Is this not just straight up simony

  • Thread starter Thread starter Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
It has been argued that Catholics are permitted to buy relics for the sake of getting them out of bad hands and into the hands of those who would respect them. At least one of the large, well-known relic chapels in USA is there because a very wealthy Catholic man (who became a revered priest) went around Europe purchasing unwanted relics by the thousands, brought them to USA and placed them in a chapel.

Nevertheless it is not a recommended activity because of the likelihood of one getting defrauded.
 
Last edited:
The stores at the Vatican never sell blessed items. You buy the item and ask for the special free “blessing service”. Your items are then blessed by the Pope (Presumably someone from the store trucks a load of stuff over to the audience, or maybe they put it all on some table in the Vatican and the Pope goes by and blesses stuff on his way walking somewhere else) and sent round to your hotel the next day.

I bought two “Rosaries Blessed by the Pope” in this manner myself.
 
Last edited:
LilyM said:
And you can certainly sell even blessed beads for a reasonable.price.
Click to expand...
We don’t, as Catholics, buy or sell blessed items. We also believe the blessing will not “transfer” in such a transaction because the item has been profaned, for want of a better word. As @Tis_Bearself pointed out, no reputable place including the Vatican will sell anything blessed, but you can request a free blessing after purchase.
 
Cannon #1190 states it is forbidden to sell relics.

But I googled Russian Orthodox and on wikipedia it seems there has been tension between their church and Roman Catholic Church, the history was interesting reading.
 
tafan2 said:
So why have the law if all one needs to do is enclose a relic in a reliquary and sell it that way?

Read the description of the objects, they are selling relics. Looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, it’s a duck.
Click to expand...
If the price of a reliquary with a relic is the same price as a reliquary without a relic then it is not simony.
 
I would doubt the authenticity of these items. As I am bound by Canon Law, I abide by Canon Law.
 
Or you can go to a Wednesday Audience yourself and the Pope will bless any items one may have. That is what I did, the last Wednesday I was there I went to St Peter’s Square with a bag full of the items I bought that I wanted blessed and waited until the Pope said the blessing over all the items.

In the major Papal Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore there is a museum below that has a relic of the Blessed Mother’s hair.
 
There is no indication that is the case, indeed it appears that a major selling point of the site with regards to these items is the relic.
Look, I get it that it may not be against the Russian Orthodox Church laws, but beyond that, these guys deserve no defense. They are selling sacred objects. Why are you guys defending them on a technicality? Go look at there website in detail, they are advertising/selling relics. Indeed, it is the reliquaries with relics that you can to call for a price.
 
tafan is right, if they sold consecrated hosts inside of tabernacles what would you say? youd probably be outraged, this is no different
 
This is a Russian Orthodox shop that doesn’t fall under Catholic Church jurisdiction. Even if they did sell the Host in relinquaries, there’s nothing you can do about it. Or you can buy it to get the Host out of bad hands.
 
@Tis_Bearself : Of course not, but that wasn’t his point. S point was, it’s ok to sell a tabernacle, but if you advertised it has containing the Blessed Sacrament, you would not look at it as just a tabetnacle for sell, but would be outraged.
 
Last edited:
tafan2 said:
There is no indication that is the case, indeed it appears that a major selling point of the site with regards to these items is the relic.
Look, I get it that it may not be against the Russian Orthodox Church laws, but beyond that, these guys deserve no defense. They are selling sacred objects. Why are you guys defending them on a technicality? Go look at there website in detail, they are advertising/selling relics. Indeed, it is the reliquaries with relics that you can to call for a price.
Click to expand...
Who is defending them. I was objectively answering a question. I haven’t even seen the website.

It’s like asking if someone who sells a Rosary that has been blessed has committed simony. It depends. If the Rosary without the blessing is the same price as the Rosary with the blessing it is not simony. In such cases the blessing has not been sold. Same for a reliquary with a relic.
This is not a technicality.
 
You responded, and quoted, directly to my post being critical of them, explaining how it could be ok. Hard not to interpret that as a defense of them.

And you conitue to imply that it’s not just a technicality, even though the evidence on their website strongly suggest your argument is not even applicable.
 
Last edited:
tafan2 said:
You responded, and quoted, directly to my post being critical of them, explaining how it could be ok. Hard not to interpret that as a defense of them.

And you conitue to imply that it’s not just a technicality, even though the evidence on their website strongly suggest your argument is not even applicable.
Click to expand...
Well your interpretation of what I said is wrong. Be humble and accept that I know better than you what I said and meant!!
 
Be humble and admit that my interretation was understandable. I can’t read your mind. 🙂
 
tafan2 said:
Be humble and admit that my interretation was understandable. I can’t read your mind
Click to expand...
However you publicly posted that I meant something which you were wrong about. Now you are being defensive. Your interpretation of what I meant was frankly ludicrous and absolutely NOT understandable.
 
Last edited:
I looked up this canon. For those who say it is forbidden to buy these items, is it possible to show where the Church has forbidden it? Without some synthesis of various moral concepts, I cannot find this addressed.
thistle said:
However you publicly posted that I meant something which you were wrong about. Now you are being defensive. Your interpretation of what I meant was frankly ludicrous and absolutely NOT understandable.
Click to expand...
I have always considered the ability to read and understand social media considerably easier than understanding more complex concepts, like moral theology, canon law, or criminal law. That is why I was wondering if we could get past opinion on whether buying these things is wrong and support opinions with Church documentation.

My first thought when I saw this site was that it might be viewed as the selling of historical artifacts, as much as relics. Some of these reliquaries are very old.
 
Well, you quoted my post, I assumed it was in response to that. My humble apologies for misrepresenting your intent.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top