Tampered Catholic Religious Images and Objects

How can a “seemingly” catholic religious object become evil when maliciously tampered with, i.e.,
Satanic Rosaries, Images with non-Catholic additions?

To understand how particular religious objects that externally to the uninitiated looks like a catholic
devotional item, e.g., rosaries, images, medallions, can turn out to be demonic or evil, we must go to the
intention of the artist, the manufacturer or fabricator of such things. “The intention (Final Cause) of the
First Cause endures” is the principle at work here. Any work is owned by the one who made it, thought
about it, designed it, that is its creator. Even if he sells it, it will always have a link to the one who made it.
Thus, a portrait of the patron does not belong to him even if he commissioned the artist. It is the artist
who is the owner of the art. Its creator gives its meaning. So also, with religious objects. If somebody
tampers with the design of the rosary and adds something to it, whatever intention or purpose he gives
to what he has done, this endures. Therefore, let us say that somebody designed a cross and placed a
satanic symbol to it and had it manufactured and multiplied. Then he had this cross, now tampered,
attached to a series of beads to look like a rosary. Even if a priest blesses this object, he cannot remove
its meaning unless he removes the sigil (sign) of the evil there. Thus, the blessing has no meaning because
if it does, then the satanic symbol is also blessed, which cannot be. The priest blesses the object assuming
that it is a rosary, but for the manufacturer –the real owner, this is not a Catholic rosary.

In the practice of the Early Church, pagan temples, when they are to be converted into churches, part of
the purification is to destroy all pagan statues and connections inside the edifice. These are removed from
the premises. The building is exorcised through several purification rites before being consecrated and
used for Christian worship. If in some unfortunate event, the structure is desecrated, a reparation rite is
done, then followed by purification rites, and finally rededication.

The blessing of religious objects for the veneration of the faithful, therefore, must take into consideration
its provenance, the intention of the maker, the meaning behind each of the items in the image or statue.
Anything in the icon, image, medallion that is alien to its traditional depiction must be carefully scrutinized
for the meaning and reason behind its incorporation. If the purpose is suspect, then the priest should not
bless it.

There is an exception to the rule here. The statue of St. Michael the Archangel, or St. George the Dragon
Slayer, or St. Joseph the Terror of Demons, or the BVM of the Miraculous Medal, where there is the
inclusion of the Devil or dragon or the evil serpent in the image, is not intended for satanic purposes but
to depict a truth. When the priest blesses the image, the blessing does not make the object of the Devil
there blessed. Again, the intention of the maker here is at work. The aim is and always to show the defeat
and humiliation of the evil one. Thus, when they venerate the image, they do not venerate the Devil but
only the holy one of God.

How about images coming from unapproved private revelations, visions, and apparitions?

The principle of Causes explained above also is applied when it comes to images or statues coming from
unapproved private revelations, visions, and apparitions. This is most especially true when the image is a
direct product of such private revelation; for example, the vision says to make a likeness of what is seen.
If the Church declares definitively that the private revelation is “non constat supernaturalitate” (non-
supernatural, “not from God”), then the image is a manifestation of the false private revelation, a display
of something not from God. Hence, there can be no corrective to this image even if it is dissociated from
its source. Why? Because of the intention of the one who asked that it be fashioned remains. Thus, if its
“typos” or original pattern is not from God, then nothing can make it from God by some blessing or change
of meaning. There will always be a straight connection from the source to its image, and no mental
dissociation can ever change it. The historical relationship still exists. So, the hanging question will always
remain, if the statue or image is a mirror image of the vision, and the vision is not from God, then who is
model in the image? No one can change the meaning. It is fixed because of the intention of its source. So
why would one use an image coming from a false private revelation?

The crucifix above is tampered with symbolisms that have no bearing on a traditional catholic rosary. The
source of the addition is unknown. The meaning behind the addition is also undetermined. However,
certain signs have long been identified with cults, esoteric, occult, and secret societies. Thus, incorporating
these sigils or emblems in a catholic rosary without explanation whatsoever is suspect.
The red arrow on the left points to tampering in the original design of the Miraculous Medal to the right.
The additional figure is the compass figure of Freemasonry.

This is another example of a Catholic religious image, the Christ Child, that has been tampered with, and
a superstitious emblem of good fortune in the form of coins has been added. Thus, the name Sto. Nino
dela Pera (“pera”- Tagalog for money). This is a statue that should not be blessed. There is nothing in this
image that can be redeemed as the “coins” is an integral part of the statue and the title.

Here are some more examples of Catholic symbols that have been tampered with or hijacked and used in
a superstitious or New Age manner. The top left the symbol of the cross, and the typical Marian insignia
of M and the Cross have been hijacked to appear in an occult incantation using bastardized Latin. The
middle image of the St. Benedict Medal was compromised by adding crystals for purifying and warding
spirits. They are supposed to add greater power to the medal. The top right and the image above are
occult objects used for protection against the evil eye targeted against infants. The object is fundamentally
occult but made to appear catholic by adding legitimate catholic symbols like the Crucifix, St. Benedict
Medal, the Miraculous Medal, and then mixed with barks of trees, paper with an incantation on it,
pebbles, etc.

No amount of catholic blessing and exorcism can ever remove the meaning attached to these tampered
objects. The only correct way is to destroy and dispose of them and treat them as cursed objects.

Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism (AMOE)