How to Dispose of Religious Items?

by Gunther Simmermacher · February 14, 2023

Franco Fiore sells souvenirs of the Shroud of Turin near the Cathedral of St John the Baptist in Turin, Italy (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Question: I have many religious items, such as rosaries, medals, prayer cards, small statues of saints that are damaged and so on that are cluttering up my drawer. Can I just throw them out or is there a proper way of disposing of them?

Answer: Some years ago an elderly nun telephoned The Southern Cross to inquire about the proper disposal of her favourite Catholic newspaper. My predecessor, Michael Shackleton, gently advised her that she needn’t be scrupulous about it, and that she could even line her birdcage with the pages of The Southern Cross. The dear Sister was quite shocked by the very idea of it. What if the unthinkable should happen to a photograph of the pope?

I do not recall by what means Sister eventually agreed to dispose of The Southern Cross, but if scruples plagued her, she could in good conscience bury or burn the newspaper — or, better yet, recycle it.

Burying or burning religious items that are no longer wanted or damaged is the traditional and safest way of getting rid of them. This depends, of course, on what they are made of. For example, burning an item made of rubber or plastic is not advisable.

The Church is rather vague on the issue of discarding religious items. Canon law states that “sacred objects, which are designated for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated reverently” (1171). So the rule of thumb should be: if the item was blessed, or you aren’t sure whether it was, best discard it with reverence. If it was not blessed — the cheap rosary you bought from a street vendor in Rome along with the kitschy paperweight of the Colosseum — you have more flexibility in their disposal.

But consider: What might be unwanted by you may be desirable to others (other than your broken statues or the Colosseum paperweight). If the items are in good condition, a fellow Catholic or your parish bazaar might find use for it.

Published in the December 2022 issue of The Southern Cross magazine