Purchase of used sacramentals on Ebay

[Mummybee]

My husband has purchased a lot of sacramentals, some used, from Ebay sellers. He has gotten a few Agnus Dei (s), a sick call box, and others. My question is this: Is it proper or acceptable to ‘buy’ used sacramentals? Better yet, is it acceptable to sell them? One seller claimed to have been passing a church that was throwing them out, and retrieved them and sold them on Ebay. I don’t know if this claim is true. Also, it’s impossible to tell if the items were ever …well, cursed, for lack of a better word. I was just wondering what anyone else thought or knew about this practice.

 

[raphaela]

i would say that if you feel they are cursed, take them to a priest to be blessed. Other than that, i think it’s ok. It’s the same as buying antique rosaries. If someone doesn’t want them, it’s better you use them then they not be used at all.

 

[Nicole]

I have bought a few religious items on EBay, Rosaries, a black Scapular, and artwork. There are only a few people I buy from and they are specifically doing it as a ministry. I don’t see a problem with it personally.

God Bless,
Nicole

 

[Jennifer123]

I’m skeptical of the claim that these things were just being “thrown out” by a church. If they are Catholic sacramentals, and in use by the Church, they are most likely blessed and need to be disposed of accordingly, not thrown in the trash.
I’d proceed with caution…

 

[Super_Mom]

I think catholic sacramentals cannot be sold but you can state a donation “price”. On ebay you bid anyway so the amount you pay for is varied compared with Amazon where there is a set price. My :twocents:

 

[cmom]

What is the difference between buying rosaries and stuff at a flea market or Ebay.?
Clean it up, have it blessed and use it.

I think relics are a different class, and cannot be bought and sold.

 

[drforjc]

I think relics are a different class, and cannot be bought and sold

I think the law is that they cannot be sold. (Don’t have the exact canon.) There are circumstances where one might have to buy a relic back from to prevent its being desecrated misused.

 

[CatholicNerd]

I think it depends on the class of the relic. They do sell holy cards and such that contain third class relics of saints. But I believe that the item can only be sold for the cost of the reliquary (in this case, a laminated card), and nothing extra can be attatched for the relic. Now when I saw a supposed first class relic of St. Pius X on ebay I wondered what the guy was doing trying to sell it… that’s just not right. It should be cheerfully given to the Vatican or kept and treasured.

Second class relics I’m not so sure about. A choral professor at Gonzaga recently unearthed a Graduale (maybe it was a Liber Usualis, I don’t quite remember) signed by St. Pius X with a personal note written in the cover, and his response was to put it under glass. I’m not sure you can really sell second class relics. The selling of first class relics is forbidden, though. At least I think so… correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[CatholicNerd]

Mummybee:

My husband has purchased a lot of sacramentals, some used, from Ebay sellers. He has gotten a few Agnus Dei (s),

Oooo lucky man. The last Agnus Dei sacramental to be blessed was blessed by Pope Paul VI. If it was blessed by any pope of years past who has been canonized that might make it a second class relic. LOL.