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When did the body of our Saviour become a fashion accessory? - From Across the Pond

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By Darren Collins
Op/Ed
Catholic Online

I don't know about the U.S. but in Britain their has been a new fashion craze: the rosary, and crucifix.

As I have been generally walking around of late I have seen many different types of person wearing a rosary, or a crucifix. At first I was very happy, I was happy that young people were willing to express their faith so openly. However, the numbers of people I saw doing this increased, soon all young people of a certain group were wearing one of the items.

I questioned a friend of mine as to why this had suddenly happened. It was here that sheer disbelief set in, people were wearing a crucifix, and rosary, because it had become fashionable. I had seen young men wearing golden crucifixes as big as my hand, whilst engaged in very unchristian activities; girls had been seen wearing beautiful rosaries over a low cut blouse so that the image of our saviour was lodged in their cleavage.

I do not say this to be crude, but to elicit in you the response I had. As Catholic Christians we do not believe that the crucifix, as an object is holy. Yet, I could not believe that people were wearing an image of the tortured Jesus Christ around their neck as mere jewellery. I may have understood this in a country that is culturally Christian, but Britain has not been that for very many years. Not to mention that the majority of the people who were wearing (that they should wear it anyway) the rosary had no idea what it was. It pained me that to these young people Christianity meant nothing, that the image of Our Lord expiring in torture for human beings everywhere was something that they wore to impress their friends.

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It is truly amazing that many clothes shops in my city have begun to sell rosaries and crucifixes to children and young to go with their apparel. I have seen mannequins in shop windows dolled up in revealing dress with a rosary around their décolletage.

My rosary is precious to me, but not because of what it is, but what it means. It is a means that I use to get close to God, it is a family heirloom blessed by Popes Pius XI and Paul VI. It guides me in my prayerful meditation of the Bible, and is a powerful symbol of a Christocentric life. All this surely has a deeper resonance than simply the disrespect and ignorance of the young. It is a major step on the road to the complete secularisation of Europe, here I do not mean the violent secularism seen at some points in the past. I mean when the generation that will lead the future are comfortable wearing overtly, conspicuous religious symbols because they mean nothing to them.

Yet there is a second part of me. Is it good that young people are taking an interest in God in whatever form it may be? And does it provide an excellent opportunity for the Church to evangelise? Does it represent a subconscious yearning for Christ? I do not know, but I would early like to think so.

It probably shouldn't effect me so much when I see it being abused, but it does; I sincerely hope that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Most Holy Rosary, and Our Lord can turn the hearts of these people.