What to do with broken religious items

[kristie_m]

Forgive me if this is in the wrong forum…couldn’t quite decide where it should go.

Anyway, I was wondering what is the proper disposal of worn out or broken religious items, such as a bible or rosary? And does it make a difference if the item has been blessed by a priest?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

This article by Jimmy Akin discusses disposal of religious items.

He says in part:

**Correspondingly, a common pious custom is to dispose of blessed objects by either burning them (if they are flammable) or burying them (if they are not). In the former case, the object is destroyed, thus removing its blessing, and the ashes (or other remains) can simply be thrown away.

In the case of objects that were never blessed (or that have been destroyed, removing their blessing), this custom holds that they can simply be thrown away like any other non-blessed object.**

 

[kristie_m]

This article by Jimmy Akin discusses disposal of religious items.

He says in part:

**Correspondingly, a common pious custom is to dispose of blessed objects by either burning them (if they are flammable) or burying them (if they are not). In the former case, the object is destroyed, thus removing its blessing, and the ashes (or other remains) can simply be thrown away.

In the case of objects that were never blessed (or that have been destroyed, removing their blessing), this custom holds that they can simply be thrown away like any other non-blessed object.**

I have a bible that’s falling apart. It hasn’t been blessed, but it feels wrong to just chuck it. Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut…this was a really helpful article.

 

[rinnie]

I was also told the same thing to bury them.

 

[Paul2274]

With the Bible I would have it Blessed. Then perhaps you could respectfully burn it along with your old palms from last year.

Paul

 

[Paul2274]

Forgot to add sorry… Ask at your parish if there is a rosary guild or something like that. I know at our parish someone put out an email requesting broken rosaries. She fixes them and sends them to a mission church in Nigeria.

Paul

 

[Fidelia]

I have a bible that’s falling apart. It hasn’t been blessed, but it feels wrong to just chuck it. Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut…this was a really helpful article.

If it has sentimental value for you, it is possible to make a wrapper-box for it, to hold it together for safe-keeping, out of card-stock or poster-board. You can PM me if you want. I make them at my campus library for old books that need them. It’s a fairly standard preservation method.