They
gave richly to churches, founded convents, and paid great honour to
clergymen, and to everything belonging to religion.
Sometimes this honour began to run into idolatry. They treated relics,
that is, remains, or things that had belonged to holy persons, as having
some sacredness of their own, and fancied that they would save him who
carried them from harm. And when they glorified God for His saints in
Heaven, and thought of the Communion of saints, they began to entreat
their prayers, and the more ignorant would even pray to the saints
themselves, as if they could by their own power grant the things that
were asked. The blessed Virgin was more sought in this manner than any
other saint. The pictures and images of saints, and the crucifix
or figure of our blessed Lord on His Cross, which stood in all the
churches, often had lights burning before them, and people kneeling
round in prayer, till there was danger that, in their ignorance,
they might be bowing down to the likeness, and breaking the Second
Commandment.
One of the Greek emperors named Leo, was much displeased at this
practice, and tried to put a stop to it.
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