Is wearing a rosary as a necklace sacriligious?

[krunchyfrogg]

I was watching a baseball game with my Wife last night, and I realized that the pitcher was wearing a rosary as a necklace. I thought this was unusual and curious, but my Wife had a very different response.

It made her angry, and she told me it was sacreligious to wear a rosary like that. She told me it isn’t jewlery, and shouldn’t be treated as such.

I’ve only recently converted to Catholocism, and I don’t know all of the ins and outs of the religion. My Wife was raised Catholic, and went through years of Catholic school. I believe her, but I want to check with a larger community about this question.

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer my question.

God bless.

 

[Lee_M]

If you wear it to use for prayer, then it is acceptable. As a matter of fact, people in the religious orders wear them as part of their habit. They do use them for prayer.

If you wear one as an item of jewelry, then it is not acceptable. I don’t believe the baseball player should have been wearing one during a game if he was wearing it as jewelry but he may have not been. Many places are selling them as items of jewelry now days and you see several celebrities wearing them. I personally think that is a sacrilage.

 

[puzzleannie]

it is a cultural custom of popular piety and not a sacrilege if a Catholic from a culture, usually Hispanic, where this is commonplace does it as an act of devotion. If it is done by a bollywood type wearing it as jewelry, it may or may not be sacrilegious depending on intent, but since we cannot know what is in the other person’s heart, we cannot make that judgement.

I just noticed for the first time that the image of Nuestra Senora de San Juan de los Lagos, venerated by many Mexicans, including those who visit her shrine here, is wearing a rosary around her neck. (first time I had seen the image up close was last week).

that being said, when my kids were in sports, including baseball, they were not allowed to wear any jewelry, including earrings or anything around the neck (scapular, chain, cross, secular items) because of safety reasons.

 

[catharina]

it is a cultural custom of popular piety and not a sacrilege if a Catholic from a culture, usually Hispanic, where this is commonplace does it as an act of devotion. If it is done by a bollywood type wearing it as jewelry, it may or may not be sacrilegious depending on intent, but since we cannot know what is in the other person’s heart, we cannot make that judgement.

I agree.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I was in grade school, lo, these many years ago, some girls wore rosaries around their necks. Sometimes one sister or other would mildly reprove the practice. Sometimes they didn’t. It never seemed sacriligious to me, because I knew the girls and felt they were sincere and devotional in doing it, even though it seemed a bit “over the edge” to me.

So, I guess I am agreeing that it depends on the intent of the person. It’s hard for me to get upset about it unless I know for sure the intent is some kind of sacriligious things. I don’t know that I have ever seen it done when I really thought it so.

Same thing with rosaries hung from rearview mirrors of cars. Hispanics do that some, like they put those huge “Guadalupana” decals on their rear windows sometimes. I think they mean it in the best way.

 

[carjack]

Alphonsus, King of Leon and Galicia, very much wanted all his servants to honor the Blessed Virgin by saying the Rosary. So he used to hang a large Rosary on his belt and always wore it, but unfortunately never said it himself. Nevertheless his wearing it encouraged his courtiers to say the Rosary very devoutly.

One day, the King fell seriously ill, and when he was given up for dead, he found himself, in a vision, before the judgment seat of Our Lord. Many devils were there accusing him of all the sins he had committed, and Our Lord, as Sovereign Judge, was just about to condemn him to hell when Our Lady appeared to intercede for him. She called for a pair of scales, and had his sins placed in one of the balances whereas She put the Rosary that he had always worn on the other scale, together with all the Rosaries that had been said because of his example. It was found that the Rosaries weighed more than his sins.

Looking at him with great kindness, Our Lady said: “As a reward for this little honor that you paid Me in wearing My Rosary, I have obtained a great grace for you from My Son. Your life will be spared for a few more years. See that you spend these years wisely, and do penance.”

When the King regained consciousness, he cried out: “Blessed by the Rosary of the Most Holy Virgin Mary by which I have been delivered from eternal damnation!”

After he had recovered his health, he spent the rest of his life in spreading devotion to the Holy Rosary, and said it faithfully every day.

-from “The Secret of the Rosary” by St. Louis de Montfort

 

[catharina]

Alphonsus, King of Leon and Galicia, very much wanted all his servants to honor the Blessed Virgin by saying the Rosary. So he used to hang a large Rosary on his belt and always wore it, but unfortunately never said it himself. Nevertheless his wearing it encouraged his courtiers to say the Rosary very devoutly.

One day, the King fell seriously ill, and when he was given up for dead, he found himself, in a vision, before the judgment seat of Our Lord. Many devils were there accusing him of all the sins he had committed, and Our Lord, as Sovereign Judge, was just about to condemn him to hell when Our Lady appeared to intercede for him. She called for a pair of scales, and had his sins placed in one of the balances whereas She put the Rosary that he had always worn on the other scale, together with all the Rosaries that had been said because of his example. It was found that the Rosaries weighed more than his sins.

Looking at him with great kindness, Our Lady said: “As a reward for this little honor that you paid Me in wearing My Rosary, I have obtained a great grace for you from My Son. Your life will be spared for a few more years. See that you spend these years wisely, and do penance.”

When the King regained consciousness, he cried out: “Blessed by the Rosary of the Most Holy Virgin Mary by which I have been delivered from eternal damnation!”

After he had recovered his health, he spent the rest of his life in spreading devotion to the Holy Rosary, and said it faithfully every day.

-from “The Secret of the Rosary” by St. Louis de Montfort

Wow. Beautiful -
and thank you.

 

[allana]

I dont think it is wrong to wear it around your neck, some people hang a rosary from their car rear view mirrors. I once read in the book ‘The Secret of the Rosary’ by St. Louis DeMontfort that a king once wore a rosary hanging from his waist, although he never said it, because he did so many of his followers became catholics and began saying the rosary. as a result he also gained the blessings of the people who said it.

 

[VietCatholic83]

Felix Hernandez, the 21 year old right handed pitcher for the Seattle Mariners frequently wears a rosary. Was he the player of whom you speak? He just threw a shutout against the Red Sox!

anyways, IMHO if a person who wears it is devout and does not intend for it to be a fashionable accessory, I find no problem with it. The same thing could be asked about professional athletes who bless themselves with the Sign of the Cross before stepping into the batters box, taking the field, scoring a touchdown etc. It’s really not about who God favors in the ball game, it’s about giving thanks to God for the talents and gifts that He has blessed all of us with the ability to do.

 

[Lee_M]

I dont think it is wrong to wear it around your neck, some people hang a rosary from their car rear view mirrors. I once read in the book ‘The Secret of the Rosary’ by St. Louis DeMontfort that a king once wore a rosary hanging from his waist, although he never said it, because he did so many of his followers became catholics and began saying the rosary. as a result he also gained the blessings of the people who said it.

Read some of the posts on this Doce & Gabanna Rosay thread and see if you don’t think what they are doing is sacriligious.

thefashionspot.com/forums/f57/dolce-gabbana-rosary-1475.html

I think it is based on the intent of the persons. I know it is a big fad right now in the fashion world because David Beckham and Britney Spears wear them. I think it is a sacrilage what they are doing when a Rosary is a sacramental.

 

[G_S]

The custom is so common among Hispanics that I wonder if the early Spanish missionaries encouraged the natives in this hemisphere to carry rosaries but, perhaps because they didn’t have pockets, they had to carry them around their necks. There are also the Yoruba and Santeria practices which attach great significance to colors. SomeLatinos mightbe wearing rosaries for these unacceptable reasons

 

[Sarabande]

When I was in grade school, lo, these many years ago, some girls wore rosaries around their necks. Sometimes one sister or other would mildly reprove the practice. Sometimes they didn’t. It never seemed sacriligious to me, because I knew the girls and felt they were sincere and devotional in doing it, even though it seemed a bit “over the edge” to me.

Ha! Ha! When I was in grade school, after making my First Penance and First Holy Communion, I became super-religious. I made a prayer corner in my bedroom, I loved my rosary and wanted to become a nun. The Sisters of Mercy at the Catholic hospital where my father worked as a doctor used to always asked how their “little sister” was doing and one of them was actually an “adopted” grandmother to me and my siblings. It was also around the same time I started wearing my rosary around my neck - not as a fashion statement, but I thought I could wear it like my scapular. I wore it for maybe a month until my grandmother (a very devout English/Irish Catholic) saw it and gently reprimanded me for wearing it. She believed it was sacriligious, so I always believed the same as I tended to look to her during my early development as a Catholic. Although, my mother who is Filipina/Spanish/Chinese, didn’t think anything of it when she saw it on me. Perhaps that was part of her culture.

So, I guess I am agreeing that it depends on the intent of the person. It’s hard for me to get upset about it unless I know for sure the intent is some kind of sacriligious things. I don’t know that I have ever seen it done when I really thought it so.

I agree with you and the others on here. I really think it has to do with intent, more than anything else. If someone is wearing it as a fashion statement - like Madonna or someone like that, it is sacriligious in my eyes. But if they are doing it as part of their spiritual culture or like the little girls you knew or like myself back then, I can’t see it as sacriligious.

Same thing with rosaries hung from rearview mirrors of cars. Hispanics do that some, like they put those huge “Guadalupana” decals on their rear windows sometimes. I think they mean it in the best way.

I live in a fairly large Catholic area and a lot of people - doesn’t matter whether or not they’re Hispanic or Irish descent - hang rosaries from their rearview mirrors. I always looked at it as simple as, “Oh, they’re Catholic and they pray the rosary.”

 

[Eden]

It’s interesting to hear that this is not uncommon in Hispanic cultures. When Pope Benedict was visiting the United States, I was really surprised to see see some adults wearing rosaries around their necks in the crowds. At least twice I saw mothers holding their babies up with rosaries around their necks for the Pope to kiss, too. It just kind of made me go .

 

[carjack]

It’s interesting to hear that this is not uncommon in Hispanic cultures. When Pope Benedict was visiting the United States, I was really surprised to see see some adults wearing rosaries around their necks in the crowds. At least twice I saw mothers holding their babies up with rosaries around their necks for the Pope to kiss, too. It just kind of made me go .

Most Hispanics do wear it, out of reverance. I remember my mother being very firm with me ( I am Hispanic), that I am to treat any religious symbols (cross, rosaries) with the utmost adoration and respect to our Lord. Also, obviously, the Pope doesn’t find is sacreligious. We can never know what is in anothers heart.

 

[DoxRox]

Most Hispanics do wear it, out of reverance. I remember my mother being very firm with me ( I am Hispanic), that I am to treat any religious symbols (cross, rosaries) with the utmost adoration and respect to our Lord. Also, obviously, the Pope doesn’t find is sacreligious. We can never know what is in anothers heart.

I second that. I recently saw an Hispanic woman who wore a rosary that looked like it was supposed to be a necklace.

 

[Eden]

Most Hispanics do wear it, out of reverance. I remember my mother being very firm with me ( I am Hispanic), that I am to treat any religious symbols (cross, rosaries) with the utmost adoration and respect to our Lord. Also, obviously, the Pope doesn’t find is sacreligious. We can never know what is in anothers heart.

I didn’t think they were wearing them around their necks out of malice. I just thought they weren’t aware that it’s not the standard way of carrying a Rosary. But it’s interesting to know that in Hispanic culture, it is common. You learn something new every day!

 

[James_Miller]

This custom is very common among some Catholics in India. They also put them around the mirror of the window of their cars. I cannot remember about Mexico …seems the men were wearing the brown scapular…which got soaked when they went swimming.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Felix Hernandez, the 21 year old right handed pitcher for the Seattle Mariners frequently wears a rosary. Was he the player of whom you speak? He just threw a shutout against the Red Sox!

anyways, IMHO if a person who wears it is devout and does not intend for it to be a fashionable accessory, I find no problem with it. The same thing could be asked about professional athletes who bless themselves with the Sign of the Cross before stepping into the batters box, taking the field, scoring a touchdown etc. It’s really not about who God favors in the ball game, it’s about giving thanks to God for the talents and gifts that He has blessed all of us with the ability to do.

The player we were watching was Johan Santana of the New York Mets. I don’t know how devout he is or is not. He’s a native Venezuelan if I remember correctly.

Thank you all for your responses.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

When I taught 2nd grade CCD, I would give out plastic rosaries to the kids and we always prayed one decade at the beginning of class. I used to remind them that rosaries were not jewelry and shouldn’t be worn as a necklace, but the Hispanic kids emulated their friends and family members despite my best efforts. I soon realized that when it came time to pray the decade in class, these kids were often the only ones who remembered to bring their rosaries!

 

[sarahraegraham]

Like any sacramental, the rosary’s use is not only for prayer, but also to remind us of actual grace and other things unseen. My husband wears a rosary around his neck every day, everywhere he goes, so that when he has time available he can pray, but also as a reminder when something starts to bother him to pray for the person who is upsetting him, or to remind him of what he needs to be doing. The same goes for it’s use on the rearview mirror of a car. We both do that, and it is (for us) both an outward sign to those around us of our faith (evangelization in a form, if you will) and also a reminder to use it. I try to pray it on my lunch break at work, which I take in my car.