wearing a rosary

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CarolofBeulah

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My mother was given a “rosary necklace” it is delicate gold, made as a necklace, but it is in all appearances a rosary. We had been told that it is wrong to wear a rosary, and we were wondering if this is true- and does a necklace of this nature fit into that? Thank you 🤷
 
Wearing or not wearing a rosary is a personal choice.

So if your mother wants to wear the necklace she received as a gift, she should wear it.
 
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Catholics do this, only certain “trendy” kids. They do so as a fashion statement, which is obviously wrong. They think it looks cool. I don’t see anything intrinsically wrong in your mother wearing it as a necklace, except that she might be associated with those types of people.
 
CarolofBeulah said:
My mother was given a “rosary necklace” it is delicate gold, made as a necklace, but it is in all appearances a rosary. We had been told that it is wrong to wear a rosary, and we were wondering if this is true- and does a necklace of this nature fit into that? Thank you 🤷
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Wearing or not wearing a rosary is a personal choice. Both Catholics as well as non-Catholics wear them. (BTW: I’ve seen rosary necklaces that are truly beautiful.)

There is nothing wrong with wearing them. May your mother wear hers in blooming good health. 🙂

Luna
 
I believe the question of “to wear or not to wear” is a personal choice and also geographic location.

Canon 1171 states: (Sacramentals), which are designated for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated reverently and are not to be employed for profane or inappropriate use…

I doubt your mother has any bad intentions (like Madonna or Britney Spears) by wearing the rosary as a necklace.

However, be aware that wearing the rosary around the neck has become a symbol for some Latino street gangs (in America). Several school districts in the USA have banned the wearing of the rosary (on the outside of clothing) because of this.

While I haven’t read any accounts of innocent people being caught up in any gang violence because of wearing a rosary, I wouldn’t take a chance – especially if I were to be living in the Southwest United States.
 
FLGreg said:
I believe the question of “to wear or not to wear” is a personal choice and also geographic location.

Canon 1171 states: (Sacramentals), which are designated for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated reverently and are not to be employed for profane or inappropriate use…

I doubt your mother has any bad intentions (like Madonna or Britney Spears) by wearing the rosary as a necklace.

However, be aware that wearing the rosary around the neck has become a symbol for some Latino street gangs (in America). Several school districts in the USA have banned the wearing of the rosary (on the outside of clothing) because of this.

While I haven’t read any accounts of innocent people being caught up in any gang violence because of wearing a rosary, I wouldn’t take a chance – especially if I were to be living in the Southwest United States.
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Correct me if i am wrong, Sacramentals are blessed items?
 
I wear it, I’m not trendy. I’m Catholic, and would go so far as to say I’m much more a traditionalist Roman Catholic than any other type or designation. I never knew there was an association with lowlifes until I read about it in another thread on this forum, and wrote extensively on it there.
 
It all depends on your purpose and how you wear the rosary. The rosary looks beautiful and I will wear one occasionally when going out, but that is because I love being Catholic and I ask for God’s protection when I go out. The rosary is a sacramental, not some good luck charm. Under NO circumstances is the rosary to be worn or treated like a piece of jewlery. Making it into some sort of fashion statement is sinful, and offensive to Catholics.

If a person wears the rosary prayerfully, respectfully, as a statement of faith, for protection against the enemy, to keep it handy for praying throughout the day, and as a constant reminder for us of our faith, then YES you may wear the rosary around your neck.
 
I personally think that wearing a Rosary is inappropriate. A Rosary is a sacramental that is used for prayer and is not meant to be worn, unless one is part of a religious order that stipulates wearing a Rosary. There are other sacramentals that can be worn, such as a crucifix, medal, or scapular.
 
YoungTradCath said:
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Catholics do this, only certain “trendy” kids. They do so as a fashion statement, which is obviously wrong. They think it looks cool. I don’t see anything intrinsically wrong in your mother wearing it as a necklace, except that she might be associated with those types of people.
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All of the people I know who wear rosaries are Hispanic Catholics. They aren’t gangy, they wear it to display their faith.
 
michaelmas said:
Correct me if i am wrong, Sacramentals are blessed items?
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That you use in a reverent way. A Sacrament guarantees Grace if you are properly disposed (as in not in moral sin for Communion, or Catholic for Confession). Sacramentals have to be used in order to be Sacramentals. Prayers, Icons, Holy Water also fall in this category.

As far as a mock-rosary, I’d say don’t wear it. There are symbols that can be worn (St. Medal, Crucifix, Scapular) that would be better I think.
 
Joseph_LaMothe said:
That you use in a reverent way. A Sacrament guarantees Grace if you are properly disposed (as in not in moral sin for Communion, or Catholic for Confession). Sacramentals have to be used in order to be Sacramentals. Prayers, Icons, Holy Water also fall in this category.

As far as a mock-rosary, I’d say don’t wear it. There are symbols that can be worn (St. Medal, Crucifix, Scapular) that would be better I think.
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So why are you calling it a “mock rosary?” Simply because it can be worn? 🤷

I can understand someone saying “they” wouldn’t wear it, but to tell others not to? I don’t get that. It is a personal choice. If it isn’t, it there is a reason to not wear a rosary designed to be a necklace, I would love to read the teaching. 👍
 
As far as gang members wearing rosaries go, I believe they wear ones with the beads matching their gang colors.
 
domandcarols said:
All of the people I know who wear rosaries are Hispanic Catholics. They aren’t gangy, they wear it to display their faith.
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Well, alright. But it’s still a very popular gang fashion, although I concede that its popularity is waning.
Mystrx said:
As far as gang members wearing rosaries go, I believe they wear ones with the beads matching their gang colors.
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I’m not sure. I’ve seen gang types around here wear plain brown wood woods. I dunno.
 
maryjk said:
So why are you calling it a “mock rosary?” Simply because it can be worn? 🤷

I can understand someone saying “they” wouldn’t wear it, but to tell others not to? I don’t get that. It is a personal choice. If it isn’t, it there is a reason to not wear a rosary designed to be a necklace, I would love to read the teaching. 👍
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The OP said: “made as a necklace, but it is in all appearances a rosary” I assumed it was one like ones I have seen where it looks like a Rosary as in has beads and a cross. But is different in that it does not have all the decades correct and often have a clasp at the back. It is mock Rosary in that it looks similar but is not and cannot be used as a Rosary.

If I am wrong on the nature of the item sorry, just miss-read and brought into the question an idea of something I have seen in the past. I never would have thought that such a thing existed until I saw a person wearing it.

Any Rosary can be put on. And there are prayer beads that are regularly worn. In the East on the left wrist they wear a Chotki (called different names). It is a sign of prayerful devotion. I wear one. If it is a real Rosary than wearing it is a choice, one that I think because of some of the other meanings attached, might not be the best. However, an argument that because it is being misused it is even more important to redeem it. I have worn a Rosary before as well, to monastery. Many monks wear Rosaries as well, big ones often (like belts). I have friends that use the “Rosary rings” that has cross and the small bumps so they can pray the Rosary at all times and always have one with them. I think this is great!

The jewellery necklace that is an imitation of a Rosary I don’t like because it cannot be used. It is a fake. As such, it takes something good and modifies it to be useless and has negative connotations. That is why I am against the fake Rosary. If it is real, that is different. Personally I would say don’t wear it but it is not a sin to do so. There are good reasons for it, I just think there are other things that could serve the same purpose better.

Blessings.
 
Wearing rosaries is an issue about your personal intentions. Wearing it as decoration is probably vain, and certainly in the 1980s it became fashionable (a certain blasphemous pop star comes to mind) for people who were far from devout Catholics to wear them as a sort of ironic mockery.

Wearing a rosary in order to show reverence for it… I don’t see how it’s wrong. But it might be misunderstood… you would have to determine this for yourself.

I know some people who wear their blessed rosary around the neck in order to seek God’s protection and Our Lady’s intercession. They also wear them as a convenient way of carrying the rosary.

I once saw a Mexican-immigrant worker enter a chapel, kneel before the blessed sacrament, then remove a rosary from around his neck (and under his work shirt) to pray on it. Very inspiring.
 
I would say if that is the most apropriate way to carry it, espeacilly if it is under clothing it is no problem. As a man i have it easier as i can wear mine atached to my belt, really its al ldown to intentions. wearing it discreetly is probably my advice, oftern better than a pocket where it could get dameged or tangled.
 
Totally my own opinion on this one, but my first thought isn’t the best use of the Rosary as an aid to pray? I also seem to recall a story of St. Dominic throwing a Rosary over a possesed person to free them, but I doubt one can infer using the Rosary as an article of Jewelry from that I do, however, at times keep a Rosary in my pocket - partly for comfort, and a reminder, but also to have it handy to say the Rosary.
 
I can remember as a little kid, I tried to put a Rosary (my first, as a gift) over my head. The Sister stopped me and said, “It’s not to wear it’s to pray on, I’ll teach you how to pray the Rosary.”
There we sat, at rescess, me watching and listening. My first lesson on praying the Rosary

Now, I completely understand there are no rules that say this, and many people have worn them, etc. etc. etc., but that moment when I was young has always stayed in my mind, and I would feel very strange wearing one today.
 
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