Let's go to Joyce in Concord, California. Good morning, Joyce. I have a quick question. A young man in his

20s joined the church over the Easter vigil. He asked me if it's okay to wear a rosary around his neck.

Well, there's no rule against wearing a rosary in that way if it's as a sign of devotion.

So if he wants to wear a rosary so that when he feels it rustling under his shirt or he takes it off before he goes to bed or something, he was reminded of his devotion to our lady.

Sure, that's permitted.

But not the church would say, and not in any particular rule, I mean, it's not like a

doctrine or something, but we should never use sacramentals, which a rosary is, in a profane way.

So Madonna comes to mind.

And when she went through her phase of wearing rosaries

as jewelry, that was a profane example of that. So that kind of use of a sacramental like a rosary

should never be done. But if he wants to wear this as a sign of his faith, then sure, that'd be

fine.

Can you wear it outside his shirt where people see it?

He could. He could. I mean, people, some people anyway,

they'll hang a rosary from the rearview mirror in their car.

Dominicans and Carmelites and other religious sisters and male religious as well.

They wear a rosary around their waist.

So, sure, if it's worn or displayed as a matter of devotion and faith, that's fine.

But I mean, obviously, if he were to wear it as a fashion accessory, or to wear it in a way

that it would be blasphemous or trivialize the cross, then no.

Okay, great. That's all I needed, because I even said if it's like Madonna, forget it.

Okay, well, thank you so much, Patrick.

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