Is this Sacrilege?

[civilwar]

This is my question:
My friend is in band (kind of rock/electronic music) and during their live performance they have a couple of small bells which they use. One of them seems to be an altar bell (small gold bell with a cross handle). If it is in fact an old altar bell, is their using it during their performance a kind of sacrilege (using a sacred object for an ordinary purpose)?
And then is it inappropriate for me to attend their performances?
Finally how can I verify if the bells are altar bells or not?

 

[Jennifoo]

That’s a good question. To my knowledge, the bells used for church are blessed, so there’s the question of them using a blessed object for a secular purpose. I’m hoping that a priest can chime in on this one…no pun intended.

 

[Bonnie]

Why not ask your friend where the bell came from?

 

[DavidFilmer]

If it is in fact an old altar bell, is their using it during their performance a kind of sacrilege (using a sacred object for an ordinary purpose)?

The reservation of a sacred object for sacred purposes is within the authority of the Church. The Church can both grant and rescind this reservation.

Unfortunately, some Parishes must be “de-consecrated.” This would include the building itself and all relevant fixtures. If the Altar has Holy Relics interred beneath (and this is typical), these relics must be appropriately relocated, but the purely mechanical fixtures do not need to be relocated and are considered to resume their role as ordinary objects.

I once had the occasion to attend the wedding reception of a cousin. It was held in a deconsecrated Catholic Parish. The Altar of Sacrifice (a marble edifice incorporated into the wall) was subverted as a place for the participants to deposit their empty plastic cups and paper plates. I found this appalling and revolting, and I was not even a Catholic at the time!!! It was instinct.

According to Canon Law, this space could be legitimately repurposed for such a function. But it did not seem right to me, and I was uncomfortable (and I wasn’t even Catholic).

Now that I am a Catholic, and I know a little more about what the Church teaches, I think there is nothing in Catholic doctrine or law that would make the use of an deconsecrated altar bell inappropriate in a (non-blasphemous) secular setting.

But I share your discomfort. Amazon sells a variety of altar bells for $5-15. I think I would offer to trade them their used bell for one of these brand new bells. Since you are a friend of a member of the band, this should be an easy and rather inexpensive compromise that would allow you (and all faithful Catholics) to attend their performances without moral ambiguity.

If the offer is refused then it would seem the intent was sacrilegious, even if it was not an objectively valid sacrilege.

 

[civilwar]

The reservation of a sacred object for sacred purposes is within the authority of the Church. The Church can both grant and rescind this reservation.

Unfortunately, some Parishes must be “de-consecrated.” This would include the building itself and all relevant fixtures. If the Altar has Holy Relics interred beneath (and this is typical), these relics must be appropriately relocated, but the purely mechanical fixtures do not need to be relocated and are considered to resume their role as ordinary objects.

I once had the occasion to attend the wedding reception of a cousin. It was held in a deconsecrated Catholic Parish. The Altar of Sacrifice (a marble edifice incorporated into the wall) was subverted as a place for the participants to deposit their empty plastic cups and paper plates. I found this appalling and revolting, and I was not even a Catholic at the time!!! It was instinct.

According to Canon Law, this space could be legitimately repurposed for such a function. But it did not seem right to me, and I was uncomfortable (and I wasn’t even Catholic).

Now that I am a Catholic, and I know a little more about what the Church teaches, I think there is nothing in Catholic doctrine or law that would make the use of an deconsecrated altar bell inappropriate in a (non-blasphemous) secular setting.

But I share your discomfort. Amazon sells a variety of altar bells for $5-15. I think I would offer to trade them their used bell for one of these brand new bells. Since you are a friend of a member of the band, this should be an easy and rather inexpensive compromise that would allow you (and all faithful Catholics) to attend their performances without moral ambiguity.

If the offer is refused then it would seem the intent was sacrilegious, even if it was not an objectively valid sacrilege.

Thanks for your extremely helpful reply! Your suggestion of offering to trade bells is one I would never have even thought of! Although I think there MAY be a certain blasphemous intention with their using a church bell specifically. Hopefully that’s not the case, but that sort of thing is “cool” these days
One question I do have, which may be beyond your knowledge; How do I know whether or not the bells are deconsecrated? Is the fact that they were available for them to purchase proof enough that it was deconsecrated? Would the selling of such an object that wasn’t deconsecrated be simony?
Again, the fact that the bell has such an obvious cross on it makes me uncomfortable with their using it, so I think I may take your trade suggestion.
Thanks again.