Once I came to church for the baptism of a baby and forgot to put on a cross, a friend offered me hers, since she still wasn’t allowed to go to the ceremony. But others standing nearby began to unanimously repeat that it was impossible. I had never thought about such things before. Why not? As a result, I went to church and bought myself a new cross. And at that moment I decided that I needed to dig into the resources and find out what else should not be done with a cross. After all, we know so little about it.
A cross can be found on the neck of every believer (Christianity). Many people have recently been wearing a cross as an ordinary trinket around their neck, but this is wrong in relation to faith. The cross is a sign of faith, hope, love, your protection and amulet, your secret and treasure. The cross is a sacred thing, therefore it must be handled with extreme caution.
Where to put the old cross?
Let's look at the options for where to put the old pectoral cross. Among the ideas, consider the following:
- to be melted down
- give to someone
- give to church
- store at home
- just throw it away.
People put unnecessary crosses somewhere in accordance with their beliefs and needs, which are sometimes not very true from the point of view of the Orthodox Church.
According to superstitions, ill-wishers can use a cross to bring powerful damage to the new owner. This is why many are afraid to pick up crosses found on the street. And in vain: a true Christian must save the shrine from desecration!
Is it possible to melt down a cross?
Let's consider the first option: is it possible to give consecrated crosses for melting down?
If you ask a question in church whether it is possible to melt a cross into another cross, they will answer positively. Let’s say the cross is broken or severely deformed - then the priest himself will probably recommend making a new symbol of faith from the precious metal. Additionally, he will recommend that the new product be consecrated in the church: when melted down, the spiritual essence of the shrine is lost.
But if you want to melt the cross into another decoration, questions may arise. Clergymen of the old formation do not recommend doing this. Most likely, you will be advised to give the cross to the church (in any condition) or give it to someone in need.
Silver cross
Technically, it is quite possible to melt a cross into another product, but you need to keep in mind that jewelers work exclusively with gold or platinum. They are unlikely to undertake the melting down of an inexpensive silver product, and if they suddenly do so, the price of this work will be prohibitively high. There is no need to talk about base metals.
Any alteration of the pectoral cross forces you to contact the church for re-consecration (fortunately, this is usually done free of charge). However, minor repairs (for example, soldering a broken ear) or professional cleaning do not qualify as alterations.
How to wear a pectoral cross correctly
It is best to choose a cross made of silver or tin. Gold jewelry is not recommended. The fact is that they symbolize the love of wealth, and such thoughts should not appear in a true Christian. It is believed that if a mother puts such a cross on her baby, she will deprive him of the help of a Higher Power.
It is recommended to wear the talisman exclusively on a long chain or jewelry cord. In this case, it is permissible to use a gold or silver chain. The cord can be purchased at a church or jewelry store. It is also possible to do it yourself.
It is important that the amulet is not visible from under clothes. Only priests may wear a Christian symbol over their robe. According to folk superstitions, the pectoral cross should be on the neck.
When choosing a pectoral cross for a baby, it is important to take into account a number of features:
- It is recommended to give preference to a silver accessory. This metal is considered hypoallergenic. It rarely causes allergic reactions or skin irritation in children.
- The product should not have sharp corners that could injure a child. Today there are many safe products on sale for children of all ages.
- The size of the accessory should not be more than 2 centimeters in length. The child will not feel such decoration, and therefore will not try to remove it.
- The child's first cross should be put on a cord. A suitable option would be a rope made of soft thread or rubber. Such materials will not rub delicate skin or cause discomfort to the child. The length of the lace is of great importance. It is important that the child cannot put his hand under it and pull it.
- According to church canons, a child is allowed not to wear a cross all the time. However, it must be worn before visiting the temple.
From an early age, a child must understand that a cross is not a toy, but a significant element of the Orthodox religion. Special children's books will help explain this to your baby.
Is it possible to give your cross to another person?
Here the answer is clear: it is possible, and sometimes necessary, if another person needs God’s protection, but does not have a cross. This is a very plausible act, especially if it is done from a pure heart, at the behest of the soul, and not to atone for one’s sins.
A mother or father can give a cross to their child - this is also not prohibited by the church. If deeply religious parents decide to give a cross to their son or daughter, they thereby share their own wisdom and piety with their children. And if the parents are not too strong in faith, the children will simply receive a consecrated vessel, which they themselves will have to fill with spiritual content. So there will be no harm from this either.
Children are also not forbidden to pass on their own shrines to their parents. Let's say a father is undergoing a complex operation or an elderly mother suffers from a severe form of dementia - don't parents need the support of their children and God?
There is a superstition among not very enlightened Christians: giving your cross to another person means sharing with him your own destiny, which was destined from the very beginning. Therefore, many are afraid to wear someone else’s cross because through it they supposedly accept all the hardships and illnesses of the previous owner.
Children's crosses in the Sunlight catalog
This is a dense, but very tenacious bobcat. The Christian Church denies the existence of blind fate and generational destiny in principle. According to its principles, each person creates his own destiny: he is free to both sin and lead a righteous life, but each of his actions will subsequently be assessed by the highest Judge, that is, God.
Our ancestors passed on crucifixes from generation to generation and wore them with the greatest respect. And if people exchanged crosses, they became spiritual brothers or sisters and accepted responsibility for each other before God and people.
If an Orthodox clergyman dies, the religious objects belonging to him are distributed to other priests. This also applies to crosses, both body and pectoral, that is, worn “on the chest” (on the chest) over the robe during services and rituals. The heirs of the deceased wear the crosses of the deceased with the highest favor. So wearing other people’s crosses and accepting symbols of faith as gifts can and should be done.
Is it possible to take a cross to church?
Perhaps the best way to part with an unnecessary cross without desecrating a shrine is to give it to the church. Many parishioners donate quite good and expensive crosses made of precious metals to the church. Some acquire them specifically in order to donate and ask for mercy from some icon, that is, the corresponding Saint.
Clergymen welcome such gifts. But the most sincere and progressive of them say that money and expensive offerings cannot buy God’s favor and cannot forgive sins. God does not sell his own mercy, but gives it to sincerely repentant people who have taken the path of piety.
Any cross, even the simplest one, can be taken to church: the spiritual content does not depend on the shape and value of the wearer. If the shrine has a decent appearance, it will be given to the needy. If a cross is broken or deformed, it will be disposed of with honors in a special oven.
You can bring to church not only unnecessary or broken crosses, but also scrap precious metals. They are subsequently used to make church utensils and frames for icons.
Gold cross with cubic zirconia
How to store unnecessary crosses at home?
The cross does not take up much space, so it can be easily stored at home. Orthodox clergy recommend setting aside space for “extra” shrines in the Red Corner, next to the icons.
But since most of our apartments and houses do not have such corners, you can limit yourself to an ordinary box. Personal storage should be reserved for shrines: proximity to worldly jewelry is not recommended. Take care to create normal storage conditions (not in light, away from moisture and not near batteries) and do not forget to occasionally clean the cross so that it remains in decent condition. One cleaning per year will be enough.
If we are talking about an expensive cross that has been passed down from generation to generation, it is wise to take measures to preserve it (of course, if you do not intend to wear it). You can take the shrine to a workshop, where it will be covered with a layer of wax or special varnish.
At any time, a cross stored at home can be “removed from conservation.” No matter how long it has not been worn, it retains its spiritual content and does not need to be re-consecrated.
The cross is not capable of accumulating negative energy or serving as an instrument for causing damage. However, if you come across a cross of unknown origin, you need to consecrate it in the church and only then wear it.
So, what actions cannot be performed with a cross:
- wear a cross on top of clothes, showing it off;
- consecrate the cross on your own, even if you have learned the correct prayers;
- have several crosses;
- It is not advisable to buy a cross without a crucifix;
- wear an unconsecrated cross;
- put on other people's crosses;
- throw it away;
- worn together with other amulets that are not associated with Christianity;
- remove the cross for no reason;
- wear a cross on any place other than the neck.
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What if you just throw out the cross?
Some people wonder if it is possible to throw out crosses if they are not needed. This question will not even occur to a true Christian: even a simple aluminum cross with a broken ear remains a symbol of faith, filled with high spiritual content. Therefore, throwing away any consecrated crosses is sacrilege.
Some people recommend “burying” unnecessary crosses, that is, reverently burying them in the ground somewhere in uncrowded places, preferably under trees. However, the church does not encourage this method of disposal. Exception: deceased Christians are buried with crosses, but in this case the shrine is buried together with the owner.
So if the cross is no longer needed (you bought another one, it broke, it came to you from an unknown source, it was given as a gift, but you don’t want to wear it), go to church. There they will either accept the shrine as a gift or tell you how best to deal with it according to the Orthodox canon.
10.05.21
Orthodox Life
Archpriest Vladimir Rovinsky knows what to do with a pectoral cross that has become unusable.
It must be remembered that a pectoral cross cannot be equated to jewelry. Indeed, during its consecration (which should take place in the altar on the holy throne), the priest, turning to Christ the Savior, prayerfully asks: “You voluntarily, for the sake of our salvation, desired to be nailed on the Tree of the Cross and deigned to sanctify it with Your precious Blood,” and then : “And bless this sign of the Cross, and pour Your intercession help against all the snares of the devil into it, so that for everyone who wears it, it will provide protection and saving salvation from all evil of the soul and body, and for the multiplication in him of Your spiritual and Christian gifts. served the virtues by Thy grace.”
The pectoral cross serves us, on the one hand, as a symbol of our faith, a reminder of Christ’s death on the Cross and the sanctification of the instrument of death itself by His Blood, and on the other hand, it is filled with the grace-filled energy of the Holy Spirit, preserving us from all evil and increasing our virtues and talents. It is customary to take a cross that has become unusable to a church, on the territory of which a special place should be allocated for storing or disposing of consecrated things.
But not every unsuitable consecrated thing needs to be taken to the temple. I remember when I was a new parish priest, I advised parishioners to bring relics unfit for use to church. Oh, what started here! In a short period of time, behind the altar there grew a huge mountain of bottles of holy water, vials of blessed oil, moldy prosphora, images of icons from magazines and newspapers, blessed willow, jars of cloudy Epiphany water, some ribbons, handkerchiefs, and more occult literature and much more. Parishioners even from other churches in the city, having learned about my blessing, joyfully came to us to get rid of everything that their faith-filled soul could not afford to throw in the trash. I soon realized that in order to properly and regularly dispose of all this, I would have to support another church worker.
After that, for six months, I ended every Sunday sermon with a request not to bring to church everything that could be burned at home, but to bury the ashes in the ground in a clean place. As for a broken cross, if it is made of precious metal, it can be sent to a workshop to be melted down to make a new one.
