Wearing of the rosary
Question from on 05-25-2007:
There is a long-standing tradition held by monks, nuns and Church officers wearing a rosary about their waists. Lay Catholics are sometimes portrayed with paternosters hanging from their belts. Car rosaries hang from rear-view mirrors and many Christians wear a cross or rosary in some fashion on a necklace or bracelet. Would it be considered proper or morally ethical for a lay Catholic to wear a rosary belt in public? By this I mean wearing it shopping, to work or any other time when it is clear that the wearer is probably not going to use it for prayer. I'm just curious, especially with modern sensitivities toward religious icons in public.
Answer by Catholic Answers on 05-29-2007:
Ray--
Wearing a rosary as a statement of faith or for some other innocent purpose is fine. There would only be a problem if the rosary were being put to some objectively sordid use. For example, if someone were to wear a rosary with an immodest outfit in order to contrast the symbolic purity of the rosary with the otherwise tawdry appearance, that would be morally problematic.
Recommended reading:
Can a rosary be worn as a piece of jewelry? (scroll to Q&A #3)
Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers
I have read this question many times. It is sacreligious to wear the rosary as a fasion sense. To wear the rosary as a sign of faith would be acceptable.
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