Rosary as....

[Joe_Brown]

Why do I see people wearing the rosary as a necklace. I mean I am all for wearing a crucifix or cross to proclaim the passion and love of Christ, but isnt it wrong to wear a rosary as a necklace?

God Bless

 

[Benadam]

Why do I see people wearing the rosary as a necklace. I mean I am all for wearing a crucifix or cross to proclaim the passion and love of Christ, but isnt it wrong to wear a rosary as a necklace?

God Bless

Yup. It’s not a decoration. There must be a psychological parallell between not using the rosary and putting it on display

 

[Natural_Family]

I don’t think that it’s wrong to wear the Rosary as a necklace, or as a bracelet, especially if it reminds the person and others) to pray more often.
What is disturbing is when people who obviously don’t believe wear religious symbols in a disrespectful and sacrilegious manner.
Since there’s not much you can do about it anyway, use the opportunity of being reminded of the rosary to pray one (or another shorter prayer). You can pray especially for that person, if you’re concerned about their disposition.

 

[teachccd]

I don’t think that it’s wrong to wear the Rosary as a necklace, or as a bracelet, especially if it reminds the person and others) to pray more often.
What is disturbing is when people who obviously don’t believe wear religious symbols in a disrespectful and sacrilegious manner.
Since there’s not much you can do about it anyway, use the opportunity of being reminded of the rosary to pray one (or another shorter prayer). You can pray especially for that person, if you’re concerned about their disposition.

I totally agree with you. I own more than one rosary and so the one that I have hanging in my car is to remind me how to act on the road. It also exhibits my faith to others. A rosary is a sacramental and should be treated as anything holy should be treated. I personally would not wear it as a necklace but then I do wear a crucifix that is blessed around my neck. We cannot judge as to why someone is wearing their rosary as long as it is not in a sacriligious manner…teachccd

 

[tabsie3210]

Well, I bought a little “one Decade Rosay Bracelet” that’s not blessed. It’s a Crucifix, one Our Father bead, and ten small beads for the decade. Hand-made and not done terribly well, it’s fallen apart once already and I’ve had to rig it back together again.

I consider it a means to remind myself to “Pray Always,” rather than a decoration, though I do find it beautiful, despite (or maybe because of) its flaws. And I’ll use the beads throughout the day to pray decades fo the Rosary. But I don’t consider it a “Rosary.” I have a genuine Rosary for when I pray in church or before bed or what have you.

So I guess it depends on what it is that’s being worn. If it’s a genuine Rosary, no, it shouldn’t be worn like a necklace or jewelry. If it’s not, then it would be better if it didn’t look too much like a real Rosary, I suppose.

 

[chain]

Entirely appropriate when worn out of devotion - entirely wrong when worn for fashion.

 

[Matusewic]

Entirely appropriate when worn out of devotion - entirely wrong when worn for fashion.

That’s what I’ve always been taught. However, I’ll not wear one around my neck when I go to the Rosary prayer group (before daily mass) for the sole purpose that the other attendants might have this prejudice about wearing a Rosary around the neck and if they see me putting it on and taking it off it might cause them discomfort. I would rather keep it in my pocket for the sake of others in that situation.

Wearing the Rosary around your neck should be something that people need to be educated about and not condemned by uninformed prejudice.

If you’re going to wear a Rosary around your neck, do it for your devotion and keep it to yourself for the sake of others.

 

[Jason_1977]

Yup. It’s not a decoration. There must be a psychological parallell between not using the rosary and putting it on display

I keep one hanging on my rearview mirror because I live in SC and 3% of the state is Catholic. The rest um…isn’t It’s the fundamentalist bumpkin capital of the world & they cannot stand catholics, so I leave one in myt rearview as a constant reminder that I should always be brave out there in a community that would hate me not for my skin, but my religion.

 

[Benadam]

I keep one hanging on my rearview mirror because I live in SC and 3% of the state is Catholic. The rest um…isn’t It’s the fundamentalist bumpkin capital of the world & they cannot stand catholics, so I leave one in myt rearview as a constant reminder that I should always be brave out there in a community that would hate me not for my skin, but my religion.

I’ve got a leather rosary hanging from my mirror. Maybe the psychological parallel between a rosary unused, and the rosary as decoration, only exists in me.:whacky:

 

[LilyM]

Why do I see people wearing the rosary as a necklace. I mean I am all for wearing a crucifix or cross to proclaim the passion and love of Christ, but isnt it wrong to wear a rosary as a necklace?

God Bless

Wearing a Rosary around the neck ALSO proclaims the passion and love of Christ (they all have crucifix or cross at the end, no?) As well as proclaiming one’s love of the Blessed Mother, as wearing a medal of her would do, for example.

Crucifixes and crosses are every bit as likely, sadly, to be worn as mere fashion statements as a Rosary - no difference in that regard.

 

[chain]

For years I had a crucifix hanging from my rear view mirror. Seems like a huge percentage of the cars in my parts of Texas have rosaries hanging from their mirrors. After I actually started praying the rosary, I have often wonder how often (if ever) are those mirror rosary’s prayed - or are they there only as decoration and a good luck charm.

I tend to not hang a rosary from my car’s mirror. I want other motorists to see it in my hand being used - not dangling forgotten. (I almost always have a spare rosary in the car - but I just don’t hang them from mirrors).

 

[LilyM]

For years I had a crucifix hanging from my rear view mirror. Seems like a huge percentage of the cars in my parts of Texas have rosaries hanging from their mirrors. After I actually started praying the rosary, I have often wonder how often (if ever) are those mirror rosary’s prayed - or are they there only as decoration and a good luck charm.

I tend to not hang a rosary from my car’s mirror. I want other motorists to see it in my hand being used - not dangling forgotten. (I almost always have a spare rosary in the car - but I just don’t hang them from mirrors).

But a rosary dangling from the car mirror isn’t forgotten at all. Quite the opposite, it’s certainly noticed by others who see it, if not by yourself. So why not keep it there for their benefit?

And as I said previously, the Rosary has value as a symbol in and of itself, apart from the being prayed with - it’s every bit as symbolic as a crucifix or cross, and has the added advantage of being a specifically CATHOLIC symbol.

 

[crazzeto]

Yup. It’s not a decoration. There must be a psychological parallell between not using the rosary and putting it on display

Well you are certainly right, it’s not just decoration. That said, a Christian, and most specifically a Catholic wearing it isn’t being disrespectful. If it’s being worn as a symbol of faith then that is acceptable. It’s when non-christians, or those who otherwise do not view the rosary for what it is start wearing it purely as a fashion statement that we have a problem.