Selling Holy Water

[vince2paul]

A friend just told me that a priest, who is blessed with gift of healing, often celebrates Mass and sell holy water, which he blesses during Mass and has healing factor.

I just feel something isn’t right here, but I can’t find any article discussing such thing.
Please help.

Thanks.

 

[1ke]

A friend just told me that a priest, who is blessed with gift of healing, often celebrates Mass and sell holy water, which he blesses during Mass and has healing factor.

I just feel something isn’t right here, but I can’t find any article discussing such thing.
Please help.

Thanks.

If such a tale is true, it would be simony-- trafficking in spiritual things.

However, take such tales with a grain of salt as the person who “told” you may not have the full story. Perhaps the priest asks for a donation to cover the cost of purchasing small holy water bottles-- which are usually a $1 or so apiece. Maybe your friend got it wrong entirely. Or, maybe your friend is accurate.

That is a serious charge and should not be made lightly. If it is true, the person with first hand knowledge of the situation should report the matter to the bishop immediately.

 

[Path_Finder]

If such a tale is true, it would be simony-- trafficking in spiritual things.

However, take such tales with a grain of salt as the person who “told” you may not have the full story. Perhaps the priest asks for a donation to cover the cost of purchasing small holy water bottles-- which are usually a $1 or so apiece. Maybe your friend got it wrong entirely. Or, maybe your friend is accurate.

That is a serious charge and should not be made lightly. If it is true, the person with first hand knowledge of the situation should report the matter to the bishop immediately.

It could be something like this; there are a number of places in the USA that will send out Lourdes water when you donate to the charity or order.

As a thank you for your donation, you will receive a bottle of genuine Lourdes water from the Lourdes Shrine in France.
oblatemissions.org/how-to-help/lourdes-water-2/

 

[Bonnie]

Usually one pays for the container. I know someone who sells blessed items - after she gets an order she takes the items to her priest who blesses them. That way she can assure people she isn’t selling blessings.

 

[Johnny_Local]

I found this on the CA web site regarding simony:

"Question
Is it permissible to sell items such as rosaries, medals, Bibles, etc., that have been blessed?

Answer
Items may be sold; blessings may not. Any blessed item that is sold should be sold for its intrinsic value apart from the blessing. To sell the blessing itself would amount to simony."

Here’s the URL if you want to check it out:
catholic.com/quickquestions/is-it-permissible-to-sell-items-such-as-rosaries-medals-bibles-etc-that-have-been-b-0

 

[mommyof4]

My understanding is that sacramentals need to be reblessed if they are sold. For instance, if I sell a previously blessed rosary on ebay, the purchaser would need to get it reblessed once they received it. I can’t quote the source, but I am sure I read that on this forum a few years ago, and it cited a credible source.

 

[1ke]

My understanding is that sacramentals need to be reblessed if they are sold. For instance, if I sell a previously blessed rosary on ebay, the purchaser would need to get it reblessed once they received it. I can’t quote the source, but I am sure I read that on this forum a few years ago, and it cited a credible source.

that is correct, but not quite what the other poster was saying. In that scenario a person sells religious items, once the item is sold she has it blessed before shipping it.

 

[roveau]

I doubt the story too. It would be wrong to sell holy water that had been blessed for healing unless it was made abundantly clear that the price was for the container. It could be very open to misunderstanding even then.