Can a store sell a blessed item?

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

Let me try this again with a more direct example. Two stores both selling the same exact item. If store ‘A’ sells the item for $10 and store ‘B’ sells the item for $5 and the item in store ‘B’ has already been blessed, it would be wrong for you to buy it even though it is cheaper than the unblessed item. The cost of the item has no bearing on the matter according to the CCC. Buying a blessed item is wrong. Period.

Another example. Again two store selling the same items for the same price and this time both items are unblessed. Both stores offer a service to have the items blessed. The first store charges a $1 for the blessing service while the other store asks for volunteery [sp] donations. To pay the $1 at the first store to have the item blessed would be wrong. If you gave a $100 donation at the second store that would not be wrong because the blessing would have happened if you gave the money or not while at the fist store the blessing would not have happened unless you paid the $1.

Again, the cost has no bearing on the matter. Bottom line: do not buy pre-blessed items and do not pay to have an item blessed.

While I am tempted to agree with you, it is not because the CCC says so. The CCC prohibits simony, but its own definition of simony says nothing about physical items. I am not sure why you keep referring to the CCC in your attempt to prove your point.

 

[astegallrnc]

The CCC prohibits simony, but its own definition of simony says nothing about physical items.

This was my humble understanding. In October, my DH purchased a rosary for me from vaticangift.com that was blessed by Pope John Paul II on March 26. As dulcissima mentioned, the owner will take purchased items and have them blessed. She happened to have some unpurchased blessed items. Anyway, my understanding was this was ok because the intent is not to sell the blessing after reading several books and posts from CAF:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=50661&highlight=simony

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=6150&highlight=simony

 

[Sir_Knight]

Prometheum_x:

While I am tempted to agree with you, it is not because the CCC says so. The CCC prohibits simony, but its own definition of simony says nothing about physical items. I am not sure why you keep referring to the CCC in your attempt to prove your point.

This link which I posted twice before, explains that an object that is blessed becomes a sacred object and that it is the sin of simony to sell sacred objects. CCC 2118 covers the rest of it.

 

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

This link which I posted twice before, explains that an object that is blessed becomes a sacred object and that it is the sin of simony to sell sacred objects. CCC 2118 covers the rest of it.

and I quote, from that webpage:

Sometimes a blessed object is sold for practical purposes, not with the intention of selling spiritual goods. For example, a closed church building might be sold. . . .

If someone travels to Rome and buys a set of rosary beads for someone, gets them blessed by the pope, and later brings them back home, where another person reimburses the cost of the rosary beads to the traveler, I would hardly consider that as an act contrary to the blessing. However, I really wonder about the motivation of people who sell rosary beads blessed by the pope on the internet[emphasis mine]

The implication is that it is acceptable to sell a closed church building, blessed as it is, because the intention is not to sell spiritual goods. In his second example, he indicates that it is acceptable to reimburse someone for the cost of rosary beads purchased by their traveling friend. For those who sell them on the internet to anyone, he wonders about their motivation.

The link you provided seems to focus a lot on intent and certainly does not state that one can never sell a blessed object.

 

[Prometheum_x]

I should add that, while the apologists on the Ask An Apologist forum are certainly not infallible, the links provided by the post immediately before your most recent one would seem to support an emphasis on intent.

 

[Sir_Knight]

i’ve been saying all along that it was the ‘intent’. Note my earlier example. If a store charges $1 to have an item blessed, it would be wrong because you are buying a blessed item. If you give $100 as a donation for having an item blessed, there would be nothing wrong with that because the blessing would have happened whether you gave the money or not.

If you give money to your friend to buy you an item and have it blessed and you are paying extra for the blessing, it is wrong. If you are not paying extra for the blessing then there is no problem.

 

[Catholic_Heart]

Jocelyn:

I went into a Catholic store and asked if the items I bought were already blessed. She said,“No. Blessed items can’t be sold. You have to have them blessed after you buy them.”
I went into another Catholic store and she said all items were already blessed.
Which is correct?

**I worked in a Catholic bookstore for several years, and can tell you that blessed items were not…indeed cannot…be sold. For one thing, you have no idea of how the item in question will be used…

So…the answer is no…blessed items cannot be sold…anyhere.
**

 

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

i’ve been saying all along that it was the ‘intent’. Note my earlier example. If a store charges $1 to have an item blessed, it would be wrong because you are buying a blessed item. If you give $100 as a donation for having an item blessed, there would be nothing wrong with that because the blessing would have happened whether you gave the money or not.

If you give money to your friend to buy you an item and have it blessed and you are paying extra for the blessing, it is wrong. If you are not paying extra for the blessing then there is no problem.

And what is the difference between buying an item from a store after it has been blessed and buying it before it has been blessed, knowing that the store has kindly offered to have it blessed for you – for free of course?

 

[JGheen]

thistle:

If you buy a religious item you know in advance has been blessed then you are committing a mortal sin, the sin of Simony which Sir Knight pointed out, CCC 2118 so you should not say you would have purchased them anyway blessed or not.
You would then have to go to Confession or you would not be able to receive Communion.
As for the actual blessed items you bought causing you to mortal sin, I don’t know what happens to them.

I’m not sure about the sin of Simony, BUT you have to – (1) know something is wrong and (2) do it anyway – to actually sin.
If you accidentally do something wrong (i.e. buying blessed items without any idea that you aren’t suppose to), it is not a sin.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Prometheum_x:

And what is the difference between buying an item from a store after it has been blessed and buying it before it has been blessed, knowing that the store has kindly offered to have it blessed for you – for free of course?

Because in the first case your purchase INCLUDES the blessing and you can not buy blessed objects. In the second case, a blessed item is not being purchased and the blessing is obtained on an object that you already own.

 

[Madia]

A question that begs to be asked is what if you inadvertently buy a blessed object and find out later that it was blessed? Is the item still blessed even after it is sold or does the blessing get dropped when the sale is made? If it is still blessed are you under some obligation to return it?

 

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

Because in the first case your purchase INCLUDES the blessing and you can not buy blessed objects. In the second case, a blessed item is not being purchased and the blessing is obtained on an object that you already own.

The only source you have cited to support the idea that you cannot buy a blessed object is the link to the EWTN site, which then goes on to say that one could sell something for practical purposes, such as a closed church building.

 

[Sir_Knight]

When something is blessed, it becomes a sacred object otherwise why would we be told to treat it with reverance and to bury it instead of throwing it in the garbage? Sacred objects are not to be purchased or sold per the CCC.

What is the issue?

 

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

When something is blessed, it becomes a sacred object otherwise why would we be told to treat it with reverance and to bury it instead of throwing it in the garbage? Sacred objects are not to be purchased or sold per the CCC.

What is the issue?

The issue is that the CCC doesn’t say that. The issue is also that a sacred object such as a church can be sold, which proves that it is not inherently sinful to sell a sacred objects. If it were so, then it would be wrong to sell them or purchase them in any and all circumstances.

This thread is pure debate for me, as I am not planning on selling or buying any blessed objects, if for no other reason than I believe it would be imprudent to do so. As I said before, I am inclined to hold your position, but I haven’t seen the logic of that position fully developed yet.

 

[Sir_Knight]

Prometheum_x:

The issue is that the CCC doesn’t say that.

Yes it does.

CCC 2118 states : “God’s first commandment condemns the main sins of irreligion: tempting God, in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony.”

CCC 2121 says that : “Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things.”

A blessed item IS a “spiritual thing” since … * Blessed objects help us to receive forgiveness of our venial sins, which are less serious offenses against the law of God.

• Blessed objects obtain for us the forgiveness of the punishment we deserve for our sins.
• Blessed objects obtain for us health of body and other blessings that we need in our daily life.
• Blessed objects protect us from the power of the devil and temptations to do evil.
• While blessed objects do not of themselves give grace, they do prepare us to receive actual graces.
  Can you connect the dots?

 

[thistle]

Sir Knight:

Yes it does.

CCC 2118 states : “God’s first commandment condemns the main sins of irreligion: tempting God, in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony.”

CCC 2121 says that : “Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things.”

A blessed item IS a “spiritual thing” since … * Blessed objects help us to receive forgiveness of our venial sins, which are less serious offenses against the law of God.

• Blessed objects obtain for us the forgiveness of the punishment we deserve for our sins.
• Blessed objects obtain for us health of body and other blessings that we need in our daily life.
• Blessed objects protect us from the power of the devil and temptations to do evil.
• While blessed objects do not of themselves give grace, they do prepare us to receive actual graces.
  Can you connect the dots?

I am in total agreement with you.

 

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

Yes it does.

CCC 2118 states : “God’s first commandment condemns the main sins of irreligion: tempting God, in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony.”

CCC 2121 says that : “Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things.”

A blessed item IS a “spiritual thing” since …

• Blessed objects help us to receive forgiveness of our venial sins, which are less serious offenses against the law of God.
• Blessed objects obtain for us the forgiveness of the punishment we deserve for our sins.
• Blessed objects obtain for us health of body and other blessings that we need in our daily life.
• Blessed objects protect us from the power of the devil and temptations to do evil.
• While blessed objects do not of themselves give grace, they do prepare us to receive actual graces.

Can you connect the dots?

Then why can you sell a church building?

 

[Sir_Knight]

Because the CCC allows for certain exceptions and those exceptions are spelled out but they are exceptions and not the rule and Pope John Paul II’s Introduction to the Catechism specifically states that the Catechism IS the authoritative source for Catholic norms.

thistle:

I am in total agreement with you.

Thank you.

 

[Prometheum_x]

Sir Knight:

Because the CCC allows for certain exceptions and those exceptions are spelled out but they are exceptions and not the rule and Pope John Paul II’s Introduction to the Catechism specifically states that the Catechism IS the authoritative source for Catholic norms.

Thank you.

I think I’ll just be content with that. We’re quibbling over minutiae, and I have wearied of that.

 

[Madia]

What about the scapulars being sold here:

rosescapular.com/questions.htm

The scapulars contain medals that are blessed and exorcised:

Are the medals blessed and exorcised? The answer is Yes. We put them on for free. A Catholic Priest Blesses and does the St. Benedict Exorcism over the St. Benedict Medal and Blesses the Crucifix.

Couple of questions:

1. What is a St. Benedict Medal/Jubilee Medal Cross?
2. Why would the medal be exorcised?
3. Do you think this is simony or merely attaching a blessed medal/Cross to the Scapular for free? When they say they “put them on for free” do they mean the medal/cross or the blessing?