HI there

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ZoeBlue

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I am new to this forum and have a question.

about 12 years ago my dear italian grandmother traveled from Chicago to the Vatican City to see the pope and have all her religious jewelry blessed. When she returned she gave me a beautiful cruicifix on a chain that had been blessed by pope JPII. This was my graduation present (I attended Catholic school). WHen I was about 21 I mysteriously lost this treasured posession. I am 30 now and still get sick to my stomach when I think about this. Is there any way I can buy a crucifix that I can know was authentically blessesd by pope john paul? It would soothe me somewhat to know that I at least tried to replace it, and also the crucifix was so special to me.

Thanks,

Allegra “Zoe” Blue
 
So when you walk out of mass and see the young girls and boys selling prayer cards and rosaries in the shop there, do you call them sinners?
 
ZoeBlue said:
So when you walk out of mass and see the young girls and boys selling prayer cards and rosaries in the shop there, do you call them sinners?
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No. The objects are not blessed yet. You take them to the priest and have them blessed after they are purchased.
 
My understanding is that one can not buy or sell a blessed item. If someone does, the item loses its blessing. The only place I know of that can sell items that are blessed by the Pope, and don’t lose their blessing, is the Vatican store. But I believe that the Pope blesses items every Wednesday, so if you’re at the Vatican you might as well get one blessed on your own!

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong here. I’m not well read on the subject.
 
It is a sin to attempt to buy or sell a blessing. However, items that are blessed often have some value in themselves, and one may buy or sell them because of that, but one may not charge more because it has been blessed. For example, a crucifix has some value in itself, and there is a cost associated with making it. Even if the crucifix has been blessed, one may buy or sell it, provided that only the value of the actual item is being considered. If it was blessed by the Pope, this would make it more desirable, of course, but it may not be sold for more because of this blessing. Only its value as ordinary crucifix may be considered.

This can be a little tricky, so I would think that the best way to sell a blessed item is to make no mention of the blessing until the sale is completed. After the transaction, the seller could mention that the item was blessed, thus insuring that the blessing was not used to gain more money from the buyer. If you see a seller advertising that their religious articles are pre-blessed, this raises the suspicion that they are using the blessing as a means of making the sale.

That being said, I don’t know of any source of articles blessed by Pope John Paul II.
 
there are charities, religious missionaries etc. who have religious articles blessed, and give them away in token thanks for a donation toward their work. That also is not the same thing, and the monetary value of the item is much less than the amount of the donation.
 
I seem to recall in another thread on this that you can sell blessed objects, however they lose the blessing when they are sold and need to be re-blessed. You cannot sell relics.
 
Wow, I didn’t know that about blessed objects. I guess I should have known that but if I learned it at school I obviously wasn’t paying attention that day! lol

I think I just need to accept that it’s gone and mourn it’s loss. If I try to buy another one to replace it, it will lose it’s blessing anyway and defeats the whole purpose for me.

My husband and I are planning on taking a second honeymoon to Rome one day when we can afford it, I could get my crucifix I wear now blessed. It won’t be quite the same but it will be special still.

Thanks for all the info, I appreciate it!
 
I will say that some of my ancestors are from the Emerald Isle, among other places… quite a mix of heritages my family.

Nothing like St. Patrick and potatoes for dinner. 🙂

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
 
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