Is it true that they are not supposed to be worn around the neck? I heard that somewhere and I tell my students who wear them to take them off, but they claim it as religious. (We are in a uniform school.) Admin can't give me a straight answer.
Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
I'm Catholic and I have never met anyone who wore a rosary around the neck. My husband is also Catholic and says the same thing. I've seen them hanging from a belt or similar -- nuns and friars and the like. Even as a bracelet, but not around the neck. It's not sacrilegious to do so unless you are a non-believer, but it's weird.
ETA: Apparently, it has come back into fad recently. I still don't know about them claiming religious reasons to be allowed to wear it, though. It doesn't seem appropriate in a uniform school.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
I had not heard of rosaries as necklaces either. And it would seem to make it pretty awkward to use without taking it off. They aren't really jewelry.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
The only way wearing a rosary as a necklace could be considered religious is ifn ya think Goth is a religion... ...or worshipped Madonna Ciccione. Then ya might as well claim that wearing a pacifier on a string is religious. (Yep, that was the followup fad.)
Posted by theamazeeaz (Member # 6970) on :
You aren't supposed to wear a rosary around the neck, despite the fact that it looks like a necklace and seems like a natural thing to do with it (especially if you are a kid). It's not an "omg what are you doing!1!!" thing if you do, but rosaries are for counting prayers. You say one a prayer for each bead and hold the bead in your hand to count. The type of the bead denotes the prayer (hail mary is the small beads, our father the big ones). I think you start at the cross, go into the loop and start doing laps. I was in second grade when I learned this and no longer pray, so forgive the lack of understanding of the finer points.
In any case, at least one of my Catholic great-aunts/uncle who had an open-casket wake had rosary beads wrapped around the hands. If rosary beads were kept around the neck, they would have been there for all of eternity instead.
[ May 12, 2009, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: theamazeeaz ]
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Thanks all!
Posted by NotThatItMatters (Member # 12063) on :
Not so fast ... it really might be the case that they're being worn out of religious belief.
I speak as one who actually wore one growing up, out of the religious belief (yes, Roman Catholic) I was raised in. It was paired with a scapular, and several religious medals. This even led to an incident at a YMCA pool once, which I won't go into.
Now, I agree with those who point out that it might be something of a fad; it's certainly not meant to be a fashion statement, and I never wore it for that kind of reason.
If it's being worn out of sincere religious belief, there's probably nothing wrong with requiring them to tuck the rosaries in their blouses/shirts and keep said shirts/blouses buttoned all the way up, out of the appropriate sense of modesty that should accompany said belief. That's how I wore them, and I wouldn't be surprised if your school requires buttoned up blouses/shirts as part of a complete uniform.
There might very well be a local 'pray rosary/wear scapular' movement going on at your local Catholic parish, in which your students are participating. You might consider stopping by and asking one of the priests there for more guidance on how to approach the issue, or having the principal do so.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
Upon furthur study, I have discovered it is a gang symbol for the Hispanic gangs at my school.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Usually it's not worn, and a lot of RC priests feel it is disrespectful to wear it as one. But a lot of people have highly individualized religious sensibilities, so it could be. I remember being told multiple times by multiple priests that it was not to be considered a necklace.
Doesn't make much sense as a gang symbol, does it?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kwea: Doesn't make much sense as a gang symbol, does it?
As much sense as anything else, and more than some.
Posted by scholarette (Member # 11540) on :
Actually, considering that gang symbols are often anything they can get around the rules with, the rosary makes sense. Surely the school won't stop them from wearing a religious symbol.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
quote:Originally posted by scholarette: Actually, considering that gang symbols are often anything they can get around the rules with, the rosary makes sense. Surely the school won't stop them from wearing a religious symbol.
I'm telling my students now to tuck it in when they enter my room. Not a single one of them has complained about it, which is surprising for middle schoolers.
Posted by Stephan (Member # 7549) on :
And now a three year old thread becomes a national headline.
When my students where them, I first ask them if they are Catholic. If they say no, I tell them to tuck it under their shirt so they don't offend Catholics. If they say they are Catholic I remind them that rosaries are not supposed to be worn around their neck and to put it in their pocket.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
I was raised Roman Catholic, of primarily Polish tradition, and was always taught it was extremely disrespectful to "wear a rosary". We would make them in Bible School and things, and it was natural for little girls to think of putting all those pretty beads on as a necklace, but we were always chastised for doing so.
They made a point of telling the kids that it wasn't a necklace at my son's first communion ceremony last month.
Posted by Blayne Bradley (Member # 8565) on :
quote:Originally posted by Stephan:
quote:Originally posted by scholarette: Actually, considering that gang symbols are often anything they can get around the rules with, the rosary makes sense. Surely the school won't stop them from wearing a religious symbol.
I'm telling my students now to tuck it in when they enter my room. Not a single one of them has complained about it, which is surprising for middle schoolers.
My guess is because your treating them with respect, you explain to them reasonable explanations as to why not. Usually my experience has been that adults when they tell someone to do or not do something just saying "Because I said so" or similar just infuriates them and encourages rebellious behavior to get your attention. Because attention is similar enough to 'respect' unconciouslessly.
/Armchair psychologist.
Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :
Around here, that's totally a gang thing.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
it is nation wide, actually.
I was raised RC, and wearing them is very disrespectful....which is WHY Madonna did it, and people have followed her lead since the 80's.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)