Relics and Simony?

[braeden_mackay]

Hello,

Around a year and a half ago, I was blessed to receive a First Class Relic of Saint Gemma Galgani from the Passionist province that I am a part. I am not a Passionist, but rather a lay person who had a very great love for this Saint at the time.

After a while, I felt that since I wasn’t venerating the relic as much as I should (I took good care of it of course!) I sought out someone to give it to. I found someone who had a great love for Saint Gemma and I asked if he wanted it, and I sent it to him via mail. I had lost the authentication paper that it came with, but it still had the offcial seal.

So, in exchange, he insisted on giving me a donation for my trouble, and I gladly accepted it. Was this wrong of me and was this Simony? At the time I dont think I knew it was a sin, and I certaintiyl did not intend to make money from selling the relic, i just wanted Saint Gemma’s relic to go to someone who would venerate and love it more than I could.

Did i commit Simony? I am scrupulous and all of these sins from my past keep coming up from nowhere and then I start to worry about everything spiritually (confessions, communion, prayers etc.).

Any assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated as it would help releive my concerns. Thank you in advance!

 

[Vico]

Hello,

Around a year and a half ago, I was blessed to receive a First Class Relic of Saint Gemma Galgani from the Passionist province that I am a part. I am not a Passionist, but rather a lay person who had a very great love for this Saint at the time.

After a while, I felt that since I wasn’t venerating the relic as much as I should (I took good care of it of course!) I sought out someone to give it to. I found someone who had a great love for Saint Gemma and I asked if he wanted it, and I sent it to him via mail. I had lost the authentication paper that it came with, but it still had the offcial seal.

So, in exchange, he insisted on giving me a donation for my trouble, and I gladly accepted it. Was this wrong of me and was this Simony? At the time I dont think I knew it was a sin, and I certaintiyl did not intend to make money from selling the relic, i just wanted Saint Gemma’s relic to go to someone who would venerate and love it more than I could.

Did i commit Simony? I am scrupulous and all of these sins from my past keep coming up from nowhere and then I start to worry about everything spiritually (confessions, communion, prayers etc.).

Any assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated as it would help releive my concerns. Thank you in advance!

When you acquire a relic it is a gift, always with a donation to cover the cost of materials to create the reliquary or a theca. The idea is not to profit materially. The recipient can offer to pay postage to offset the expense of transfer.

 

[FrDavid96]

Hello,

Around a year and a half ago, I was blessed to receive a First Class Relic of Saint Gemma Galgani from the Passionist province that I am a part. I am not a Passionist, but rather a lay person who had a very great love for this Saint at the time.

After a while, I felt that since I wasn’t venerating the relic as much as I should (I took good care of it of course!) I sought out someone to give it to. I found someone who had a great love for Saint Gemma and I asked if he wanted it, and I sent it to him via mail. I had lost the authentication paper that it came with, but it still had the offcial seal.

So, in exchange, he insisted on giving me a donation for my trouble, and I gladly accepted it. Was this wrong of me and was this Simony? At the time I dont think I knew it was a sin, and I certaintiyl did not intend to make money from selling the relic, i just wanted Saint Gemma’s relic to go to someone who would venerate and love it more than I could.

Did i commit Simony? I am scrupulous and all of these sins from my past keep coming up from nowhere and then I start to worry about everything spiritually (confessions, communion, prayers etc.).

Any assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated as it would help releive my concerns. Thank you in advance!

No. That was not simony.

You did not ask for any money in exchange for the relic. You did not expect it, you didn’t even anticipate it—that’s how I read your description of what happened. You gave someone a gift. That person then (freely and willingly, and without your asking) gave you a gift.

Be assured that there’s no issue of simony (or anything else wrong) here.

 

[JasonLovesJesus]

Hello,

Around a year and a half ago, I was blessed to receive a First Class Relic of Saint Gemma Galgani from the Passionist province that I am a part. I am not a Passionist, but rather a lay person who had a very great love for this Saint at the time.

After a while, I felt that since I wasn’t venerating the relic as much as I should (I took good care of it of course!) I sought out someone to give it to. I found someone who had a great love for Saint Gemma and I asked if he wanted it, and I sent it to him via mail. I had lost the authentication paper that it came with, but it still had the offcial seal.

So, in exchange, he insisted on giving me a donation for my trouble, and I gladly accepted it. Was this wrong of me and was this Simony? At the time I dont think I knew it was a sin, and I certaintiyl did not intend to make money from selling the relic, i just wanted Saint Gemma’s relic to go to someone who would venerate and love it more than I could.

Did i commit Simony? I am scrupulous and all of these sins from my past keep coming up from nowhere and then I start to worry about everything spiritually (confessions, communion, prayers etc.).

Any assistance with this matter would be greatly appreciated as it would help releive my concerns. Thank you in advance!

IMO, no, this was not simony or even sinful at all.

If anything, it was virtuous, you realized you were unnecessarily keeping something that could benefit somebody else and you stepped up and instead of retaining it for the sake of having more material wealth, you transferred it to another owner for a nominal fee.

Had you sold it on eBay and as a pretense said something like - “I am selling this relic of St. Gemma, it will heal you of disease and impart the Spirit of God on you, but only if you buy it from me”, then I’d say you’d be guilty of simony and in need of repentance,

But in your circumstance, especially considering the ignorance at the time, again IMO, no you have not committed a sin.

God bless you and St. Gemma Galgani please pray to God for us,

Amen