who think that the church is infallible will have to change their minds when they immerse themselves in the ludicrous matter of the veneration of relics.

Calvin writes that Augustine was already aware of this fraud that was foisted upon the common people, and since then it had only become worse. The root of the evil is that people look for Jesus Christ not in the Word and the sacraments, in all sorts of less-important things. One can certainly say that relics are worshiped with Christ in mind, but Paul says that worship arising out of the human reflection is foolishness. Besides the veneration of relics is a superfluous practice that leads to idolatry. The honor of God is transferred to something else, and dead, vacuous things are worshiped instead of the living God.

—Wulfert de Greef, The Writings of John Calvin: Expanded Edition, trans. Lyle D. Bierma (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2008), 143.

1. Calvin: Time for an Inventory (1)
2. Calvin: Time for An Inventory (2)
3. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (3)
4. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (4)
5. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (5)
6. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (6)
7. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (7)
8. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (8)
9. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (9)
10. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (10)
11. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (11)
12. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (12)
13. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (13)
14. Calvin: Time For An Inventory (14)

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