Th?? c?ll th?m th? C?t?c?m? S?ints – ?nci?nt R?m?n c???s?s th?t w??? ?xh?m?? ???m th? c?t?c?m?s ?? R?m?, ?iv?n ?ictiti??s n?m?s ?n? s?nt ?????? ?s ??lics ?? s?ints ???m th? 16th c?nt??? t? th? 19th c?nt???. Th?? w??? ??c???t?? with ?xt??m? l?vishn?ss, ?s ??? c?n s?? ??l?w.
B?t wh? – wh? w??l? th?? ?? ??c???t?? with s?ch l?x???? W??? th?? ?ct??ll? ???i?? lik? this, ?? ?i? s?m?thin? ?ls? h????n? W?ll, th?? ???n’t ?ct??ll? s?ints in th? st?ict s?ns?, th???h s?m? ?? th?m m?? ?? ???l? Ch?isti?n m??t??s. D??in? th? 15th c?nt???, w?st??n E????? w?s sh?k?n ?? th? B??l??nst??m – th? st?t?? ???? – ? t??m ?s?? ??? ??t????ks ?? ??st??cti?n ?? ??li?i??s im???. D??in? th?s? s??t?s ?? ic?n?cl?sm, C?th?lic ??t ?n? m?n? ???ms ?? ch??ch ?ittin?s ?n? ??c???ti?n w??? ??st????? in ?n???ici?l ?? m?? ?cti?ns.
As th? C?th?lic ch??ch?s w??? s?st?m?tic?ll? st?i???? ?? th?i? ic?ns, th? V?tic?n c?m? ?? with ? ??th?? st??n?? s?l?ti?n. Th?? ??????? th?t th??s?n?s ?? sk?l?t?ns ?? ?xh?m?? ???m th? c?t?c?m?s ??n??th R?m? ?n? inst?ll?? in t?wns th????h??t G??m?n?, A?st?i? ?n? Switz??l?n?. F?w, i? ?n?, ?? th? c???s?s ??l?n??? t? ????l? ?? ?n? ??li?i??s si?ni?ic?nc?, ??t th?? w??? ??c???t?? lik? s?ints.
Th? sk?l?t?ns ??c?m? ????s?m? s?m??ls ?? c?th?licism in ????s ??min?t?? ?? ???t?st?nts. It’s n?t cl??? i? this m?v? w?s ????ctiv? ?t ?n? tim?, ??t ?? th? 19th c?nt???, th?? ??c?m? ?n ?m?????ssin? s?m??l ?? ??st ??icti?n. Alth???h it w?s c?nsi????? sim?n? ?n? ????i???n t? s?ll th? sk?l?t?ns ?? th?i? j?w?l??, s?m? ‘?nt?????n???’ ??i?sts m?n???? t? m?k? m?n?? ???m t??ns???tin? th?m ????n? th? c??nt?? ?n? ??? s?m? ?l?ssin?s.
In 1803, th? s?c?l?? m??ist??t? ?? R?tt?n??ch in B?v??i? ??cti?n?? th? t?wn’s tw? s?ints. 174 ????s l?t??, in 1977, th? ??si??nts ?? th? t?wn ??is?? ??n?s t? h?v? th?m ??t??n??, ??t ??? th? m?st ???t, th? c?t?c?m? s?ints w??? m?stl? ?????tt?n ?n? c?st ?si??.
B?t it w?s th?i? tim? t? c?m? in th? s??tli?ht ???in in 2013, wh?n P??l K?????n??is ??viv?? int???st in th?m with his n?w ???k, wh??? h? t?i?? t? ?h?t?????h ?n? ??c?m?nt ??ch ?n? ?v??? ?n? ?? th? c?t?c?m? s?ints. It’s ?ncl??? i? h? ?ct??ll? ?i?, ??t h? c??t?inl? m?n???? t? ??in? th?m int? th? ???lic ???. H? ?x?l?ins:
‘A?t?? th?? w??? ???n? in th? R?m?n c?t?c?m?s th? V?tic?n ??th??iti?s w??l? si?n c??ti?ic?t?s i??nti??in? th?m ?s m??t??s th?n th?? ??t th? ??n?s in ??x?s ?n? s?nt th?m n??thw???s. Th? sk?l?t?ns w??l? th?n ?? ???ss?? ?n? ??c???t?? in j?w?ls, ??l? ?n? silv??, m?stl? ?? n?ns.
‘Th?? h?? t? ?? h?n?l?? ?? th?s? wh? h?? t?k?n ? s?c??? v?w t? th? ch??ch – th?s? w??? ??li?v?? t? ?? m??t??s ?n? th?? c??l?n’t h?v? j?st ?n??n? h?n?lin? th?m. Th?? w??? s?m??ls ?? th? ??ith t?i?m?h?nt ?n? w??? m??? s?ints in th? m?nici??liti?s. On? ?? th? ???s?ns th?? w??? s? im???t?nt w?s n?t ??? th?i? s?i?it??l m??it, which w?s ???tt? ???i??s, ??t ??? th?i? s?ci?l im???t?nc?