DISPOSING OF BLESSED OBJECTS: A WESTERN ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE

An Old Sacred Text Disposed of by Burning after De-Consecration

Edited by Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

Throughout Scripture, we find numerous examples of God’s grace working through material objects. The mantle of the Prophet Elias parted the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:8), and the Apostle Paul's handkerchiefs and aprons were used to heal the sick (Acts 19:11-12). These instances remind us that God, who became incarnate and sanctified the material world, uses physical things to guide us toward salvation. In the same way, the Church blesses objects, invoking the Holy Spirit to make them conduits of divine grace.

In the blessing of holy objects, the priest prays for the sanctification of the item, asking that it may serve for "bodily salvation and the aid of all who shall use it." This reflects the Orthodox understanding of the body and soul as integrated aspects of our being, both precious and worthy of sanctification. As St. Irenaeus taught, "The glory of God is a human being fully alive," emphasizing that God’s grace sanctifies not just the soul but the body as well.

Blessed objects, therefore, are not simply symbols but means through which we encounter God’s grace. They are not magical or powerful in themselves, but the grace of God that fills them makes them effective for our spiritual life. As St. John of Damascus wrote in defense of the holy icons, “The honor shown to the image passes over to the prototype.” The reverence we show to blessed objects honors God Himself, whose grace they communicate.

Given the sacred nature of these objects, their disposal must reflect the respect due to them as instruments of divine grace. It is not merely a matter of practicality but a continuation of our reverence for God’s work in creation.

The proper means of disposing of holy objects involves a process that reflects their return to the elements from which they came. Icons, holy cards, and other paper items bearing sacred images should be reverently cut and burned, with their ashes buried in a place where they will return to the earth, such as in a garden or under a tree. This is not unlike the ancient Christian practice of the burial of relics, which St. Augustine affirmed when he said, “We care for the body not as something that will be annihilated but as something that will be raised.”

Items such as Q-tips or cotton swabs used in Holy Unction, palm leaves from Palm Sunday, or blessed bread (antidoron) that has become moldy, should likewise be burned, and their ashes buried in the earth. The water used to wash baptismal gowns and towels should be poured out onto the ground in a garden or at the base of a tree, symbolizing the return of what has been sanctified back to God’s good creation.

By doing this, we acknowledge that blessed objects have fulfilled their sacred purpose and now return to the earth from which they came, in harmony with the Creator’s order. As St. Ephrem the Syrian wrote, “The earth is filled with the mercy of the Lord,” and in this way, we respect both creation and the grace of God that works through it.

The Syriac Church has a unique tradition of prayers for the "unbinding" or deconsecration of sacramental and blessed objects, ensuring their respectful and proper disposal. This prayer is rooted in the Church’s theology of sanctification, wherein objects set apart for holy use are imbued with sacred grace, and thus require a proper liturgical formula to return them to a profane state when their use is completed or when they are no longer fit for sacred purposes.

The theological foundation for this practice is drawn from the authority of St. Peter’s Keys (Matthew 16:19) and the role of the Holy Spirit in the sanctification of created things. As the Holy Spirit consecrates and makes objects holy for the ministry of salvation, so too can the Church, through prayer and apostolic authority, release and unbind them, restoring them to their original state. This principle is similarly observed in the deconsecration of altars, church buildings, and sacred vessels across the Apostolic Churches, preventing desecration and maintaining the Church’s sacred order.

The ancient unbinding prayer, traditionally recited by a priest or bishop, is used to return consecrated leaven, oil, or Eucharistic elements back to a state of respectful deconsecration:

“O Lord of all, who in Thy boundless mercy dost sanctify and hallow Thy creation for the service of Thy Holy Church, Thou who didst command Thy servants to set apart these gifts for sacred use, we beseech Thee now, in Thy infinite wisdom, to loose and release them from their consecration. As Thou hast given unto Thy holy Apostle Peter the Keys of the Kingdom, to bind and to loose on earth as it is in heaven, so now, through this sacred ministry, we invoke Thy power to fulfill all sanctification and divine grace, restoring these elements to their original nature. May the work of the Holy Spirit in them be now completed, and may they return to the state in which Thou first created them, to be used henceforth for common purpose. We give Thee thanks for the grace Thou hast bestowed through them, and we commit them now unto the order of Thy creation, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.”

Liturgically, this prayer is applied in cases such as:

1) Sacramental Bread and Wine: When the Eucharist cannot be consumed reverently due to spoilage or spillage, the prayer is said before properly disposing of the elements through burial or pouring the wine into consecrated ground.

2) Holy Leaven: When a portion of the sacred leaven is no longer suitable for use, the prayer ensures its return to natural matter without sacrilege.

3) Blessed Oil: When holy oil becomes rancid or is no longer usable, it is either burned or buried after the unbinding prayer is said.

4) Other Sacred Objects: Items such as worn-out vestments, altar cloths, or damaged liturgical books are also unbound before disposal to ensure reverence.

This ancient prayer affirms the Church’s authority over the sacred and the profane, demonstrating both deep reverence for consecrated things and the Church’s role as steward of divine grace.

In every act of reverence, whether in the use or disposal of blessed objects, we affirm the sanctity of the material world and the presence of divine grace within it. As St. Maximus the Confessor teaches, “The whole creation is a voice of praise,” and our care for these objects becomes part of our ongoing worship, reflecting our belief that God’s grace fills all things and works through them for our salvation.

COLLECT FOR THE DISPOSAL OF BLESSED OBJECTS

Almighty and Everlasting God, who dost sanctify all things through Thy Word and Spirit, and by whose grace material things are made holy for the use of Thy Church: Grant, we beseech Thee, that as we commit these sacred symbols and blessed objects to the flames, their ashes may be returned to the earth in reverence, as fitting signs of Thy Kingdom and the sanctification of Thy creation. May we ever honor Thy gifts and cherish the grace which they have conveyed, that we, with all creation, may offer unto Thee praise and thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

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