bonos rosary necklace??

[u2bonogirl]

I would say that it would only be appropriate to use the rosary during times of meditation and prayer.

god says that we should be in prayer all the time. not that i think thats the reason that he has it on, just a thought. i had no idea that my little question would turn into such a topic!

 

[verte76]

As a Catholic Christian, the rosary is special to me. It's special to me because I have a special devotion to Mary, whom we believe is the Mother of God, and is Queen of the saints. That being said it doesn't bother me at all that Bono wears the rosary that the pope gave him. I don't think he's using it as a "fashion statement". I think he wears it out of respect for his Catholic heritage and the pope of whom he is very fond. While I use mine for Marian devotion, and get a great deal of joy from it, I think there is more than one or two ways to use the rosary that is respectful and proper. To me it's not too terribly different from wearing a crucifix. I don't wear a crucifix mainly because I don't own one of the right size to put on a neck chain. This is just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

 

[U2Soar]

Heyu2bonogirl! Your little question has turned into a great topic! At least for me I've been curious about it for years but it was one of things that you notice (maybe even subconsciously) but you forget about it until the next time. A good point about prayer - for instance at all of these speeches and meetings for DATA Bono may feel it each time he leans forward / leans sideways / etc. and he may say a prayer for God's help / strength / inspiration / etc.

 

[Liesje]

Maybe Bono wants to feel it against his skin and to feel the weight of it around his neck (the daily physical reminder of his commitment in faith to Africa)?

Yes, I thought of this, but why not wear AIDS ribbons? I wear an AIDS ribbon made of beeds by HIV+ women in Africa (well, I actually wear it on my purse so I don't have to move it with each new outfit and loose it). Lots of people ask me about it and I get a chance to explain.

One may understand this explanation but when OPENLY poses with it in magazines and when he purposely wears his shirt almost always wide open exposing the rosary necklace is another thing.

You seem to be saying that he is wearing it as a ?fashion statement.? How so?

I meant it more along the lines of he's using an accessory as a way to describe himself, just like most of us use our styles of clothes, hair, and accessories to express ourselves. This is not bad, I just believe that there ARE certain items that should not be used in this way. To me, a rosary is not meant to be a symbol of one being Catholic and not meant to be shown to other people to say something about oneself, a rosary is for a specific individual to use as a tool or symbol when he or she is meditating, praying, or spending time alone with God. I'm trying to think of an analogy and maybe this one sucks, but sort of like how Christians don't take communion in the lunch room to show friends or co-workers that they're Christian. Some symbols and rituals are between you and God only.

But at the end of the day the rosary inherently provokes questions: What is it? Why does he wear it? How does it ?speak? to my faith or my life? (I wonder if any PLEBA members have considered or are wearing a rosary necklace?)

These are all interesting questions. If I were Catholic, I'd never wear a rosary b/c Bono does and it looks cool or something. Like I said before, certain religious symbols are too personal to be put on display.

 

[BorderGirl]

Soldiers in combat have been known to wear their rosaries around their necks. Perhaps Bono relates to feeling the weight of a soldier in this world.......
Catholic (which BTW means universal, open to all truths) tradition varies throughout the world. For instance Tanzanian Catholics wear their rosaries around their necks.
They are not intended as necklaces really but can be worn as a sign of devotion. The problems come from people who have no knowledge of the rosary, who wear it as they would costume jewelry. I don't think this is the case with Bono.

 

[verte76]

Many nuns who wear traditional habits also wear their rosaries, although not around their necks. I know some Dominican Sisters who teach at a local Catholic grammar school. They wear the traditional Dominican habit, black, with black and white headdresses. They wear belts, with their rosaries fastened to the belts. In truth, this was the original way to carry a rosary, as medieval clothes didn't have pockets, but all wore belts, even if they had to use some raunchy rope sort of thing as a belt. If you didn't carry your rosary, you probably hung it up in your home as part of your own private shrine that every devout Catholic had, even those who lived in one-room shacks. There was another kind of devotional that was traditionally placed around your neck called a scapular, after the shoulder blade bone. I suspect this is one reason why the rosary wasn't worn around the neck. Scapulars aren't very often worn by modern Catholics, and in fact have become pretty controversial. But in the past they were quite popular.

 

[Katey]

yes I know Catholic Nuns at the school I went to did wear the rosary attached at their waist.. .. Quincy Jones who recieved it from the Pope as well at the same time I think he was part of the Jubilee 2000 team that went to meet the Pope with Bono.. he wears it around his neck too

 

[U2Soar]

Hi Katey - Interesting to hear that Quincy Jones wears his rosary from the Pope at the September 99 meeting. Have you read that or have you seen pictures?

 

[U2Soar]

In the picture of Bono showing his rosary necklace to woman on page 1 of this thread it appears that this is Ann Pettifor (co-founder of Jubilee 2000) and she is wearing a rosary around her neck too. I would imagine that it is the one that she received from the Pope when the September 23 1999 delegation met with him. I did a google image search for Quincy Jones. I found a photograph of Bono / Geldof / and Jones after they had met the Pope. Bono and Jones were both wearing their rosaries around their neck and outside of their shirts. I do not know if Jones has worn it again. Or whether other members of the delegation have worn their rosaries too.

 

[sue4u2]

Some symbols and rituals are between you and God only.

I think this sums it up pretty accurately. Bono isn't in the business of conversion or promoting religion in any form. This is something very personal to him and he doesn't feel the need to explain. I don't blame him, someone, namely tabloids, would blow any statement he made completely out of porportion or change/make up the context of anything he said.

 

[indigo tree]

I'm a catholic myself and personally I consider it a compliment
when a non-catholic seems to have a fascination with something connected to my own religion.

 

[thrillme]

Yeah, what if Bono did just go back to wearing a cross like in the JT days, many Protestants wear cross necklaces, and it's generally just to remind oneselve of what you are. Perhaps it could be argued, if you are (fill in the blank), why would you need a reminder. I guess to non-Christians, the wearing of crosses is kinda bizarre, but it's just a simple reminder of what was done, (as the Christian faith states) for us. It could be said, this is why Bono wears it as a necklace, as many Protestants, wear cross necklaces. He was raised Protestant, so maybe the "don't wear the Rosary" as a necklace, wasn't part of his upbringing.

I do wear a beaded necklace with one of those "Jesus" fishes on it, but I wear it because of the meaning behind it, not because it's "fashionable." Then again, when has it ever been "fashionable" to be Christian.

Anyway, the story (well it's what I heard), behind the "fish" symbol, was that it was a sign to let other Christians know you were one, back in the Roman empire when Christian persecution was extremely high and violent. To find out if someone was a Christian, they draw in the sand, basically half of the fish. *Think of slightly long letter "C"* If the other person was Christian, they'd complete the other half, to make the "fish." If the person didn't, didn't know what it was, no big deal, went their separate ways.

I'm thinking it's clearly where the phrase, "drawing your fish in the sand" comes from.

Lots of people know what the "Jesus" fish represents, plus it's doesn't lead to that annoying "why not wear a gun around your neck," some people ask when someone wears a cross necklace.