EWTN 7 common myths and facts about the Rosary

Photo: Jeffrey Bruno

October is designated by the Catholic Church as the month of the Rosary, and Oct. 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.

By Edie Heipel

Full story: www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/the-rosary-common-myths-and-facts

Here are seven common myths and facts about this popular devotion and prayer:

1. Only Catholics can pray the Rosary.

False. While rosaries are typically associated with Catholics, non-Catholics can certainly pray the Rosary — and in fact, many credit it to their conversion. Even some Protestants recognize the Rosary as a valid form of prayer.

2. Praying the Rosary is idolatry.

False. Some have objections to the Rosary, claiming it idolizes Mary and is overly repetitive.

The Rosary is not a prayer to Mary — it is a meditation on the life of Christ revealed in five mysteries “with the purposes of drawing the person praying deeper into reflecting on Christ’s joys, sacrifices, sufferings, and the glorious miracles of his life.”

When we pray the Hail Mary, we are not adoring Mary; we are asking for her intercession — just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us.

3. You can wear a Rosary as a necklace.

It depends. It is typically considered disrespectful and irreverent to wear a Rosary around one’s neck as jewelry, even though the Church does not have an explicit declaration against doing so.

However, Canon 1171 of the Code of Canon Law says that “sacred objects, set aside for divine worship by dedication or blessing, are to be treated with reverence. They are not to be made over to secular or inappropriate use, even though they may belong to private persons.”

It is important to treat the Rosary with respect and intention.

4. The Rosary is an extremist symbol.

False. Back in 2022, a widely-shared Atlantic article went viral for accusing the Rosary of being an “extremist symbol.”

“Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the Rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or ‘rad trad’) Catholics,” the article read.

The author also cited the Church’s stance on traditional marriage and the sanctity of life as evidence of “extremism” and claimed that Catholics’ tendency to call the Rosary a “weapon in the fight against evil” as dangerous.

5. The Rosary is not biblical.

Untrue! Most of its words come directly from Scripture.

First, the Our Father is prayed. The words of the Our Father are those Christ taught his disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9–13.

The Hail Mary also comes straight from the Bible. The first part, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,” comes from Luke 1:28, and the second, “Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,” is found in Luke 1:42.

6. A Rosary bead, or pea, can kill you.

Somewhat true. A Rosary pea, or abrus seed, is a vine plant native to India and parts of Asia. The seeds of the vine, which are red with black spots, are often used to make beaded jewelry — including Rosaries. Rosary pea seeds contain a toxic substance called “abrin,” which is a naturally-occurring poison that can be fatal if ingested. However, it’s unlikely for someone to get abrin poisoning just from holding a Rosary made from abrus seeds, as one would have to swallow them.

Today, most Rosaries are made from other nontoxic materials, such as olive wood or glass — eliminating this concern.

7. The Rosary can help protect you.

True. Praying the Rosary has proven to be a miraculous force for protecting those of faith and bestowing upon them extra graces, such as the victory of the Christian forces at the Battle of Lepanto after St. Pius V implored Western Christians to pray the Rosary.