Relics of Saints

Question from Tim Hayes on 2/5/2008:  
Dear Father,

God bless you and all your advice to us Catholics!

I am not sure if I am sending this question to the right place, but think you will be able to enlighten me nonetheless.

A couple years ago, the actual heart of St. Jean Vianney, the "cure' d'Ars" was "on tour" and on display in various North American churches, including in New York.

I am fully aware of the history of, and reverence for relics, including how the bones of Elisha (2 Kings 13:21) resurrected a man. I can understand if there is an article that belonged to a saint, or a part of their body that was removed at the time of death (I think of the heads of Paul and Peter, in Mary Major in Rome; or in a miraculous sense where Jeanne d'Arc's heart survived the burning at the stake), but parading the heart of a saint like that seems rather DISRESPECTFUL.

I recall how after St. Francis of Assisi died, his brothers in the Order of Friars Minor had to hide his body (and did so successfully!) lest relic-hunters come looking to start cutting him to pieces! That is so disturbing!

Given the Church's high reverence for the human body (vessel of the human soul and of the Holy Spirit), how can she permit such "atrocities" to happen, and how can she justify the parading around of any body part of a saint removed from his/her body in such a way? There seems no logical reason to have removed the heart from the body of St. Jean Vianney.

Thanks for your attention.

TIM
Answer by Fr. Robert J. Levis on 2/5/2008: 
Tim, Your ancient Catholic forebears have disagreed with you. Take the history of the relics. Your modern sensibility doesn't flow from the more simple and direct love and respect for the remains of the Saints. WE have history, long, bloody, human, real. Fr. Bob Levis