Crucifix lost down drain

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Big_BC

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My crucifix off of my necklace went down the drain. Am I morally obliged to retrieve it? Would it be a mortal sin if I don’t? I don’t know a thing about plumbing, so I would have to call a plumber. I can get obsessive compulsive and scrupulous about these things.
 
It’s fine- spiritually- to not retrieve it. It’s not as if you’ve dropped a Eucharistic host down there.

Still, I’d try and get it out. It could mess with your plumbing otherwise, and you’ll feel better about it.
 
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why would it be a mortal sin not to retrieve a crucifix you dropped down the drain? Which of the 10 commandments does this break?

if it has sentimental value and you can afford a plumber it is easy to remove the curved trap and see if it is in there.
 
If you’re a tenant, you certainly have a moral obligation to let your landlord know what you done.

If the crucifix didn’t make it all the way through to the sewer, crap can gather behind it and you can end up with a real mess.
 
Maybe you should try a drain snake (walmart has some cheap “as seen on TV” ones with a camera). That might solve it- it would take some maneuvering, though…
 
I don’t think it’s a sin, but for tha sake of your plumbing, get it out of there, and don’t run the faucet or garbage disposal until you get it.
 
Thom18 said:
Maybe you should try a drain snake (walmart has some cheap “as seen on TV” ones with a camera).
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Don’t do that! You will probably push it further down the drain. I’m assuming this is a sink. Your drain should drop into a “U” shape and then go back up again before it goes into the wall. That “U” part is usually very easy to remove and many things that go down the drain usually end up there. The ones made in the last 40 years or so are usually plastic and will come apart just using your bare hands. You don’t need a plumber, just someone who is slightly handy.
 
It might be in the trap, if you have the skill to take that apart.

This was unintentional, there is no sin involved.
 
Its a sacramental. We are obliged to treat sacramentals with respect. If we need to dispose of a sacramental, the Church requires us to burn or respectfully bury it.
That being said, I won’t presume to judge the obligation of retrieving a sacramental once accidentally lost…
 
A. It was accidental (no consent)

B. You did not know it was going to happen (not full knowledge)

C. It is only a sacramental (not grave matter)

Voilà! No worries (spiritually).
 
If you do decide to get it out of the trap (if the trap is accessible), look at some YouTube videos beforehand. Also, get the blue tape ahead of time.

I forget what it’s called, but it comes in a container like adhesive tape, it’s blue, it’s a dollar or two, and it is vital for putting the pipes back together. Hardware or auto parts store should have it.
 
If it went down the plug hole as we call it then it will be in the bottom of the u bend or trap or s bend as the thing is variously called. If it’s plastic it should unscrew, though it may need strong hands to do that or a pair of stilsons, like wide pliers. Also place a bowl under the pipes before unscrewing as the u bend or trap holds some water in it which prevents fumes from the drain coming up.
If it’s unscrews it should re screw back up again without leaking afterwards since they have rubber or nylon washers in the connections.

If one or more do leak then yes ptf tape is a micro thin plastic tape which you can winde around the screw part of the pipe which makes the joint water tight again, shouldn’t need it.

Or call a plumber. It is a simple job though.

If it dropped down another kind of drain please let us know.
 
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I have opened the pipes several times to both clean and also when kids have dropped their teeth down the drain. I know I will have a happy kid at school if I help them to get the tooth back so the tooth fairy can come with the gold coin. 😃
 
HeDa said:
when kids have dropped their teeth down the drain.
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Thanks for reminding me. A couple of years ago, I swallowed a gold crown at Christmas dinner, and it never came out. Fortunately, I have a colonoscopy coming up next month, and I’ll make sure the doc grabs it.
 
You’ve reminded me of something.

Sometimes when we have a second collection on the way out I say I’ve run out of money but do you take gold fillings? At first they considered it…
 
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