Q: My bishop asked me recently about the custom of blessing people using relics by making the sign of the cross with the relics. Are you aware of any regulations on this practice? I saw Pope Francis bless people with a statue of a saint once; and Pope John Paul II had the custom of blessing folks with the book of the gospels. But this is a bit different. Please advise. Appreciate it.
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A: I see nothing in the liturgical books about blessing with a relic. Like you, I’ve seen it done, but I see no provision for it in the liturgy.
As far as I can tell, we either bless with our hand, or with a monstrance.
Here’s an earlier blog post: https://paulturner.org/blessing-with-relics/