Can I wear a rosary around my neck?

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Don’t let people condemn you for things the church does not. Have pity and pray for them.
I have yet to see anyone on this thread condemning someone for wearing a rosary as a necklace, but rather cautioning that in the US the practice is more common among those being pointedly in defiance of the institutional Church than among those who carry a rosary for religious use. In other countries, of course, the practice often carries the meaning that the OP obviously intends. That is why the Church does not condemn the practice* per se*.

For instance, wearing a rosary in the form of a ring or a bracelet is something commonly done in the US by those who use those very rosaries for prayer.
 
There is no evidence of a shortage of people getting shot, knifed, or beaten up, whether for sport or for retaliation, in the rougher neighborhoods of Chicago. Adding one more gang to the mix could not reasonably be expected to improve things.

But we digress…
Truth is is the grand scheme of things this is a non issue. If you live in an area where this is one… maybe. But where I live? Some gang 1000 miles away acting a fool is irrelevant. The fact that 9/10 things I hear gangs are doing is listed as false on snopes is a big thing too. Not saying this didn’t happen. But one insidence in a world of 7 billion people is a non thing. Letting your faith be affected by a one instance in Chicago and you live somewhere else is why we have “build a wall” and “F the refugees” quotes everywhere. Fear is not good, especially when 99% is irrational.
 
I have yet to see anyone on this thread condemning someone for wearing a rosary as a necklace, but rather cautioning that in the US the practice is more common among those being pointedly in defiance of the institutional Church than among those who carry a rosary for religious use. In other countries, of course, the practice often carries the meaning that the OP obviously intends. That is why the Church does not condemn the practice* per se*.

For instance, wearing a rosary in the form of a ring or a bracelet is something commonly done in the US by those who use those very rosaries for prayer.
Non conformity and raising the issue is scary, and akin to condemnation. We all know what the naysayers would present seeing it in person…
 
Non conformity and raising the issue is scary, and akin to condemnation. We all know what the naysayers would present seeing it in person…
No, no, no…do not call a suggestion you don’t want to hear a “condemnation.” It is hard to think of a better inoculation against being open to admonishment or correction from others, which we all must do if we are ever to mature spiritually.

It is also a mistake to call the concerns of others “scary.” Why scary? Life is risky, but it is not made less risky by being preserved from all suggestions that dangers exist.

No, it is better to have the humility to listen, the courage to face the possibility of danger, the perseverance to endure a path through a dark valley where the way is not clear, and the faith in God to take all the counsel of others to prayer and to discern what action to take today. To conform ourselves to the will of God is not a nonconformity! The One who guides us will help us to let go of concern for human regard.

There is nothing that forbids wearing a rosary as a necklace. There are factors to take under consideration, however. There ought to be nothing in those to make anyone shrink back. No, when making a choice such as this it is better to be informed before making a decision in prayer that you hope will please the Lord. If you have to wade through some suggestions that are less gracious than you may have liked, well, there is spiritual profit in overlooking the human faults of others, too.
 
Truth is is the grand scheme of things this is a non issue. If you live in an area where this is one… maybe. But where I live? Some gang 1000 miles away acting a fool is irrelevant. The fact that 9/10 things I hear gangs are doing is listed as false on snopes is a big thing too. Not saying this didn’t happen. But one insidence in a world of 7 billion people is a non thing. Letting your faith be affected by a one instance in Chicago and you live somewhere else is why we have “build a wall” and “F the refugees” quotes everywhere. Fear is not good, especially when 99% is irrational.
Good grief, can we make just one thing in 2016 NOT about Donald Trump?

The truth is that you don’t know where the original poster lives, and neither do I. We can trust, however, that as a person devoted to Our Lady this is someone who can take all these considerations being raised into prayer and come out with a course of action. It is no concern of ours where that leads, and we certainly cannot conclude that doing one thing rather than the other has a single thing to do with fear or a lack of rational thought. Rather, I think we can trust the OP to discern what to do prayerfully, a form of thoughtfulness which beats naked self-directed rationality every time.
 
No, no, no…do not call a suggestion you don’t want to hear a “condemnation.” It is hard to think of a better inoculation against being open to admonishment or correction from others, which we all must do if we are ever to mature spiritually.

It is also a mistake to call the concerns of others “scary.” Why scary? Life is risky, but it is not made less risky by being preserved from all suggestions that dangers exist.

No, it is better to have the humility to listen, the courage to face the possibility of danger, the perseverance to endure a path through a dark valley where the way is not clear, and the faith in God to take all the counsel of others to prayer and to discern what action to take today. To conform ourselves to the will of God is not a nonconformity! The One who guides us will help us to let go of concern for human regard.

There is nothing that forbids wearing a rosary as a necklace. There are factors to take under consideration, however. There ought to be nothing in those to make anyone shrink back. No, when making a choice such as this it is better to be informed before making a decision in prayer that you hope will please the Lord. If you have to wade through some suggestions that are less gracious than you may have liked, well, there is spiritual profit in overlooking the human faults of others, too.
The scsry is to say “we wont like it” you say to consider correction, but admit the OP’s request is NOT bad. If NOT bad then what caution or correction is there? There is only one:

“We won’t like it”

This is mob rule and for all things not against the Church is only against what the mob wants. Mob rule by fear is nowhere to be found in a gospel nor CCC. “We Don’t like it” should be a thing no Catholic applies to another. It should be “it is/is not sinful, it is/is not against the Church” the rest is an imposition of will through fear. And what I see as the saddest reality of the people of the Church.
 
The scsry is to say “we wont like it” you say to consider correction, but admit the OP’s request is NOT bad. If NOT bad then what caution or correction is there? There is only one:

“We won’t like it”

This is mob rule and for all things not against the Church is only against what the mob wants. Mob rule by fear is nowhere to be found in a gospel nor CCC. “We Don’t like it” should be a thing no Catholic applies to another. It should be “it is/is not sinful, it is/is not against the Church” the rest is an imposition of will through fear. And what I see as the saddest reality of the people of the Church.
It’s a lot easier to be live in serenity if you simply accept that no matter what you do, somebody is not going to like it. We humans are as blind as bats; we cannot help it. Do what conforms yourself to God by informing your conscience with the teachings of the Church, consulting with anyone who may have information you do not have, and then discerning your way with the help of prayer.

As for the others who will inevitably disapprove–both the sinners and the saints have their anti-cheering sections, don’t they?–they’ll live through it. It is OK to serenely let their angst slide right off of you. If you continually take an informed conscience to prayer it is safe to do it, too.

That, my friend, is the way to let go of all fear.
 
It’s a lot easier to be live in serenity if you simply accept that no matter what you do, somebody is not going to like it. We humans are as blind as bats; we cannot help it. Do what conforms yourself to God by informing your conscience with the teachings of the Church, consulting with anyone who may have information you do not have, and then discerning your way with the help of prayer.

As for the others who will inevitably disapprove–both the sinners and the saints have their anti-cheering sections, don’t they?–they’ll live through it. It is OK to serenely let their angst slide right off of you. If you continually take an informed conscience to prayer it is safe to do it, too.

That, my friend, is the way to let go of all fear.
You always say something I like, something I try to say but with more poetic beauty.

I like you Easter 🙂
 
Where is this gang thing coming from? Lol why do people think everytthing is a gang this. Gangs be the boogeymen…though honestly haven’t heard about gangs much lately since ISIS supposedly has a army base in everytown usa…
I think these may be the gangs they are talking about. 😛

 
When I was pagan, I wore mala beads, which are used in Hindu and Buddhist prayers and chants. I prayed mantras on them. I wore them as a necklace, on top of my shirt, as is the custom.

When the Blessed Virgin Mother called me to the church, about a year and a half ago was the calling, I replaced my mala beads with a rosary necklace to remind myself of the reasons I was willing to give the church a look. As I grew in my faith and decided to join the Catholic church, I moved the rosary necklace to the inside of my shirt (I now am also enrolled in the brown scapular and wear one of those inside my shirt as well.) I remember as a kid hearing Catholic friends and family arguing about whether you can wear a rosary. My Gypsy relatives wear a lot of necklaces and such, and I do too as it is the culture in which I was raised, and most of it has significance. To me, it’s natural to wear the rosary, and I only wear it tucked into my shirt in order not to offend those who have a problem with it. It’s a personal devotion anyway.

A side note: I do pray the rosary. I used to use the one around my neck, but most often these days I use the one given to me when I became a Knight of Columbus, which I keep in my pocket. The one around my neck has mostly become symbolic to me, but I can still pray with it if I don’t have the other one for some reason.
 
You always say something I like, something I try to say but with more poetic beauty.

I like you Easter 🙂
How nice of you to say that! You are a regular Reepicheep.

(I have been told by science types to quit dissing bats, though, as their eyes work just fine, thank you very much. And bulls will walk through a china display and never knock anything off a shelf because they do know where their horns are, thank you very much. And ostriches do not hide from danger in the stupidest way possible when they could outrun or kick the snot out of nearly anything that might be stupid enough to threaten them, either, thank you very much. But humans…blind as rocks, sometimes, LOL.)
 
How nice of you to say that! You are a regular Reepicheep.

(I have been told by science types to quit dissing bats, though, as their eyes work just fine, thank you very much. And bulls will walk through a china display and never knock anything off a shelf because they do know where their horns are, thank you very much. And ostriches do not hide from danger in the stupidest way possible when they could outrun or kick the snot out of nearly anything that might be stupid enough to threaten them, either, thank you very much. But humans…blind as rocks, sometimes, LOL.)
Thanks! I had to look up Reepicheep, I’ll take that one 🙂

(Not entirely sure the the total intent of this, but it did amuse me)
 
Hi friends.

I have a rosary that I wear every single day. I wear it under my shirt so only the top beads are visible. I would like to wear it over my shirt, though, but would like to know whether this is against Church teaching? It makes me feel so safe and protected.

Thank you!🙂
No. There’s no Church teaching against this. I’m sure there are many opinions but It’s certainly not wrong.
 
Thanks! I had to look up Reepicheep, I’ll take that one 🙂

(Not entirely sure the the total intent of this, but it did amuse me)
Reepicheep was a valiant and courtly mouse, something any of us might aspire to.

He did rush in with more courage than common sense, sometimes, albeit to his glory…Lucy could occasionally beat him at chess because he would send his knights in not where a chess piece ought to go, but into a situation he’d hazard himself, were he on a real battlefield. (His character was indeed a** lethal **mouse, you see…)

*“Hail, Asian!” came [Reepicheep’s] shrill voice. “I have the honour -” But then he suddenly stopped.

The fact was that he still had no tail - whether that Lucy had forgotten it or that her cordial, though it could heal wounds, could not make things grow again. Reepicheep became aware of his loss as he made his bow; perhaps it altered something in his balance.

He looked over his right shoulder. Failing to see his tail, he strained his neck further till he had to turn his shoulders and his whole body followed. But by that time his hindquarters had turned too and were out of sight. Then he strained his neck looking over his shoulder again, with the same result. Only after he had turned completely round three times did he realize the dreadful truth.

“I am confounded,” said Reepicheep to Asian. “I am completely out of countenance. I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion.”

“It becomes you very well, Small One,” said Asian.

“All the same,” replied Reepicheep, “if anything could be done… Perhaps her Majesty?” and here he bowed to Lucy.

“But what do you want with a tail?” asked Asian.

“Sir,” said the Mouse, “I can eat and sleep and die for my King without one. But a tail is the honour and glory of a Mouse.”

“I have sometimes wondered, friend,” said Asian, “whether you do not think too much about your honour.”

“Highest of all High Kings,” said Reepicheep, “permit me to remind you that a very small size has been bestowed on us Mice, and if we did not guard our dignity, some (who weigh worth by inches) would allow themselves very unsuitable pleasantries at our expense. That is why I have been at some pains to make it known that no one who does not wish to feel this sword as near his heart as I can reach shall talk in my presence about Traps or Toasted Cheese or Candles: no, Sir - not the tallest fool in Narnia!” Here he glared very fiercely up at Wimbleweather, but the Giant, who was always a stage behind everyone else, had not yet discovered what was being talked about down at his feet, and so missed the point.

“Why have your followers all drawn their swords, may I ask?” said Asian.

“May it please your High Majesty,” said the second Mouse, whose name was Peepiceek, “we are all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his. We will not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High Mouse.”

“Ah!” roared Asian. “You have conquered me. You have great hearts. Not for the sake of your dignity, Reepicheep, but for the love that is between you and your people, and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords that bound me on the Stone Table (and it was then, though you have long forgotten it, that you began to be Talking Mice), you shall have your tail again.” *
 
No. There’s no Church teaching against this. I’m sure there are many opinions but It’s certainly not wrong.
Canon law 1171 states that sacrarmentals must be worn and used with reverence.

It is the intent of the person wearing it which makes it right or wrong.🤷
 
Reepicheep was a valiant and courtly mouse, something any of us might aspire to.

He did rush in with more courage than common sense, sometimes, albeit to his glory…Lucy could occasionally beat him at chess because he would send his knights in not where a chess piece ought to go, but into a situation he’d hazard himself, were he on a real battlefield. (His character was indeed a** lethal **mouse, you see…)

*“Hail, Asian!” came [Reepicheep’s] shrill voice. “I have the honour -” But then he suddenly stopped.

The fact was that he still had no tail - whether that Lucy had forgotten it or that her cordial, though it could heal wounds, could not make things grow again. Reepicheep became aware of his loss as he made his bow; perhaps it altered something in his balance.

He looked over his right shoulder. Failing to see his tail, he strained his neck further till he had to turn his shoulders and his whole body followed. But by that time his hindquarters had turned too and were out of sight. Then he strained his neck looking over his shoulder again, with the same result. Only after he had turned completely round three times did he realize the dreadful truth.

“I am confounded,” said Reepicheep to Asian. “I am completely out of countenance. I must crave your indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion.”

“It becomes you very well, Small One,” said Asian.

“All the same,” replied Reepicheep, “if anything could be done… Perhaps her Majesty?” and here he bowed to Lucy.

“But what do you want with a tail?” asked Asian.

“Sir,” said the Mouse, “I can eat and sleep and die for my King without one. But a tail is the honour and glory of a Mouse.”

“I have sometimes wondered, friend,” said Asian, “whether you do not think too much about your honour.”

“Highest of all High Kings,” said Reepicheep, “permit me to remind you that a very small size has been bestowed on us Mice, and if we did not guard our dignity, some (who weigh worth by inches) would allow themselves very unsuitable pleasantries at our expense. That is why I have been at some pains to make it known that no one who does not wish to feel this sword as near his heart as I can reach shall talk in my presence about Traps or Toasted Cheese or Candles: no, Sir - not the tallest fool in Narnia!” Here he glared very fiercely up at Wimbleweather, but the Giant, who was always a stage behind everyone else, had not yet discovered what was being talked about down at his feet, and so missed the point.

“Why have your followers all drawn their swords, may I ask?” said Asian.

“May it please your High Majesty,” said the second Mouse, whose name was Peepiceek, “we are all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his. We will not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High Mouse.”

“Ah!” roared Asian. “You have conquered me. You have great hearts. Not for the sake of your dignity, Reepicheep, but for the love that is between you and your people, and still more for the kindness your people showed me long ago when you ate away the cords that bound me on the Stone Table (and it was then, though you have long forgotten it, that you began to be Talking Mice), you shall have your tail again.” *
The (not sure intent) <— thing was toward that which you put in () about the sense of animals vs man 🙂

And after looking it up, I did recall the movie scene with the tail…I failed to remember the name of the mouse, but for some reason that scene always spoke to me lol.
 
It was never just a Hispanic custom. As I documented elsewhere, there was once an indulgence available from the Pope for every day of wearing the Rosary, which was widely promoted in Hispanic missions areas by the Franciscans and Dominicans. Most Indian converts did not have pockets early on, so the general European custom of wearing Rosary necklaces got a big boost there.

What I don’t know is why the necklace form fell out of favor outside of Spanish areas, in the 1700-1800’s, unless maybe it was to avoid accusations of hypocrisy, religious arguments with Protestants, etc. The indulgence didn’t go away, and the custom of keeping a Rosary on one’s person stuck around.
 
Found it! It is listed among the Rosary Confraternity indulgences granted by Pope Innocent XI in 1679. “Those who openly wear the Rosary, out of devotion and to set a good example” is the language. Obviously this applies to those enrolled in the Rosary confraternity.

I think the Confraternity indulgences got confirmed again after Vatican II, but I will have to check.

St. Louis de Montfort’s book Secret of the Rosary relays stories from Blessed Alan de la Roche’s time about Rosary necklaces being particularly effective against demonic harassment. There was also an Aragonese king who was told by Mary in a vision that wearing the Rosary would protect him from his earthly enemies (which is probably why gangs wear it superstitiously, but I don’t recall Alfonso VIII running drugs).
 
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