My understanding is similar. CCC 2121 defines simony as “the buying or selling of spiritual things”. But if, for example, someone purchased several candles for, say, a material cost of $1/each and had the entire set of candles blessed then my understanding is that they could be re-sold for $1/each (same cost as it was originally purchased) and this was not considered simony since one is not charging because of the blessing upon the object but simply for the material cost associated with the object.
I would appreciate any clarification that could be provided.
You’ve got the right idea. However, tweaking the words would be in order. Blessed objects should never be outright “sold.” One might exchange a blessed object and receive in return a compensation approximately equal to the original cost of the object, but to call that “selling” or to engage in “commerce” would be simony.
Let’s say it’s Candlemas. The church has bought a case of candles and the total cose (shipping, etc) comes out to about 90 cents each. After the candles are blessed, they are set out, with a sign reading “candles $1 donation” That’s fine. There’s no real profit involved, they are not offered “for sale” and if someone can’t afford the donation, or refuses to make it, such a one may still take a candle (from the parish’s point of view; for the person’s own conscience, this might be stealing if he doesn’t intend to put the money in later).
On the other hand, if one were to set-up a table and advertise “blessed candles, $1 each” and outright engage in commerce then that would be simony.
Likewise, to say “candles $1 /
blessed candles $5” that would be simony.
Another example: “blessed candles $1 + wrapping $4 total cost = $5” That would be simony.
We do sell (unblessed) small bottles for holy water. The bottles are outright sold for $2 (which includes a modest profit), but the holy water itself is free. The bottle is empty, and the holy water is added after the sale. That’s fine. Bring your own bottle, and take as much free holy water as you want. Sure, sometimes people fill the bottle before paying for it, but the principle is still the same.
Simony: “bottles $5 filled with free holy water” would be simony because the buyer is being charged an unfair price for the bottle, and even though the words say that the water is free, everyone knows that the buyer is actually paying extra for the blessing.
Over the centuries, people have found some pretty creative ways to “sell” blessed objects by finding apparent “loopholes” in the laws prohibiting simony. Bottom line is that it’s not the letter of the law, but the intention of the seller/buyer that makes it simony. We can’t fool God.
