V. Non-Catholics Wearing Catholic Stuff
by ian ~ April 24th, 2008. Filed under: Traditions.
It’s all over the news tonight, Hillary Clinton was wearing one of those Brazilian Mary bracelets at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania. Everyone is all in uproar - Was it a campaign ploy? Does she actually have some real faith in Christianity? Did an operative of Mother Teresa put it on her wrist without her noticing? Is the blue in her suit a liturgical color?
Someone else pointed out that David Ortiz from the Boston Red Socks also seems to have one on his arm. And not to be out done, Stephen King mentioned in an interview a few years ago that he wears a miraculous medal because it gives him comfort (something he desperately needs). And what about the ubiquitous crucifix highlighting the chests of countless models, actresses and singers? Madonna really took the whole Catholic thing to the extreme by using her real first name and using Catholic props in just about every sacrilegious way imaginable.
So what is it about these sightings that makes Catholics start twittering? I think it is the satisfaction knowing that there is so much Catholic stuff out there that you almost can’t help getting snagged by it. Have you ever wandered into your local Catholic store and seen the bins and bins of one-decade rosaries, scapulars, dashboard statues and glow-in-the-dark night lights? Is it any wonder that you see this stuff on non-Catholics? It’s like burs in a field of grass, even if you don’t want to a rosary bracelet is going to eventually jump on to your wrist and hold on for dear life. Don’t worry about it. Just accept that there is a little Catholic in all of us and smile.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I disagree. I believe most Catholics dislike when non-Catholics wear these symbols in a disrespectful way (such as to get votes). So while we like this “Catholic stuff” we really don’t like when non-believers wear it out of mockery.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Great site, just found it via Amy.
OK, so yooze are honoring “tradition” by mimicing Catholic clericalism - the blank state as response to feedback, right? What about the gift of subsidiarity ? Please do put up a “Contact us” or “Suggestions” button for us to send you the gems we find, like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/EASTER-PANCAKE-POPE-HAT-CROSS-JESUS-GETHSEMANE-SAINT-NR_W0QQitemZ150241310914QQihZ005QQcategoryZ11669QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Again Kudos! Enjoy your new ministry…!
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
oops that should have read
“blank stare”
… kind of like that Victorian “bleary-eyed beatific vision of saints smoking weed” we see on so many pious banners in the blogosphere (no offense intended– there is a real challenge in expressing ‘ecstacy’ artfully. As Bernini can attest, would Teresa de Jesus recognize herself contorting in delirium? I think not!!)
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Get over yourself John!
Guess how many Catholics wear ‘em and voted for her too?
Circa 10% more than voted for her rival, I heard…
The pastors responsible for those poor souls aggrieve me, not the wiley woman She-wolf prophisied by Holy Writ!
(feed my sheep…)
May 4th, 2008 at 6:59 am
I’m not really comfortable with non-Catholics wearing Catholic stuff if it’s just for display. The uber-celeb couple, David and Victoria Beckham went around draped in rosaries for a while. They were no doubt expensive rosaries. The rosary isn’t an item of jewellery, and ought not to be worn around the neck for show. The rosary bracelet is different, it can be used for prayer.
Hillary’s bracelet looks like one of those which have the links made of heart shapes. I saw some for sale in Rome last year. They had pictures of JP2 and B16 on them, so perhaps she wasn’t wearing one of those.
As to the miraculous medal - It’s a better piece of jewellery than a rosary and the more people wear it, the better. Anyway, isn’t it supposed to be worn by just about everybody?
May 4th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
[...] when she appears in a campaign photo wearing a Catholic bracelet, one of many things discussed as Stuff Catholics Like. I like the two new songs I found on YouTube: The Wojtyla Song and Ratzinger Song. I also enjoy [...]
May 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Hillary Clinton is Christian, so why wouldn’t she have real faith in Christianity? She’s just not Catholic.
Besides, some non-Catholics do have respect for Mary.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Why the link to a page about Godzilla?
May 5th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
That movie had a really horrible quote at the end about how we all had a little Godzilla in each of us and I was connecting the quotes.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Catholics love it b/c they see non-Catholics longing for something we have, even if it is something as shallow as a persona/public image.
And Clare… yes, Hillary IS Christian… technically… the same way that Luke Skywalker could see the good in Darth Vader. It’s obvious that she wore the bracelet for purely political reasons. It wouldn’t have been all over the press unless if someone in Hillary’s PR team had pointed out the bracelet to the press. Correct? This is what The Onion refers to as “local crowd pandering [ahem] BS”. (I think we’re all adults here.)
And for the most honest look at political campaigning ever:
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/poll_bullshit_is_most_important
May 7th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
but i would have sworn David Ortiz was Catholic….as for Hilary, we should pray for her to come to the Faith, as well as to change her stance.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:36 am
BVM is just so fashionable these days I guess…
I wonder if we’ll see Hillary Clinton wearing one of those again when she’s not trying to please Catholic voters. I’m sorry, I just find it highly unlikely that she will switch over to the Church, let alone change her policies. Forgive me for being a bit of a cynic.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Why couldn’t she be wearing a Mary bracelet just because Mary is beautiful? I would rather see her wearing a Mary bracelet that she does not fully understand, than one of them yin yang symbols that were so popular several years ago. At least Mary encompasses all that is wonderful. Perhaps having a Mary bracelet on her arm will encourage her to rethink some policies. I’m sure it is not her plan, but perhaps it is God’s.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Did anyone else notice that one of the celebs on Dancing w/ the Stars (the football player, I think) was wearing a Rosary around his neck? I’ve never been a big fan of using the Rosary as a necklace, much less during a samba …
May 9th, 2008 at 9:09 am
I see your point, Helen. We can only pray, right?
I read something somewhere that said basically using Rosary as a necklace isn’t so bad as long as it’s not for fashion. Then again, if it isn’t for fashion, wouldn’t you not want it out in the open where people can see it? I guess we’ll never know. By the way, just out of curiosity, how many other people have you seen wearing a Rosary during a samba?
May 12th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Elizabeth - here’s a good article about wearing a Rosary as a necklace.
http://www.lifeteen.com/default.aspx?PageID=FJQADETAIL&__DocumentId=164081
I think last week on DWTS was my first samba with a Rosary experience. My mom was a bit miffed … the dance was good, but he wasn’t exactly dancing to “Ave Maria”
May 13th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
@Proverbs3130:
Saw that rosary-as-necklace on Jason as well, and then suddenly wish I hadn’t. It just aint right.
May 18th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
You enjoy being used by people who exploit what is sacred to your religion and spiritually manipulate you for political gain. I don’t mind that you are a wierd sort of Catholic, but I do mind that you are a poor citizen and dazzled by simple propoganda. I haven’t settled my mind on it… but maybe the two always go together? Catholics seem to take endless abuse, and for a few shiny bits of tin-foil repentance, keep shoveling their subsistence in the collection plate. I would grow weary of the whole thing.