Wearing a Rosary?

[Tyrael_the_Arch]

So I was wondering lately because I just got a new rosary. It was rather cheap but its nice quality and It’s of Saint Michael so its perfect for it. But anyways, I’ve noticed a lot boys at my school wearing rosaries like necklaces, and since I’m pretty new to Catholicism, I just thought that was the way you wore it (before I did more research). Anyways I would still wear my rosary, although usually not very openly, and today when i was chilling with my friends my Catholic friend noticed it and was telling me about you’re not supposed to wear them unless it helps you feel greater connection to God. We started talking and he seemed surprised when I told him I prayed the rosary and had memorized the Hail Mary and Our Father already. He said it was fine then, and we moved onto talking about Christianity in general.

I was thinking about this though, since a lot of the kids at my school buy these really expensive, flashy rosaries, which seems like an almost demonic perversion of Christ’s message of charity and humility.

So is it ok for me to wear the rosary? Are there any specific rules on it? What do you think?

 

[boomerang]

I wear the rosary around my neck. I also pray it daily. It’s a fashion now to wear the rosary even if the wearer is not Catholic, or even Christian. Some Catholics get very upset at this, and think it’s a sacrelige and disrespectful. I personally don’t think it’s a problem for folks to wear the rosary as jewelry, as long as they aren’t doing something nasty with it. I figure that maybe a few of these people will get curious about that thing around their necks, and actually discover The Rosary as a devotional tool, and it will start their prayer life.

I saw a young man once who was wearing a very gaudy rosary. It was really ostentatious, and frankly, ugly. I said to him, “nice rosary” (I lied, it was hideous) and he was just beaming. “Oh, thank you!” he said. I asked him if he prayed it. He said, “Oh, no, I’m a Christian, and it’s against my religion”

So keep praying the rosary, and maybe you won’t be “agnostic” anymore! Peace

 

[JohnMPhilomena]

This question is asked over and over again in the “Ask an Apologist” forum.

Here is one of the answers I saw:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=98158

A: “Sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons” (CIC 1171).

Essentially, sacramentals such as rosaries must be treated with respect, particularly if they have been blessed. Reverence is the attitude of awe or respect that is most often given to sacred things. By its very definition, it is an interior disposition that usually cannot be determined by onlookers by appearances alone. A person may be wearing a rosary as a statement of faith, to keep it handy for praying throughout the day, or to avoid losing it. Those reasons would be indicative of reverence and would not interfere with the canon’s directive that sacramentals must be treated reverently.

Peace,
John

 

[Delaine75]

It’s fine if you wear the rosary! (You will most likely get a lot of different answers on this.) When I was in RCIA, one of my instructors said that any time he saw someone wearing a rosary, he’d tell them to remove it because there is no reason to wear one and that nowadays, a lot of the gangs wear rosaries (for what reason, I have no idea, and what a shame that they take something so special and turn it into a gang symbol!). My priest said there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wearing it as an outward symbol of your faith, and to heck with those who want to associate it with gangs. I personally have been wearing a rosary for the past eight years. If anyone approaches me about it, I inform them that I’m Catholic. I haven’t had any real issues with it at all. Most of the time I’ll tuck it inside my shirt just because I want to have that reminder to constantly be praying, but without being “flashy” about it. However, if I forget to do that or just don’t feel like it that day, it’s my choice. And it’s YOUR choice. Do whatever feels right for you!

 

[Tyrael_the_Arch]

Thank you everyone, your posts helped me alot on clarifying this for me