Old Religious Objects

A reader writes:

First, I very much enjoy your blog.  I hope you can keep at it for long time.
Now, my question concerns what is the proper way to dispose of religious
objects such worn out bibles, tarnished or worn crucifixes, old prayer
cards, broken rosaries, religious pamphlets, etc.?  Some of my coworkers
and I had a discussion today about what to do with them.  One person
couldn’t bring himself to dispose of them in the trash out of respect.
Another felt that broken or worn items could be thrown out without any
guilt.  Can you help us out?  We all want to do the right thing.

The disposition of this type of religious object is not something that is regulated by canon law. Consequently, there is not a canonical "right answer" here.

Catholic doctrine also does not treat the subject in any detail, and thus there is no doctrinal "right answer" beyond the general axiom that a religious object should be treated with the reverence that is due it. The question is: How much reverence is that?

It is difficult to give a definite answer, but there are certain levels of reverence that would clearly be wrong. For example:

1) So little reverence that we commit actual sacrilege with the items (e.g., using them as part of a Black Mass)

2) So much reverence that we can never get rid of them and have to squirrel them away when they can no longer be used.

The correct answer falls somewhere between these two extremes, and it is likely to vary from one object to another. Indeed, a pious custom of many Catholics is to distinguish between those objects that have been blessed and those that have not. This appears to be a useful division in that in the case of blessed objects, the Church has in at least a minor way consecrated the item to sacred use, while in the latter case it has not. It thus would make sense to show more reverence in the disposition of a blessed object than an unblessed one.

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.

As indicated, this is a pious custom and not a matter of law or doctrine, so individual consciences may vary without there being sin. If one person feels comfortable disposing of a religious object in a way that happens to be different than my preferred way of doing it, I would not on that account tell him he’s doing anything wrong. If the Church wanted to mandate ways of doing this, it would.

The key thing is not the physical manner of disposing of these objects but the fact that one is doing so with a right heart. If one "reverently throws away" something then his heart is displaying reverence, which is the important thing. What physical act is used to express this reverence is not what is at issue–be it burning or burial or even if there is no outward act but simply a grateful recognition of the role God has allowed the object to play in one’s religious life.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

26 thoughts on “Old Religious Objects”

  1. I am personally interested in old religious objects. I am not sure what it is about them, especially old worn leather Bibles. If anyone is looking for a home for one I would be happy to take it off their hands. I do not own a crucifix either. I am sure there are many people in the same position as I am that would welcome materials such as this.

  2. I think throwing away is OK if it is done reverently and avoiding any scandal to others … e.g., squirrel that old broken rosary into the bottom of a cereal box so the trashman doesn’t think you’re being irreverant.

  3. You may also be able to find a parish that is doing some type of building and they will normally take the broken sacramentals and place them throughout the foundation of the new building. My parish is currently doing this for a new school being built.

  4. +J.M.J+
    I studied this last year. According to pious custom, the respectful way to dispose of old or damaged blessed sacramentals is apparently to return them to the natural world, to the “four elements”: earth, water, air or fire. Here is a list of some possible disposal methods I gathered:
    Holy Water and Blessed Oils: Pour down the Sacrarium in your parish church -or- dig a hole in the ground on a part of your property where no one is likely to walk. Pour the Holy Water or Oils into the hole and fill it in with dirt. If you dispose of old Holy Water in your garden, you can even turn it into a property blessing ceremony!
    Statues and Crucifixes: Bury in the ground in an area where they are unlikely to be found. You may wish to dismantle them first, if possible.
    Rosaries: Take them apart and bury them – or donate them to rosary makers who may be able to use their parts to make new rosaries.
    Blessed ashes: Pour them into a natural lake, river or ocean. (most of us won’t have to dispose of these, of course)
    Blessed candles or incense: Let them burn down entirely, releasing them into the air.
    Books, Scapulars, and Holy Cards: Can be reverently burned and the ashes buried. An old Irish tradition was to save old sacramentals until June 23, the Vigil of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, and dispose of them in the blessed bonfire they traditionally kindled that night.
    Blessed Palms: Return them to your parish church prior to Ash Wednesday, or dispose of them yourself by burning as above.
    All Metal Sacramentals: Should be melted down.
    Of course, the above guidelines are for blessed sacramentals. Unblessed items need not be handled so cautiously.
    In Jesu et Maria,

  5. Thanks for this information! My girls wear Scapulars and tend to stretch them out (making them nearly unwearable for them) at the rate of one every six months. Consequently, we have lots of old scapulars that are really no good, but are currently hanging around the house. They all have medals on them, though. Hmmm…burial? We’ll have to look over the above list from Rosemarie and decide how to handle it.
    Thanks again!

  6. > Books, Scapulars, and Holy Cards: Can be
    > reverently burned and the ashes buried.
    > All Metal Sacramentals: Should be melted down.
    If these were items I inherited, was given to or obtained for my own, I would dispose of them in such a way.
    However…
    Ever since I joined the KofC and also donated to Catholic Relief Services, I get more junk mail containing Mass cards, lapel pins, key chains and other medals than I can count. I _know_ my name as been put on a mailing list and sold. They go right into the trash.
    I figure if these items can be shipped out in mass mailings, then I shouldn’t feel so bad about pitching them. What do they do with the regects at the factory?

  7. Several years ago, I stopped taking blessed palms home from Palm Sunday Mass–as have others, because of the need for special disposal of blessed objects. I even have several rosaries that I use for regular prayer, that are not blessed, when they break and no longer become suitable for use, I’ll just take them apart, and dispose of them in the regular trash, perhaps wrapped in some foil, so as to not cause scandal. It would be great if say once a year, every parish would have one day, where people could bring in their broken, no longer used, religious articles for proper disposal.

  8. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- if that does not work sell your scapulars, St.Christopher medals, statues, rosaries etc. on e-Bay or simply send them back to the Vatican magicians.

  9. “…if that does not work sell your scapulars, St.Christopher medals, statues, rosaries etc. on e-Bay”
    Now, see? If you can just get to the point where you accept that life is meaningless, these little problems practically solve themselves.

  10. Or at least accept that Realist’s posts are meaningless.
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  11. simply send them back to the Vatican magicians.
    No wonder you still attend Church, Realist!?!?!?
    You still want to get in on the magical chanting and spells, no less!

  12. +J.M.J+
    >>>Ever since I joined the KofC and also donated to Catholic Relief Services, I get more junk mail containing Mass cards, lapel pins, key chains and other medals than I can count. I _know_ my name as been put on a mailing list and sold. They go right into the trash.
    Are you allowed to leave such objects in the back of your parish church? That’s another way of getting them off your hands. Also, if your parish has a rummage sale you could donate them to that, or if a Third World priest visits your parish you can offer them to him. Some such priests are happy to bring them back to their parishoners in Africa, India, etc. They can be donated to the missions in various other ways as well.
    And, yes, you could try selling them on eBay if you are so inclined, perhaps as a religious articles lot. However, vintage religious articles are more likely to sell there than new ones – although some holy card collectors might be interested in new holy cards.
    >>>Several years ago, I stopped taking blessed palms home from Palm Sunday Mass–as have others, because of the need for special disposal of blessed objects.
    Well, you can usually return the palms to the church, so disposal isn’t a big hassle for that. My parish runs an ad in the bulletin during the weeks prior to Ash Wednesday, asking everyone to bring last year’s palms to the rectory so that they may become this year’s ashes!
    >>>It would be great if say once a year, every parish would have one day, where people could bring in their broken, no longer used, religious articles for proper disposal.
    I agree; the closest thing I’ve seen to that is the aforementioned “Bring in your old palm!” drive before Lent. It might be fun to have a parish bonfire on St. John’s Eve for that purpose 🙂 (though that’s probably not practical for most parishes nowadays).
    In Jesu et Maria,

  13. Realist:
    I guess then that the Canticle in Daniel 3 is also a magical chant:
    51 Then these three in the furnace with one voice sang, glorifying and blessing God:
    52 “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.
    53 Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.
    54 Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
    55 Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
    56 Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever.
    57 Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
    58 Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
    59 You heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
    60 All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
    61 All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    62 Sun and moon, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    63 Stars of heaven, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    64 Every shower and dew, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    65 All you winds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    66 Fire and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    67 Cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    68 Dew and rain, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    69 Frost and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    70 Ice and snow, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    71 Nights and days, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    72 Light and darkness, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    73 Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    74 Let the earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all forever.
    75 Mountains and hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    76 Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    77 You springs, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    78 Seas and rivers, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    79 You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    80 All you birds of the air, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    81 All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    82 You sons of men, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    83 O Israel, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    84 Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    85 Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    86 Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    87 Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.
    88 Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. For he has delivered us from the nether world, and saved us from the power of death; He has freed us from the raging flame and delivered us from the fire.
    89 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
    …as well as that in Revelation:
    Rev 4:8 ¶ And the four living creatures had each of them six wings: and round about and within they are full of eyes. And they rested not day and night, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.

  14. “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
    Hmmm, maybe not.
    In “reiteration”, St. Paul’s prophecy about the imminent Second Coming fortunately for us did not materialize but it did convert a lot of Gentiles and indeed opened their purse strings and still does.
    A purse that opens unfortunately in many cases to buy useless “magical” trinkets.
    As seen on another blog,
    “So put down your rosaries and prayer beads and stop worshiping cows and bowing to Mecca six times a day. Instead work hard at your job, take care of aging parents, volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to charities and the poor and continue to follow the Commandments of your religion or any good rules of living as gracious and good human beings. And lets all hope there indeed is a place called Heaven!!!”

  15. Sounds a little like Screwtape speaking, Realist, speaking out of both sides of the mouth as this quote of yours does.
    Might as well say this—
    ————————-
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “You guys can stop your prayin’, but make sure you do what your religion tells you to.”
    Catholic: “But my religion says I should pray and work. Ora et labora, as the Benedictines say.”
    Mohammedan: “And mine says to bow to Mecca.”
    Hindu: “Mine says cows are sacred. Sort of. I don’t worship them, anyway. To most of us, they’re taboo. And yeah, some Hindus just think they’re really gosh darn cool. Are you telling me they’re not.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “Right … well, no … but … but that’s not what I meant. I meant you should follow MY rules about what makes you a good person.”
    Mohammedan: “But you just said I should follow the commandments of my religion.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “Right, but I meant you should follow my commandments.”
    Catholic: “And who the deuce are you?”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “I’m-”
    Mohammedan: “Are you Mohammed (peace be etc. etc.)?”
    King of Siam: “Et cetera, et cetera.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “Um … what? Um … no.”
    Catholic: “Are you the Pope.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “Well … no. But I’m Catholic. Sorta.”
    Zool: “Are you a god?”
    Dr. Raymond Stantz: “Careful how you answer THAT one.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “Uuuuuuuh ….”
    Mohammedan: “And you don’t know if Heaven exists.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “Well ….”
    Zool: “Heh heh heh. Reminds me of my old pals the Saducees.”
    “Gee-zis” Seminar types: “I LOVE those guys!”
    Zool and “Gee-zis” Seminar type walk off arm-in-arm singing “Cum-bai-yah.”
    ———————
    Sorry, everybody. Couldn’t resist. I’ve got a cold and I apparently took too much DayQuil and Airborne. Makes me just loopy.

  16. +J.M.J+
    Here’s an even better quote from off the Internet:
    What is the difference between correct use of the sacramental and superstition? It has to do with an inner attitude, for superstition is second cousin to magic. The superstitious person says, “If I sprinkle holy water here, say these prayers and cross myself, I will make God or His saints do this for me.” But the person using a sacramental properly says. “I want to be closer to God—to be constantly and effectively reminded of the power of His love and glory, of His protection, forgiveness and mercy. So I will cross myself when I pass a church to remind myself of His passion. I will make a novena to ask God’s saints for their prayers. I will do these things, not because I am strong and have the power to make God and His saints do my will, but because I am weak, distractable and forgetful, and need to remind myself of True Reality.”
    Of course, any informed Catholic should already know the difference between sacramentalism and magic.
    In Jesu et Maria,

  17. Realist has proven time and time again that he is neither informed or Catholic.
    Just very much in need of our prayers.
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  18. …indeed opened their purse strings and still does.
    And how much revenue do you think they actually brought in, Realist???
    It seems you were actually there since you also claim that there were certain sayings of Jesus in the bible that Jesus, himself, had never actually said according to you!
    You ignore the suffering of those who served Christ in the early church and, in many cases, the poverty (as well as the persecution) that they experienced!
    I just hope that by your own power, you’ll be able to save yourself from the fires of Hell (or, to speak more secularly, oblivion) since to you, God, the Father, is nothing but myth!

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