From Aleteia.org
Sometimes throwing away the Bible doesn’t feel “right.” What should a person do?
In the case of sacramentals (devotional items blessed by a priest), Catholics are instructed to dispose of old sacramentals in a way that shows due reverence. All sacramentals can be either burned or buried in order to properly dispose of them. This type of disposal honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the earth in a dignified way. If a person is unable to do either, the sacramental may be dropped off at the parish office and someone on staff can take care of it.
Bibles could be disposed of in a similar way, acknowledging the sacred text that it contains. However, it is up to the person’s conscience to dispose of a Bible as it is generally not considered a sacramental because there does not exist a specific blessing for it. However, if the Bible has been blessed in any way (making it into a sacramental), then the above guidelines should be followed. In all other cases, it is up to the person to decide how the Bible is disposed. God won’t send down a lighting bolt if you do the “wrong” thing, but it is worthwhile making a careful decision as to how we treat our Bibles.
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Sometimes throwing away the Bible doesn’t feel “right.” What should a person do?
In the case of sacramentals (devotional items blessed by a priest), Catholics are instructed to dispose of old sacramentals in a way that shows due reverence. All sacramentals can be either burned or buried in order to properly dispose of them. This type of disposal honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the earth in a dignified way. If a person is unable to do either, the sacramental may be dropped off at the parish office and someone on staff can take care of it.
Bibles could be disposed of in a similar way, acknowledging the sacred text that it contains. However, it is up to the person’s conscience to dispose of a Bible as it is generally not considered a sacramental because there does not exist a specific blessing for it. However, if the Bible has been blessed in any way (making it into a sacramental), then the above guidelines should be followed. In all other cases, it is up to the person to decide how the Bible is disposed. God won’t send down a lighting bolt if you do the “wrong” thing, but it is worthwhile making a careful decision as to how we treat our Bibles.
Read More...
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