Salt Lake City, USA - Tired of seeing sacred body parts for sale on eBay, the International Crusade for Holy Relics is calling for a boycott of the online auction house on Wednesday, All Saints Day.
Centuries ago, the day was set aside to honor Catholic saints, to celebrate their lives and to revere their relics. What better day to send a message to the giant Internet marketplace?
"Our saints should be enjoying their eternal reward in peace, not having their body parts sold like cheap trinkets," said Tom Serafin, the group's founder and president, in his call to arms on the group's Web site. "Our heritage and our faith are not for sale."
In a phone interview from his Los Angeles office, Serafin said his group, which includes Catholics and other faiths, has been discussing the issue with eBay officials for years, but has not been satisfied by the outcome. As recently as this week, a seller was advertising three strands of hair from 19th-century St. Don Bosco, considered a first-class relic.
"In (Catholic) canon law, the buying and selling of relics is a grave sin called simony," Serafin said. "It's not that much of a revenue stream for eBay. Why can't they be more sensitive?"
It is trying to be, said eBay spokeswoman Catherine England from San Jose, Calif.
The company's policies are clear: Humans, the human body or any human body parts may not be posted for auction.
It is almost impossible to police all eBay sellers, England said. At any given time, there are 105 million items for sale on the site.