Why is there trafficking of relics?

Answer 1

Canon Law strictly forbids the sale of sacred relics and doing so incurs excommunication. However, many Catholics and non Catholics have seen an opportunity to make huge profits by selling relics so do it anyway. Regretfully, the Church itself shares much of the blame. When a monastery, church or convent is closed, the building and its contents are frequently turned over to brokers to liquidate. Any relics from these buildings then end up on the open market. Sometimes a priest, nun or bishop dies and the same thing happens to their estate. In these cases, the leadership of the Church seems to turn a blind eye.

Unfortunately, the practice of selling relics has also spawned another illegal industry - the production and sale or counterfeit relics. Many of the purported relics being sold today are fakes and criminals are becoming increasingly adept at producing realistic frauds. Caveat emptor!