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It’s a trend that’s sparking concern — and one Colorado diocese is taking a stand:
Responding to a ban on the wearing of rosaries at a Colorado public school, the Diocese of Colorado Springs has said it does not oppose the action because it recognizes the need to protect children. Local gangs have reportedly decided to wear rosaries as jewelry as a sign of gang affiliation.
Mann Middle School in Colorado Springs sent a Sept. 30 memo to students, saying “we need to remind everyone that here at Mann, we respect all religious beliefs. Some members of the Catholic faith are offended by rosaries being worn around the neck like fashion accessories.”
The memo said that any rosaries worn around the neck must be worn underneath one’s shirt “out of respect for others.” Students who do not follow the instructions would be issued a dress-code violation.
Msgr. Bob Jaeger, vicar general of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, said in an Oct. 12 statement that the diocese “supports every student’s first amendment right to openly wear religious jewelry.”
“In these increasingly secular times, when hostility towards individuals of faith continues to grow, it is imperative to remain vigilant against all forms of selective religious discrimination,” he continued.
However, he wrote, the diocese recognizes “the need to protect children and the right of school districts to regulate clothing and other items that have been misappropriated as symbols of gang affiliation.”
There’s more, so read on at the link.
posted October 15, 2010 at 12:26 pm
This is one of the downsides of proposing to be a universal and evagelical faith. Lots of people buy the product but don’t read the label and use it for unintended things. Latin America took the faith as the latest software download to pre-Columbian practices. Europeans took it as a justification to steal all of the gold of pre-Columbian people, and I don’t think Paul ever quite anticipated that young people one day would be “straight thuggin for JC”!
posted October 15, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Our Lady’s rosary was not intended to be used as jewelry! The rosary was given as an important tool used in prayer and fighting the devil. The bishop of this diocese has every right in condemning the wearing this sacred article as a just another piece of jewelry!
posted October 15, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Matt,
I think you have it. The bishop had a tremendous teaching opportunity and could have said something like, “We do not oppose the ban on wearing rosaries because rosaries are not jewelry, so the ban does not actually place a restriction on the freedom of Catholics to practice their faith. If the school wants to ban children bringing rosaries to school, then we will have something to say.”