Jesus Broke His Arm

[Jaime]

Well technically I broke Jesus's arm. (on the crucifix on my rosary) His right arm just snapped off. So here's the deal. It feels a little weird when I look down at my one armed Jesus. I'd like to remove the rest of Jesus, however the rosary has been blessed. Its an awesome rosary and it will look just fine as a cross.

I'm wondering if I remove the rest of the body and dispose of it properly, would that be proper or would it be a desecration? My other two options are retire the rosary or just live with it.

I would think my first option is ok but I'd like to hear from someone who would know more about blessed objects than I.

[IrishSalesian]

[quote name='hot stuff' post='1368051' date='Aug 22 2007, 04:44 PM']Well technically I broke Jesus's arm. (on the crucifix on my rosary) His right arm just snapped off. So here's the deal. It feels a little weird when I look down at my one armed Jesus. I'd like to remove the rest of Jesus, however the rosary has been blessed. Its an awesome rosary and it will look just fine as a cross.

I'm wondering if I remove the rest of the body and dispose of it properly, would that be proper or would it be a desecration? My other two options are retire the rosary or just live with it.

I would think my first option is ok but I'd like to hear from someone who would know more about blessed objects than I.[/quote]
"When a material sacramental becomes so worn that it can no longer be used as a sacramental, a Catholic won't casually toss it into the trash. To prevent desecration, the sacramental should be returned to the earthly elements. Holy water, for example, should be poured into a hole dug in the earth, in a spot no one would walk over. Combustible sacramentals, such as scapulars and holy books, should be burned and then buried. Larger sacramentals that don't burn should be altered so that their form no longer appears to be a sacramental (ex., a statue should be broken up into small pieces) and then buried. Objects made of metals can be melted down and used for another purpose.

Items lose their blessing or consecration if they are desecrated, are substantially broken such that they can no longer be used for their sacred purpose, or if they are publicly sold (if an item is sold by one individual to another for only the price of the material itself -- i.e., if no profit is made, the blessing remains. E.g., if you were to give somone, say, a blessed rosary or sell it to him at cost, he would not have to have it re-blessed; if you sell a blessed rosary to someone for profit, he would need to take it to a priest.)

Note that on 23 June -- the Eve of the Feast of St. John the Baptist -- it is custom to build large bonfires in which no longer useful material sacramentals are burned."
[url="http://www.fisheaters.com/sacramentalsintro.html"]http://www.fisheaters.com/sacramentalsintro.html[/url]


*I know this is from FISHEATERS but that is the sight that came up when i googled for the information.*

Edited August 22, 2007 by IrishSalesian

[littleflower+JMJ]

this is a good question. I'm in the same boat but not with a rosary.....its an infant baby Jesus statue thats pretty big and almost actual size of a real baby (my family fool people all the time when we carry him around lol). But he only has one leg since the other one broke off completely we've been meaning to glue back on but I don't think its going to work.

[Totus Tuus]

I think desecration has to do with the intent in your case. Not sure.

You know, you can buy a new corpus for your cross if you want

[dUSt]

I don't think a rosary should have a plain cross.

I see two options:

1. Get another Corpus
2. Toothpick arm Jesus

[CatholicCid]

If you still have the arm, you can take it to a jeweler's and see if they can re-attach it. Or even a bit of epoxy will hold something so light fine.

[Paladin D]

You know Jesus let you win on that one. I know you and Jesus like to arm wrestle, but come on.

[T-Bone _]

I'd just bury the rosar (underneath a rosebush) and buy a new one. They don't cost that much...

[Noel's angel]

Why don't you just replace the old crucifix with a new one and bury the old one? I'd try gluing the arm back on first though.

[Jaime]

Well the arm is gone who knows where. The thing about it is I LOVE this rosary. Its corded and it has medallions instead of beads at the Our Fathers. Also its from Croatia so not so easy to replace. I like the combo because it seems a bit more manly (a majority of rosaries seem a bit dainty) and I always break the ones with the metal rings. (I pray hard)

I've had rosaries with just a cross before so I know that's just an issue of preference. And I know the proper thing to do if I retire the rosary. I just want to modify it and dispose of the Jesus properly.

[Didacus]

[quote name='hot stuff' post='1368051' date='Aug 22 2007, 02:44 PM']Well technically I broke Jesus's arm. (on the crucifix on my rosary) His right arm just snapped off. So here's the deal. It feels a little weird when I look down at my one armed Jesus. I'd like to remove the rest of Jesus, however the rosary has been blessed. Its an awesome rosary and it will look just fine as a cross.

I'm wondering if I remove the rest of the body and dispose of it properly, would that be proper or would it be a desecration? My other two options are retire the rosary or just live with it.

I would think my first option is ok but I'd like to hear from someone who would know more about blessed objects than I.[/quote]

hot stuff,

I believe your personal intent would dictate here. You have no ill intent, and God would understand whatever mistake (mistake - not sin), you make.

Best of luck, and if anyone is interested I just met over the internet this awesome rosary maker. She makes hand-made rosaries that are near-unbreakable. If anyone is interested just PM me.

didace out... free T-shirts in the back.

[the_rev]

well you could just buy another small crucuifix the same size and remove the other crucifix, that yway you still have your rosary with a new cross.

[iggyjoan]

I'd just glue the arm back on.

[jeffpugh]

[quote name='hot stuff' post='1368216' date='Aug 22 2007, 06:55 PM']Well the arm is gone who knows where. The thing about it is I LOVE this rosary. Its corded and it has medallions instead of beads at the Our Fathers. Also its from Croatia so not so easy to replace. I like the combo because it seems a bit more manly (a majority of rosaries seem a bit dainty) and I always break the ones with the metal rings. (I pray hard)

I've had rosaries with just a cross before so I know that's just an issue of preference. And I know the proper thing to do if I retire the rosary. I just want to modify it and dispose of the Jesus properly.[/quote]
Well, Mother Angelica just says you can bury it somewheres, particularly in a foundation of a building (you get a blessed building) or you can bury it somewhere no one treads, as long as it's respectable. You could probably just put another crucifix on. I dunno... just pray that you find the arm... Have fun with that predicament. I think I'm with those who say we trust your judgement.

[CoffeeCatholic]

you can buy just corpuses for that size- just ask a jeweler, they should know where and how to fix him up good. And really, it shouldn't be that expensive. Just remember to get it reblessed afterwards (just in case)!