25 for a page of a Missal said to have been blessed by Our Lady. Now say there are 500 pages on this Missal. That's 500 times $25 = $12,500 per missal. A second hand Missal that may cost , what, $50 on the open market? It might be alright to do this if the only charge was for posting and packing and if the recipient was given the option of making a totally voluntary contribution to support of a charity or Catholic undertaking. Otherwise no. Money always ends up poisoning wells. I think the person doing this should be instinctively aware of this, their conscience should warn them.
It is my impression I could be wrong that the 25 dollars is for a handmade rosary with the relic embedded inside the rosary.
I agree selling relics is forbidden. But I have purchased Padre Pio medal before with his little relic on the inside. So did I buy the medal or did I buy the relic? Is this wrong? I'm confused.
I believe although it is not ok to sell a relic, the reliquary containing the relic may be sold. Some are extremely ornate and valuable. I have one myself from the 16th century with a rather large piece of the Shroud of Turin. (about the size of my fingertip). It was taken from an old Catholic Church that was demolished in Europe. Because most times there are no documentation left surviving with these relics, the Vatican does not want them. The key is to know your source. The Vatican has experts to go through these antiquities upon the closing of a convent or church building, and sometimes they will offer them to the faithful.
As far as the Garabandal kissed missal, I heard years ago that that was long gone and pieced up into making the medals and certainly that you could not buy a whole page! Are you sure the source is reliable? I would check with Glenn...
I've done this too some years ago. I have not been disturbed by it. It was from a religious goods store i think.
Actually Padraig's post have made me think - how do we know these items are authentic relics? There are so many fake goods in the world so there are going to be people who take advantage and sell fake relics. It's the world we live in I'm afraid.
the monetary commerce of relics does exist and it may have contributed to many people becoming protestant instead of catholic
The main point of Padraig is that he refuses to let MOG become a storefront, no matter the intent of the new member. If someone posts the address of a website which advertises and sells religious items that is one thing; but, daily promotions and purchasing directions is another.
This brings back a very sad memory. I was staying in San Giovanni Rotundo with a wonderful Italian family who worked at the monastery and who put me up in their basement along with their jarred tomatoes, the coolest place in their house thank God. A kind priest from the monastery asked them to do this, no charge. Anyway we got on a like a house on fire and when I was leaving they gave me some wax pieces from the wax seal from Padre Pio's coffin. Truly a first class relic. But I gave them to a lady who was dying with cancer for a lend. But she did not believe they actually came from Padre Pio's coffin and threw them in the bin. Awful.
https://adoremus.org/2022/01/q-is-selling-or-buying-a-blessed-object-permitted/ "The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines simony as “the buying or selling of spiritual things” (CCC, 2121). This is forbidden and is even a canonical crime if it involves a sacrament (Code of Canon Law (CIC), can. 1380). However, it is important to note that there is a distinction between the object and the spiritual blessing or grace attached to it. Technically, it is not the buying or selling of the material object (obiecta) per se that is simony but rather the attempted buying or selling of the spiritual blessing, grace, favor, etc. (the spiritual res) that is the sin. The Latin term used in the Catechism at number 2121 when describing simony is “rerum” and not “obiecta.” Second, since it is the blessing or grace that cannot be bought or sold, if anything blessed is sold or is severely damaged, it is considered to have lost its blessing. Thus, when a home or a car is blessed, for example, once it is sold, it loses its blessing. In this light, it is not entirely accurate to say that the Church completely prohibits the selling of any blessed things, otherwise no Catholic with a blessed home could ever sell his or her house. However, certain types of blessed things have different restrictions to consider when it comes to buying and selling. Third, there is a distinction when it comes to things that have a blessing, namely: 1) blessed objects; 2) “sacred objects,” and 3) blessed sacramentals. “Blessed objects” are merely objects that are not religious or sacramental—such as cars, houses, etc.—that are blessed. These objects can be bought and sold but, as mentioned above, they lose their blessing when that happens. “Sacred objects,” strictly speaking as used in canon 1171 of the Code of Canon Law, is a category of designated objects that are consecrated or blessed in a way that sets them apart for sacred worship (liturgy), such as a church building, altars, church bells, holy oils, etc. According to canon 1171, once consecrated or blessed, these cannot be handed over for secular or inappropriate use, including buying or selling, even if owned privately. This is why before a consecrated church building can be sold, the competent ecclesiastical authority must follow a series of steps required by canon law and issue a decree that, in a sense, “de-consecrates” the building or, in the technical term, “regulates it to profane but not sordid use” (cf. can. 1222). This decree of regulation has as one of its effects the loss of the consecration or blessing of the building. Only then can the canonical steps for the alienation of the property be done (see, e.g., can.1290ff). “Blessed sacramentals” are religious objects that are blessed, such as rosaries, medals, crucifixes, etc. These are not technically “sacred objects” in the sense of being set apart for “divine worship” (liturgy) but are meant for prayer, piety, or private devotions. In the July 12, 1847, Decree of the then-Sacred Congregation of Indulgences & Sacred Relics, the Congregation explicitly prohibited the selling of rosaries and crucifixes. It added that, if sold, these lose the blessings and indulgences attached to them. Similarly, the Raccolta (1910) repeats this prohibition stating “they cannot be sold or exchanged” (Raccolta, #38). Interestingly, this prohibition is not repeated in the current Manual on Indulgences, which only states that the indulgence attached to an article of devotion ceases if it is destroyed or sold (Manual on Indulgences, N16 §2). This has raised questions as to whether the prohibition is still in force. Regardless of whether the prohibition against selling blessed sacramental objects is in force, it is clear that their sale is to be avoided. This is because if the blessed sacramental is presented in some way as more unique or valuable because it carries a blessing or a blessing from a certain person (e.g., “This rosary was blessed by the Pope!”), it would technically fall under simony since the spiritual reality is being advertised as making it more worthy to be paid for. In addition, even if it is sold or auctioned, it loses its blessing upon the sale and the person receives an unblessed object."
I have the coolest item I obtained for free! My old church I attended about 40 years ago, St.Patrick's in Carleton, Mi. was cleaning out the basement of the church. There were pieces of the original decorative altar and other things. They set them out by the road and whatever people didn't want was going to the dump! I drove over and found the votive candle holder from the 1850's. Wrought iron, rusted, but all together. I brought it home and told my husband, just imagine all the prayers associated with that! I had him separate the candle sections and I am going to paint them, hang them on the wall and display rosaries from it. The cross is in my little sanctuary near my statue of St. Therese. I've carted it around with me everywhere we moved . . . .
