Should you wear your rosary?

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emergingfaith

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Is it against Catholic teaching to wear a rosary around one’s neck?
 
emergingfaith said:
Is it against Catholic teaching to wear a rosary around one’s neck?
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At one time it was the norm to wear a rosary because no one had pockets!

Some today wear them for cultural reasons.

There is no Catholic teaching prohibiting wearing a rosary.
 
I’ve heard that you shouldn’t wear the rosary around your neck because that gives the impression that it is some sort of jewelry, instead of a tool for prayer. But I don’t know if there is a specific teaching against it.
 
Depends on the circumstance. Some people wear them as fashion icons (ahem, Madonna) and that is completely disrespectful. Others wear it under their clothes so they can pray with it any time they want. I wear it at night around the house when I’m scared. I would never wear it in public personally.
 
bookish said:
Depends on the circumstance. Some people wear them as fashion icons (ahem, Madonna) and that is completely disrespectful. Others wear it under their clothes so they can pray with it any time they want. I wear it at night around the house when I’m scared. I would never wear it in public personally.
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Would you wear a ‘rosary’ bracelet?
 
bookish said:
Personally, no. I would feel wrong about it. Wouldn’t care if someone else did.
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I would have no problem wearing any of the prayer bead items (whether a generic rosary - there are several types - or the one for the Jesus prayer) either around my neck or wrist but seeing such things hanging on car rear view mirrors makes me crazy.
 
It is considered inappropriate to where it around your neck. You could wear it on your belt. So as to pray it. It matters if you are doing it for decoration or for prayer.
 
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wearing a rosary. And I have a 1 decade car rosary hanging from my rear view mirror. PROUDLY.
 
I’ve sure I’ve seen some pictures of St. Martin de Porres wearing a rosary. So, I guess it depends on the devotion of how you wear it. For instance, sometimes I think it’s a good idea to wear it to bed so you have it close at hand in case you want to pray in the middle of the night. But, on the other hand, to wear one like the gang members seem to seems sacriligeous(sp) to me.

:kissme: Kathy
 
**Rosaries or rosary-like necklaces are often worn for non-religious purposes as a fashion or jewelry item, and are sold in different variations in popular jewelry and clothing stores. Such ornamental use, especially the wearing of a rosary around the neck, was heavily popularized by singer Madonna in the early 1980s and has experienced a come-back in recent years. Wearing a rosary around the neck can be considered disrespectful if the person wearing it doesn’t affiliate with the Christian religion. Ornate or medieval-style rosary sets are occasionally featured in goth fashion, particularly among romantic Goths or for ironic contrast to an otherwise dark outfit.

Wearing of a Rosary that one actually uses to pray is neither uncommon nor sacrilegious in various Catholic-adherent cultures, and was a common practice in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, particularly among monastics (monks and nuns). Rosaries are also worn hanging from or looped over a belt, particularly with some religious habits, pinned to and hanging from a shoulder or neckline, or wrapped around a wrist or arm as a bracelet. Some Christians feel that it is sacrilegious for a non-believer to wear a rosary around the neck. Previously the Roman Catholic Church after Vatican II Council has stated that wearing of the rosary around the neck by both Christian believers and non-believers is very disrespectful although many saints have worn their Rosary around the neck, and in the Secret of the Rosary, it is mentioned that a person put his rosary round his neck to keep devils away from him.**
 
emergingfaith said:
Is it against Catholic teaching to wear a rosary around one’s neck?
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Being new to all this, I will admit I sometimes wear a rosary around my neck. And most of the time I carry my Franciscan Crown (knotted cord) in my belt
 
Whenever I travel I wear my rosary and use holy water for protection from evil and to keep me safe when I travel.
I spent a night at the Haunted Queen Mary hotel last year. The room was haunted but the spirits didn’t bother me because I blessed my bed and myself with holy water and fell asleep with my rosary on me.
It was a different story for my room-mate who felt the spirits touching her and she could sense them in the room.

I have a photo of the spirits in the room to prove it too.

Okay… here is another reason for wearing a rosary during travel.
If I should get suddenly ill and I can’t speak… at least people will know that I am Catholic and will call a priest to come and pray for me.
I don’t like to wear it as jewelry. I wear it for protection in strange places. I feel totally protected when I wear the rosary.
I have to go with what feels right for me.
 
peary said:
What I find so disheartening is that, among some gangs, the rosary is worn around the neck as a status symbol divorced from its religious significance.
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Some are also wearing it for protection…no harm in that.
 
I would think a gang member would need convenient access to a Rosary more than most people. 😦
 
theistgal said:
I would think a gang member would need convenient access to a Rosary more than most people. 😦
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They do, especially when one considers their family life, or rather lack thereof, before entering the gang. They need all the grace they can get.
 
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