Keeping on Eye on eBay   ~   eBay Policy on Sale of First Class Relics   ~   Step by Step Reporting ~

Relics: What's OK   ~   What's Just Silly   ~   Relics: Serious Offenses   ~   Case Study: One Report ~

eBay Report Card March 2007   ~   Questionable Buyers: Taking a Closer Look   ~   Write to Your Bishop

Latin Designations  ~  What Happens to Your Sacred Objects When You Die

eBay has provided a valid marketplace for those who legitimately buy and sell Catholic artifacts for continued devotional use in the Catholic faith.

Unfortunately, many abuses exist, like the notorious attempt to sell the Eucharist and the continuance of sellers who offer First Class relics.  Each of us has a moral obligation to report these abuses as we find them.  There are two areas of concern to Catholic sellers and buyers alike.

First, there is the sale of First Class Relics, which, to a large extent is prohibited by eBay's own policy on Human Remains. Two step by step procedures for reporting these sales can be found at the right. 

The second has to do with sellers who are indiscriminate about the buyers of sacred objects once used in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or in Catholic devotions. 

eBay's Policy on the

Sale of First Class Relics

The sale of the Blood and Bones of Catholic Saints is prohibited by eBay's own rules under the heading of "Human Remains." 

The policy states:

Humans, the human body, or any human body parts are not permitted on eBay. Items that contain human hair (such as lockets) as well as skulls and skeletons that are used for medical purposes may be listed on eBay. eBay does not permit the sale of Native American skulls, bones or other Native American grave-related items, as the sale of such items may violate federal law

1. Go to the page on Prohibited Items - Human Remains

At the bottom of the page you will find a little envelope marked Report Listing Violations.

When you click on it, you will be able to report up to ten item numbers. As we have done among our members, we recommend that you copy item numbers into a document, separating them with commas, and then paste them into the box to report them. We encourage you to share this method with others.

Remember - There is power in numbers. Ask other buyers and sellers to report these sales.

With enough pressure, maybe eBay will remove the category entirely one day.

Before You Report.  In all charity we must give sellers the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they are unaware of what they are selling.  Many people aren't familiar with the terminology used to describe different types of relics. 

Write a gentle note first - Hi, I saw your listing for (RELIC) and noticed that it is labeled Ex. Oss. Did you know this means it is an actual bone of the Saint? 

It's important to know the meaning of the Latin designations of labels before you report an item to eBay. You might find them within the description, or in the photos of the relics or documents.

Some sellers are getting crafty and obscuring the designation to avoid getting caught.

A first class relic is a part of the body of the Saint. All instruments of the Passion are considered First Class Relics.

A second class relic is a piece of clothing or other object - like a watch or a blanket - used by the Saint.

A third class relic is a bit of cloth that came into direct contact with a first or second class relic.

Latin Designations for

First Class Relics

Those in yellow are reportable.

Cravio, corporis – body

Ex capillus - from the hair

Ex carne - from the flesh

Ex cineribus - from the ashes

Ex ligneo pulvere, Mixto pulveri corporis, Quem residuum continebat prima capsa funeralis - from the remains of the wood, mixed with the dust of the body, the residue of which was contained in the first box, [or sarcophagus]

Ex ossibus - from the bones

Other Designations

Coronse spinse D.N.J.C.

Crown of Thorns of Our Lord Jesus Christ

De velo - from the veil

Domini Nostri Jesu Christi, D.N.J.C. - Our Lord Jesus Christ

Domo – house
Ex bireto - from the biretta

Ex indulmentis - from the clothing

Ex praesepis - birthplace of D.N.J.C.

Ex pluviali - cope [ cloak wore for Benediction ]
Ex Sindone - from the shroud

The Sale of Relics

What's OK - From time to time you'll come across holy cards and medals that are described as "relics" -- they are not.

They are more appropriately termed mementos. These generally contain little bits of cloth that may or may not have been touched to a third class relic -- which is, in itself, something that has been touched to a first or second class relic.

These objects find use in promoting devotions to a particular Saint when a member of the faithful is seeking intercessory prayer.

A great many older objects of this sort were actually distributed by the religious communities that the individuals belonged to. These are permitted for sale.

Among modern objects of this type, most are manufactured in China and imported by the bigger religious goods houses, like Autom.  Many are imprinted with the term Ex Indulmentis. We seriously doubt that they have any notion of what the phrase means, much less that they have the capacity to legitimately manufacture them.

Relic Holy Medals

This is medal was listed as a relic of St. Michael. The medal itself is stamped Ex Indulmentis, which indicates that it is a piece of the Saint's garment. This, of course, is ridiculous as St. Michael is a pure spirit and did not leave behind any garments.

Not even a feather.

One of the more commonly found holy medals marked Ex Indulmentis, this one is in honor of Saint Benedict.  Considering he died a few hundred years ago, this bit of cloth looks suspiciously fresh and modern.

Here is a nice prayer card in honor of Saint Joseph. We don't really know if Saint Joseph left anything behind, but if he did, it certainly wasn't the tiny bit of cloth that is laminated in this commercially produced holy card.

An example of an older holy card with a bit of cloth that may actually be Ex Indulmentis. These were distributed by those who had an interest in promoting the cause of the servant of God.

This one is absolutely ridiculous. This seller lists statues and objects such as this one which are readily available through the commercial vendor Autom.

Again, these are all items that are manufactured in China.  Not something to report, although if you are so inclined, you might want to contact the seller to tell her that this is just plain silly, not to mention dishonest.

But be nice about it.

To the left is what the seller claims in the ad:

When offering prayer to Christ through any one armor of these saints, the medals are suspended from the horizontal beam. The Holy Medals are not Relics. Medals vary; we cannot grant special requests for medals. On the back of the True Cross Crucifix is a seal identifying the Cross as a Relic of the Third Class.

Tasteless, but non reportable. There are several eBay members who have created a variety of charm bracelets complete with an assortment of relic medals intermixed with other baubles. There are "Good Friday" charm bracelets and also "Juicy Ish Love of Jesus Charm Bracelet" - Juicy-Ish?

For the most part, we are sure that these people are well intentioned, and are perhaps looking for another means of promoting the faith. Well intentioned, but misguided.

First Class Relics

Never OK to Sell

Never OK to Buy

On March 6, 2006, we did a search using the terms Ex Oss. and Ex Ossibus using the advanced search option to look for the terms in the title and the listing.

There were twenty First Class relics for sale including the one to the left.

Reporting the Sale of

First Class Relics of

St. Therese

He had quite a few first class relics for sale that day.  This one read:

THECA RELIQUARY RELIC ex OSSIBUS & CAPILLIS S.THERESIAE.

(This means the bones and hair of Saint Therese)

The listing went on to say:

"This auction is for a reliquary containing a relic ex ossibus and ex capillis S.THERESIAE  With seal wax and intact thread. As per Ebay new rules, this item is allowed as it contains no human remain's but is an object of devotion.

"Your listings state that these relics contain no human remains, but the term Ex Ossibus means that it is the bones of the Saint - hence, human remains. You are selling a First Class Relic."

He wrote back: "Yes this is true, I have to write that I'm selling the reliquary and the relic is a gift and is not for sale. As for Ebay rules is forbidden to sell human remains. Thanks for your question. "

OK. So he knew just what he was selling. We scrolled to the bottom of the page and used the "Report" link.

Much to our surprise -- and gratitude - eBay removed the listing almost immediately.

Of course, he wrote again to say he thought we reported him and to ask why.

We found twenty first class relics listed on eBay and reported them through proper channels.

Twenty were reported.

Sixteen were removed.

eBay Grade

10. Ex Oss. Relic of Saint Gerard Majella

This is an area where we have to be very careful. And, of course, we have to be careful in what we disclose in this section to avoid legal difficulties.

Each seller must determine their own policy and their own level of vigilance in this regard.

Over the years several Catholic sellers have cancelled sales to individuals who clearly intend to utilize sacred objects for a variety of unsavory purposes.  Several of these sellers maintain a network and share the identities of buyers with illicit or questionable intent and place them on their blocked bidders list. 

We cannot list these here, but members of the Saint Isidore Guild are granted access to an area of this website that provides an updated listing of these individuals and their alternate IDs. Inquire about membership here.

Buyers who have an ID or email address that indicates a fascination with the occult.  The reality is that there are quite a few individuals who are engaged in Satanic and Wicca worship who would use sacred Catholic objects for their ceremonies.

If you are a seller, you may wish to consider placing a proviso in the terms of your auction that will allow you to cancel a sale. In these very strange days, you may have to indicate that you are selling objects with the intention that they remain in use within the faith of origin.

Unless a buyer is known to you as being involved in this type of activity, give them the benefit of the doubt. Ask about the meaning of their ID or email. Sometimes you will find that it is a misguided and innocent reason -- such as a fascination with Harry Potter or something else quite silly.

They may be churches that are run by married men who were formerly Roman Catholic Priests, women who have decided that they are priests, or they may be groups that were specifically organized to offer "Roman Catholic" marriages to same sex couples.

Some are churches that are not in communion with Rome for a variety of reasons, such as the belief that  the "real" Holy Father lives in a trailer in Montana.

And then there are groups of men who just like to play "dress up" in sacred vestments. Again, we urge caution and vigilance along with the institution of your own personal policy. 

 If you are selling something particularly sacred, you may want to take a close look at who you're selling to.

Click on the bidder's feedback number and you can take a look at the items that the person has bought and sold over the last 30 days.

Usually you will find nothing to cause alarm. At other times, you may wish to cancel your sale or at least contact the buyer to make an inquiry.

Using this technique our members have turned up some rather frightening patterns. 

One word of prudence - if you cancel a bid because of an unusual history, don't be surprised to find the same bidder with a new ID - usually one with 0 feedback.

You can still take a look at what they've been buying unless it is a private auction. Here's how.

Go to the top right of your eBay page and under the search box, click on Advanced Search. This will bring you to a new page.

On the left there is a menu. You may click on "Search by Bidder" or "Search by Seller." 

Type in the ID of the buyer you are concerned about, being sure to click the boxes for Completed Auctions. You will find a history for the last 30 days.

This technique was used by several of our members to keep tabs on a buyer who purchased a great many sacred objects before turning to massive purchases of very inappropriate garments. He is no longer a registered user. At least not under that ID.

Left - PENTACLE CHALICE WITH DRAGONS AND GEMSTONES

In these days of trial within the Church, there are legitimate reasons for the liquidation of Church goods.

Please, take a moment to write to your Bishop to urge him to ensure that a proviso is included in the contract of sale stipulating that the liquidator will undertake due diligence in the re-sale of these sacred objects to ensure that they are not put to profane use.

Many of our members purchase Catholic antiquities from old Catholic estates. Some of these estates contain the personal belongings of Priests and Nuns. It's always a bit of a shock to come across a First Class Relic or a Chalice stuffed into a shoebox in the back of a closet. Once a member even discovered a pyx full of hosts.

Just as these good souls passed away, leaving behind sacred objects, so will we also pass away.  It is important to have a plan in place for the disposition of your sacred objects.

Second, include these objects in your will. If you do not have a will, or haven't yet included these items, at least leave a signed and dated note with them indicating your wishes.

If you have relics in your possession, give them to a Church. Make certain that it is not a parish where they will be tossed into a dusty drawer. Find one with a reliquary cabinet.

Don't wait.

There is no end to the trade in First Class relics. It is, frankly, very profitable. Some sellers seem to be ignorant of the rules. Others openly flaunt them. While still others deliberately lie, claiming that what is obviously a piece of bone is actually hair or cloth. Sellers with documentation or designation tags within the theca will obscure them to evade detection.

We will provide a weekly report of relics that are clearly First Class non-hair relics and encourage you to copy the numbers to the right in groups of ten and report them.  Links to the auctions are listed below.

Numbers in groups of ten

180097179737, 110103978131, 110103976659, 180095213936, 220092872914,160096518153, 160096511808, 150102347389, 250094717343, 250094712727

150102155930, 250094709681, 150102146746, 150102144600, 150102144137, 320092799666, 260097096505, 260097096467, 260097096396, 260097096157

130089099629, 220092340794, 150101695476, 140096271152, 270099327872, 140096214240, 270099323198, 270099321034, 260096625291, 260096621161

260096616946, 110102883301, 150101350908, 150101453849, 200088733139, 200088733117, 200088733087, 200088733061, 200088733014, 200088733006

Not Reportable

But Very Disturbing

March 16, 2007 - The sale of Altar stones with relics encased within.  Starting at just $9.99 you can own a marble Altar stone complete with unnamed relics. This once graced the Altar of Sacrifice, but with modernizations and Church closings, they are now up for grabs.

Where did these people get them all? Someone must have given them permission to take or buy them.

This is exactly why everyone should write to their Bishops to urge caution in the sale of Church goods.

Here are more 140097317783, 220092375459

110103978131 - Theca with bone of St. Anthony of Padua which seller suggests can be worn as a locket.

110103976659 - Theca with bone of Saint Thomas Aquinas which seller suggests can be worn as a locket.

220092872914 - Theca with bone of St. Maria Goretti

160096518153 - Theca containing bone of Saint Rosalia. Ad is mostly in Tagalog and says that seller knows it is against eBay policy.

160096511808 - Theca with bone of Saint Lucy by the same seller.

150102347389 - Theca with multiple first class relics.

250094717343 - Theca with first class relic of S. Lud. Regis

250094712727 - Theca with first class relic of S. Rochi

110102883301 - Reliquary image with bone of Saint Cloud

200088733139 - Theca with bone of Saint Roch

250094709681 - Theca with First Class Relic of St. Pius X

150102146746 - Theca with First Class Relic of St. Teresa of Avila

150102144600 - Theca St. Francis clearly reads Ex Ossibus

150102144137 - Theca Ex. Ossibus Saint Clement Hof.

320092799666 - Cross with several relics. Last one is clearly a piece of bone

260097096505 - Theca with relic of S. Ubaldi Ep. Eugubini clearly marked Ex. Ossibus

260097096467 - Theca with relic of S. Pacifici a S. Severino clearly marked Ex Ossibus

260097096396 - Theca with Ex Ossibus relic of St. Henrici di Osso

260097096157 - Theca with large bone of St. Luciae a Caltagirone

130089099629 - Theca and Document Ex Ossibus St. Jean Marie Vianney

150101350908 - Theca with bone of Saint Simon Stock

200088733117 - Theca with three bone relics

150101695476 - Theca with Ex. Ossibus relic of Saint John of God

140096271152 - Theca with relics clearly marked ex. oss.

270099327872 - Theca with Relics of St. Anthony and St. Francis. Document is blurry but clearly indicates ex ossibus.

140096214240 - Theca with six relics clearly marked ex ossibus and the seller mentions ex oss. in listing

270099323198 - Theca with clearly marked ex ossibus relic of St. Dominic Savio

270099321034 - Theca with ex ossibus of St. Peter Julian Eyemard. Seller has cut off the portion of the theca with notation, but it is clear in the document.

260096625291 - Theca with ex ossibus relic of Saint Rochus

260096621161 - Theca with document noting ex ossibus of St. Alphonsus Liguori

260096616946 - Theca with document noting ex ossibus St. Elizabeth of Hungary

150101453849 - Reliquary with large bone of Saint Valentine

200088733087 - Theca with two relics, one of which is a bone of Saint Gerard