A reader writes:
I’ve noticed it’s becoming increasingly popular amongst women and girls, pious or otherwise (e.g. Brittany Spears). Is it considered irreverent for a person to wear a rosary around the neck? I thought I read a statement from Pope John Paul II on this a couple of years ago (asking women not to wear rosaries as adornment), but am at a loss to find it.
I’m pretty sure that there isn’t such a quote. Certainly, I have never run across one, and it does not sound to me like the kind of thing that John Paul II would say.
The reason is that–as pope–he had to oversee a Church spanning countless cultures, with different sensibilities, and with numerous different spiritualities.
How one shows reverence for something is largely a cultural matter. One can show it, among other ways, by proximity or by distance.
For example, we show devotion to the saints, and many people show it by wearing small blessed pictures (medals) of them. This is a way of showing devotion to the saints by keeping reminder of them on our person and–in some cases–where other people can see the pictures (medals), making this devotion also a form of public testimony.
But I can imagine a culture in which people want to do the opposite. "No blessed object should be worn on the body," they might say. "The only role for a blessed picture of a saint is as an icon hanging on a wall–not on one’s person!" These people would be attemting to show their devotion by distance.
Neither of these positions would be wrong. Showing devotion by proximity or by distance are both ways of showing devotion. Unless the Church weighs in to mandate a particular devotion, it remains a matter of culture and personal preference.
In the case of the liturgy, the Church has mandated certain forms of showing devotion. We are to stand for the reading of the gospel and kneel for the consecration, for example. In the liturgy–in part because it is a communal activity (one where we all participate in the liturgical action as a group)–how we show our devotion is significantly regulated by the Church’s liturgical law.
But the Church hasn’t been anywhere near that specific when it comes to non-liturgical matters, like the sacramentals and the Rosary.
Whether it is to one’s personal taste that some people want to show their devotion to Mary by wearing a Rosary, this is a matter that–so far as I can tell–the Church has left up to individuals.
Those who favor the practice could also argue that wearing a Rosary–even a blessed one–as a way of showing one’s devotion to Mary is not different in principle than wearing a picture (medal) of Mary–even a blessed one.
My inclination, therefore, would be to take a Pauline approach to this and note it as a matter of Christian liberty. People on both sides of the Rosary-wearing divide should recognize that others’ sensibilities are not the same as theirs, that different people have different ways of showing their devotion, and neither should look down on the other.
I thought I read a statement from Pope John Paul II on this a couple of years ago (asking women not to wear rosaries as adornment), but am at a loss to find it.
As I recall, the statement wasn’t about rosaries but crosses. Movie stars and other people were wearing crosses just as jewelry, which made either the pope or a cardinal make a statement warning about trivializing sacred symbols.
Kevin beat me to it–yes it was about crosses. I do think it was John Paul II himself who made a statement and the story was found in secular media as well as Catholic media. It happened maybe in the last year of his pontificate.
Here ya go, just a couple links of many:
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_13_119/ai_88581904
http://www.lookonline.com/2002/05/catholic-church-critical-of-use-of.html
I guess it was May 2002, then.
What I find particularly disturbing is the recent trend to wearing crosses along with heaps of unadorned gold chains as part of the “gangsta” or “playah” style. Almost every time I go to the mall, I see at least one young man in a hooded sweatshirt and pants almost falling off his behind, and he’s wearing a dozen gold chains, one of which bears a big gold cross. Given that everything else these young men are wearing comes from a subculture that glorifies random violence and sexual immorality, its clear that the crosses are purely ostentation, not devotion.
I don’t like it. And I think other people should be sensitive to the fact that, I don’t like it.
I’ve worn a rosary at times, most especially when I am in an interfaith setting.
Great conversation starter.
I also wear my Cursillo cross occasionally.
My sentiments exactly, Leigh. But what disturbs me more is Catholic business owners who capitalize on the fashion trend.
I see a difference between wearing a medal, whose primary (actually, sole) function is as jewelry, and wearing a rosary, whose primary function is as an aid to prayer. Treating it like jewelry seems a bit improper.
I’ve read there have been times and places where wearing rosaries was forbidden by the bishops, who acted to put an end to ostentatious displays of wealth (each bead a precious stone) masquerading as displays of piety.
I’m on the “devotion by distance” side. As our wondeful chaplain at the University of Maryland, Fr. Bill, put it: a rosary is for praying with, not for playing with. Personally, I’d be terrified of breaking it or getting it caught on something.
The Rosary I wear is a very humble thing, made of olive-wood beads.
I wear it only seldom, and it is far from ostentatious.
Another example of proximity vs. distance is the prevalence in Hispanic culture of the first name “Jesús” for men, while in Anglo culture we would never think of giving our sons that name.
St Louis De Montfort strongly encourages one wearing a rosary for numerous reasons in True Devotion to Mary.
In the book, St. Louis also talks about how a King was spared from Hell on his death bed and given time to repent because he always wore a rosary on his belt, like religious orders do, and this inspired his people to pray more. His good example and the prayers of his people were enough to call down the Mercy of God, and gave him a second chance.
Dr. Eric
PS St. Louis de Montfort and I have the same birthday, 31 January. St. Louis de Montfort, pray for us!!!
“I see a difference between wearing a medal, whose primary (actually, sole) function is as jewelry”
This is just not true. The Miraculous Medal for instance is not worn as jewelry and is certainly not meant to be worn as jewelry. Our Lady was not interested in some miraculous line of jewelry! Also another medal I have worn (or at least carried around) had absolutely nothing to do with jewelry — I received and kept it out of gratitude to a certain saint due to personal prayers answered and not out of any fashion concerns!
Wearing any sacred object as a mere fashion symbol, I agree is wrong. But if the person above can mistakenly suppose that the Miraculous Medal has as its sole function to be jewelry (when actually as far as I know that is not a function it has at all!), then surely those here who have distaste for wearing a Rosary can realize they too can be wrong about their judgments about the motivations of people they see wearing a Rosary.
Shameless self-promotion: How Come Everybody and His Brother Slammed the Pope for Saying What He Never Said?
My bad. My choice of words in describing a medal as having a “sole function” of jewelry was not precise enough. Believe me, I’m not trying to relegate medals to the category of fashion accessory. There’s nothing fashionable about my brown wool scapular peeking out the top of my t-shirt from time to time. 🙂
The point I was trying to make is, though, that medals and such are intended to be worn. Obviously, they are intended to be worn as a devotional act, but they are normally intended to be worn, rather than, say, carried around in the pocket or tucked into one’s missal. The fact that one can choose an appropriately-lengthed chain, with a clasp, seems to back this up– when I wear this medal, I want it to fall here, and not hang so low it gets caught in my belt buckle, and not so high that it nearly strangles me.
To my knowledge, rosaries aren’t designed in that manner. People may pick one because they prefer wood to plastic, or need one with a child-unbreakable chain (does such a rosary exist?) but I don’t normally imagine people asking the same “sizing” questions of a rosary as with a chain for a medal.
Gosh, kind of a fire storm. There is a Q&A on EWTN’s site on this topic – the expert Bill Bilton says (and I quote – from 07-05-2002) “The beads that assist one in praying the Rosary is a sacramental, not a piece of jewelery. They should be treated in the same manner one would a statue of a saint. Wearing them around one’s neck only reflects a lack of understanding of the Rosary.”
— I can clearly see it’s a matter of opinion.
Wearing rosaries, either at one’s belt, in a box in one’s pocket, or around one’s neck, has been very common at various parts of history. Mostly because, if you say the rosary frequently, it’s handier to have it on one’s person. For witness, that too.
Nobody had to worry about sizing back when people had allll 15 decades on one rosary. (Or twenty, now.) But even a five-decade rosary ought to be more than big enough to go over your head. So why would sizing matter, unless your rosary was so long you were tripping over it?
Well, a person doesn’t have to trip on their rosary if they’re clever enough… they could always double it or triple wrap it around their neck…like women did with pop beads in the 50’s. 🙂
+JMJ
My rosary is knotted and the cord is hemp twine. Even the cross is a knotted one. It’s very humble; and even though I wear it every day I never think of it as some kind of fassion peice. I’ve worn it at my belt (or around my waist when I was very small) ever since I was old enough to pray on it. I see nothing wrong with this; it’s how I show devotion.
I do, however, agree that wearing a rosary around you neck/at your belt/anywhere else simply for fassion reasons is disrespectful. The same way that I wouldn’t wear an ank for fassion (because it is an important symbol in some religions and I respect that fact), I wish people wouldn’t wear a rosary in that manner. It irritates me to see either a rosary or a cross being worn by someone who clearly doesn’t pray on it and is NOT wearing it out of devotion (such as those “gangsta” wannabes mentioned earlier).
Still, so long as you DO wear it for the right reasons, I see nothing at all wrong with it. I also have no problem with people who are not comfortable showing their faith in such a way; just so long as they refrain from chastising me for it, that is.
Hi,
I came across this dicussion because I was looking for some info on wearing rosaries. Tomorrow i am going to buy one for myself and wear it around my neck. I am Roman Catholic, I am not very religious. I admit rosaries look very cool. However my reasons to wear it are different. I want to scare away all dark forces from me. Recently my life didn’t go well. I read some articles about being possesed, etc. OK, I am not possessed or anything like that :), but I have noticed that dark forces exist. I want to protect myself… Many people wear some magic rings, etc. I would rather go for the rosary what is closer to me, something that comes from my believes, from my culture. I am going to buy it at Franciscans monastery , so it willnot be a piece of jewerly. It will be worn that’s why it must look as well. I do not want to wear cheap plastic. I want to have a wooden one, black beads. So I do not think it is only fashion, but I agree many people who wear rosaries think of it this way. Holy Water can scare demons off, I think my rosary will help me as well.
Greetings
phil
As the one user said above there is more than enough evidence that though out history many people have worn their rosaries. There are in fact several famous portraits that portray lords and ladies, and even royalty wearing their prayer beads as a necklace or around the belt or girdle in some way.
It’s still not uncommon at all in predominantly Catholic countries, to see folks either wearing their rosaries or hanging them over their car mirrors.
It’s not meant as a disrespectful thing, far from it.
Anyone who’s ever lived in an area with a strong Hispanic population can verify the same. You see old ladies walking down the street all the time fingering their beads, and when they are not, they’re around their neck.
As for the Miraculous Medal, it’s been worn on a chain around the neck as a devotional thing since it was first introduced.
The first ones, they were made of heavy tin and copper, and they came on unbreakable chains because the wearer usually didn’t take them off, even to bathe.
I’ve actually got an old one from about the time they were first introduced. It’s so thin now you can barely tell what it is, but it’s still on it’s blackened chain, still intact after many years, and quite a few wearers…
PS: I also have an antique silver mother of pearl ring from the 1920’s that also has a MM center. It’s a lovely piece and very typical of the MM as it was worn as jewelry back then.
A couple of years ago I met an older nun who very much admired it as something very like what her own grandmother used to wear when she was a child.
In antique estate jewelry shops you’ll often see find MM’s used in art deco type pieces. Some of the pieces are well-crafted, unusual and downright gorgeous, beautiful as well as inspirational, well worth seeking out if you’re into wearing the medal for devotional purposes.
🙂
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I think the wearing of the rosary is perfectly acceptable, if done as an act of adoration for God. I personally feel better when I have mine, and I feel it is more respectful to have it around my neck- hanging at my heart than in a box or in my pocket.
I think the wearing of the rosary is perfectly acceptable, if done as an act of adoration for God. I personally feel better when I have mine, and I feel it is more respectful to have it around my neck- hanging at my heart than in a box or in my pocket.
I Get that, Gavin. It isn’t sinful to keep a rosary in one’s pocket (as you have said). But wearing a rosary, even wearing it as an act of adoration of God, usually is seen today as a fashion, not theological, statement. Just my mumblings.
A friend of mine likes to wear a Rosary around his neck in part because it’s less likely to break that way. Also he thinks the idea of it being disrespectful is a Brittish Isles thing based on an idea that you shouldn’t be too public about your religion. Him being into his Italian and Polish ancestry then considers it also a matter of cultural pride that he does it.
Personally I think it is too much a fashion statement, and also I’m not fond of the Boondock Saints connotation the practice has now. Also it means you have to awkwardly take it off if you want to pray it, whereas if it is in your pocket you can just take it out, or even just put your hand in your pocket and pray secretly.
Wow, this is interesting. I live and teach in a Hispanic community and am seeing more and more people wearing the Rosary. I, too, have questions about this being acceptable. Where I originally came from this was never done. I don’t even think people thought about wearing it. I was looking into this because I wanted to know if it was right or wrong. Some students in my class wear them occasionally which brings up this issue every time I see it. I think if it is done with respect and not for fashion then I guess(still not sure) that it is fine to wear them. I have never worn a rosary but I do carry one in my purse or occasionally in my pocket. A priest told me when I was confirmed that it was good to carry one so you could pray it whenever you had time. Having it on you is convenient. Around your neck?? Still looking for an answer. Thanks for listening and giving your views.
I do wear a rosary, but I wear it underneath my clothing. It’s a knotted nylon twine rosary that I made myself, so it’s not very “fashionable” as far as the glitz and glam goes… Just a nice and humble reminder everytime I see it that I need to pray (because I struggle with praying every day).
I don’t know if it is wrong or right to wear a rosary. I know that there are times in life when I really need to feel something tangible, something that seems alot stronger than I am and then YES the rosary gives me that comfort and reminds me that there is someone who walks beside me, so to all who say that it isnt right – perhaps they should walk a mile in that persons shoes before they are so quick to judge – I don’t believe it is simply a question of fashion, perhaps it is merely an ask for strength and hope when the days are dark.