“Blessed Bonfires?“
By Fr. Isaiah Schick
One question we get fairly often at the parish office is how to dispose of religious items, especially ones that have been blessed. In this season of clearing out leaves and of bonfires, I thought it might be time for a little explanation of the various options. I am borrowing a large portion of this from our diocesan website, with some additions.
As Catholics, we are accustomed to having religious objects blessed, which signifies the permanent sanctification and dedication of an object for some sacred purpose. Once a religious object is blessed and dedicated for divine worship or veneration, it must be treated with reverence and must not be used in either an improper or profane way. What happens when we have collected a large amount of these objects, like 58 rosaries and thousands of holy cards, especially if you do not know if they are blessed or not? Or what if you are cleaning out a parent’s or grandparent’s house and stumble onto their trove of religious items? If they are in good shape, and you know of a friend or relative who would like them, feel free to give them away to someone who will use it well!
But what happens if you have so many that the sheer amount is overwhelming? Or what happens when the rosary or statue breaks and is irreparable? Or, when the palm dries out, and the following Palm Sunday provides us with new palms? Or when your Bible is so tattered and torn from years of use that it is hardly readable anymore?
The basic rule for the disposal of these items is to burn or to bury them. Therefore, the normal rule of thumb is that anything that has been blessed should be burned (and then the ashes buried) or simply buried (if the item is not something that can be burned). This is similar to the respectful “retiring” of other objects that signify things we love – like retiring an American flag that has become tattered from use by respectfully burning it (no marshmallow roasting during the process, for example). The point here is of course that it should be done in a way that shows love and care for God, the saints, etc., who are so often signified by these blessed religious objects – and we do not just want to throw them away so that they end in the dump.
Now, it is important to say that it is not a sin to throw away blessed items, but out of proper respect, one shouldn’t dispose of them in this way. If devotionals have not been blessed, such as some of the holy cards and such that come through the mail, those are simply pictures and can be thrown away or recycled. However, if you feel uncomfortable throwing them away, you can burn or bury them as well. And lastly, if you simply are unable to burn them or overwhelmed by the task, you can always bring blessed objects that are broken and worn to the parish office, and we can help you dispose of them as necessary.