Simony

[toledo_jesus]

What is it? How is it a sin? Very basically, please.

[cappie]

Simony is the deliberate will to buy or sell a spiritual thing or a temporal thing that is especially attached to a spiritual thing for a temporal price.

"Spiritual things" are graces, Sacraments prayers, exercise of ecclesiastical jurisdiction, indulgences, admission to a religious community, reception of an ecclesiastical office etc.

One commits simony if one sells relics, or who for a temporal price casts a vote for someone in an election for an ecclesiastical office.

It is not simony to accept a donation at occasions such as Baptism or marriage.

Simony such as that above is always a mortal sin because of grave irreverance and is a sin against the First Commandment.

From the Catechism:

2121 Simony is defined as the buying or selling of spiritual things. To Simon the magician, who wanted to buy the spiritual power he saw at work in the apostles, St. Peter responded: "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's gift with money!" Peter thus held to the words of Jesus: "You received without pay, give without pay." It is impossible to appropriate to oneself spiritual goods and behave toward them as their owner or master, for they have their source in God. One can receive them only from him, without payment.

2139 Tempting God in words or deeds, sacrilege, and simony are sins of irreligion forbidden by the first commandment

From the Code of Canon Law:

Can. 1380 A person who through simony celebrates or receives a sacrament, is to be punished with an interdict or suspension

[phatcatholic]

some catholic reference works on simony:
[url="http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/define09.htm"]http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/define09.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14001a.htm"]http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14001a.htm[/url]
[url="http://www.osv.com/catholicalmanac/04c.asp"]http://www.osv.com/catholicalmanac/04c.asp[/url] (scroll down for the word "simony")
[url="http://www.therealpresence.org/dictionary/sdict.htm"]http://www.therealpresence.org/dictionary/sdict.htm[/url] (scroll down thru the drop-down menu for the word "simony")