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. On this extremist fringe, rosary beads have been woven into a conspiratorial politics and absolutist gun culture. These armed radical traditionalists have taken up a spiritual notion that the rosary can be a weapon in the fight against evil and turned it into something dangerously literal.
Their social-media pages are saturated with images of rosaries draped over firearms, warriors in prayer, Deus Vult (“God wills it”) crusader memes, and exhortations for men to rise up and become Church Militants. Influencers on platforms such as Instagram share posts referencing “everyday carry” and “gat check” (gat is slang for “firearm”) that include soldiers’ “battle beads,” handguns, and assault rifles. One artist posts illustrations of his favorite Catholic saints, clergy, and influencers toting AR-15-style rifles labeled sanctum rosarium alongside violently homophobic screeds that are celebrated by social-media accounts with thousands of followers. …
Militia culture, a fetishism of Western civilization, and masculinist anxieties have become mainstays of the far right in the U.S.—and rad-trad Catholics have now taken up residence in this company. Their social-media accounts commonly promote accelerationist and survivalist content, along with combat-medical and tactical training, as well as memes depicting balaclava-clad gunmen that draw on the “terrorwave” or “warcore” aesthetic that is popular in far-right circles.
Like such networks, radical-traditional Catholics sustain their own cottage industry of goods and services that reinforces the radicalization. Rosaries are common among the merchandise on offer—some made of cartridge casings, and complete with gun-metal-finish crucifixes. One Catholic online store, which describes itself as “dedicated to offering battle-ready products and manuals to ‘stand firm against the tactics of the devil’” (a New Testament reference), sells replicas of the rosaries issued to American soldiers during the First World War as “combat rosaries.” Discerning consumers can also buy a “concealed carry” permit for their combat rosary and a sacramental storage box resembling an ammunition can. In 2016, the pontifical Swiss Guard accepted a donation of combat rosaries; during a ceremony at the Vatican, their commander described the gift as “the most powerful weapon that exists on the market.”
— Daniel Panneton in How the Rosary Became an Extremist Symbol
not scary.
radical traditional unitarians, now that’s frightening.
Obviously daniel panneton is a drama queen drumming up sleazy ways to profile people he disdains…like the kkk did to Black Americans and nazis did to Jews. But unlike the aforementioned Blacks and Jews the people daniel panneton disdains are armed and that puts daniel panneton and his ilk between a rock and a hard spot.
dannielle pantieson is unitarian?
The KKK went after the Catholics too, yah know.
And Hitler was a vegetarian . . . and loved dogs!!!
Nobody seem to want to remember that the KKK went after Blacks, Jews AND Catholics. Even among repressed groups, the Catholics get no respect
.
Stalin was also vegetarian
L3ftists see right-wing conspiracies everywhere and in everything. It gives them a victim complex.
“L3ftists see right-wing conspiracies everywhere and in everything.”
“Reds are buried in Communist plots”.
(MAD Magazine, early 1970s…)
I’m glad the atheist is feeling safe to express his hatred for religious symbols. And the people who carry them. I hope they continue to come out of the closet.
I gots a rosary of my own: a red rash that encircled my neck. My bartender says it may be Bubonic Plague. Told my barber that it can’t be plague, because I only drink ChamPipple at his public accommodation, and ChamPipple cures everything.
Is there a thing called “Covid Rash”?
do you give your grandkids shoulder rides?
“do you give your grandkids shoulder rides?”
No, but they like to rub the hair on my legs (which have no red rash rings).
then stop trying to give shoulder rides to strangers and they will not try to strangle you.
😜
Yeah. I’ve had a bad case of it on my butt ever since the covid mess started!
“Your neighbor may be feeding your dog laundry detergent! Find out why on the nines!”
“Video games are turning your kindergartener into a cannibal! Footage at eleven!”
“The crusades are back… with a twist! Dick Johnson reports!”
And Russian tanks on the Jersey turnpike: film at eleven.
Well that mindless drivel gave me a good laugh on a Friday morning.
Just sounds like more BS to me.
Symbolism over substance is a big part of the problem here. Icons change in meaning over time and often on purpose. The swastika used to a religious symbol and is now one of hate. There are efforts to do the same thing with the American flag. The left has twisted the language so much that no one knows what anything is anymore. These people don’t even know what a woman is. These are the very same people responsible for educating our youth.
The OK and thumbs up gestures are apparently white supremacist gestures much like the tiki torch is a symbol. Still don’t care using all three will not change because some weirdo on tv makes some wild ass claims.
I don’t personally know anyone who is religious or attends services though I do drive by an awful lot of churches plastered in virtue signalling emblems and idols.
Be a fun experiment to find and replace all the “catholic” with “islam” and see the cause-head reactions. There’s about 1.2 billion Catholics and 2 billion Muslims. Muslims mostly being in countries that still practice slavery, subjugate women, fetishize their culture, idolize the AK47, embrace toxic masculinity and toss anyone with any perceived perversions from roof tops. Well, except the pedos. That’s totally normal for them.
But, yeah, those midnight mass weirdos are a real problem.
“…embrace toxic masculinity and toss anyone with any perceived perversions from roof tops. Well, except the pedos. That’s totally normal for them.”
As long as they keep it on the down-low, it’s tolerated.
But if it becomes public… 🙁
Yeah, but where do you think those original ‘slammists’ learned all that shit? Did any of you master scholars out there know that Islam is just a knock-off of organized Christianity? it’s the ‘unclean’ progeny of a Church proselytization mission gone bad around 580-610 AD. The Arab leaders admired the ‘catholic’ system of power and control over the sheeple/slaves–especially the lucrative eternal tithe obligation, but they didn’t like taking orders from the fat Friars and pedo priests, so they simply created their own version of holy god power, and the rest is history or her-story. The problem was finding a suitable Holy head of their religion who still had their head in the right place. They wound up settling for a wealthy bad boy who could play the role if they could keep him away from his pre-pubescent wives and beheading rampages long enough.
They had to censor most of his photo sessions because he always carried a brace of unholy head removing tools. That became too much of a challenge, so they just prohibited all pictures or images of him. And he sure as hell put the shit- your-diaper fear of GAWD in those rag head mo fos. Read the Old Testament and the Q-RonRon side by side and notice your eyebrows rise.
By the way, a good strong rosary certainly was a covert weapon for priest and nuns. It was a very secret proprietary in house (of god) martial art. You used it as a speed whip and those sharp corners on the cross worked just like a weed whacker on someone’s eyes and neck. Also made a fine garrot. you could wrap it around your fist for a workable knuckle enhancer, and i once had one of those old larger crucifixes the clergy sometimes wear, and the longer bottom was a clever sheath over a concealed blade. I gave it to a priest friend who was eagerly grateful for it. We used to go bar hopping together.
Anyway, good, interesting article Grace!
Around the time of Mohammed, Christian who didn’t have orthodox beliefs went out into the desert to avoid persecution and these were the Christians that he encountered. Some might say Islam is a syncratist religion.
I mean I kinda idolize the original AK-47, never having owned a authentic Russian one.
As to the rest of that mindless drivel above… Personally never observed any that of which I can recall, sounds as though mostly whole cloth fabrication to me.
As one Army veteran put it, in Afghanistan, “women are for children, boys are for fun.” [But having sex with other adult men will get you killed as an abomination to Allah.]
Speaking the truth has become a revolutionary act that can get you killed. In 21st century America.
Depends. Chai boys are a thing. Before, during, and after the Taliban return to Kabul. Also in other parts of the MENA. It’s more cultural than religious, but as long as you ask for forgiveness on Friday–man-love Thursday is all the rage. There were jundi that begged to be transferred because they couldn’t handle getting raped by the entire battalion. At the outpost, only the squad took turns–and he was grateful for the move.
“idolize the AK47”
Hey!! The AK47 is a valid holy symbol for people of all faiths 😉
I proudly carry my Rosary each and every day, everywhere I go. Especially into areas where they say weapons are banned. Whether in Lepanto or Nagasaki, it has been proven most effective.
Vivat Jesus!!
The radical left’s gender insanity is scarier than this stuff.
I’ve got the Army issue military-style assault Rosary. Very scary.
I have the Swiss Army issue military style Rosary. It has not only the cross and beads, but dispenses Sacramental Wine, Communion hosts, guilt, Holy water, incense, (which can be used as cover or to mark your position) and in a pinch, can be used to garrote sentries. Very handy.
“ya got nuthin’ without the guilt.”
Sister Mary Ignatius would approve.
If you poke the bear is it the bear’s fault you got mauled? If you really want some gun violence try taking the rosary. Or try taking my guns. Love thy neighbor as thy self. If you confess and repent of your sins god is faithful to forgive you. I guess that’s just awful. Even the heathen can understand right from wrong by observing nature. Never seen a trans animal. My body my choice only if you are a woman who wants to murder your baby. Not if you don’t want to get a experimental drug that doesn’t stop the spread of disease and increases your mortality rate by 50%. Come and take them and you will be poking the white devil.
…and don’t forget to cough up generously in the collection basket this Sunday to help atone for all this never-ending SINNING!
Gotta scare those minorites, women, and “reasonable thinkers” back into the Democrats loving arms, the white militia is coming to get you! Desantis is going to send little black kids back to Southern plantations! MAGA goons are lurking behind every corner, Catholics are the bad guys too (even if Biden and pelosi are Catholic and strangely the Catholics I know well are all hard core Chicago Democrats)
You mean ‘pubic’?!
“the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or “rad trad”) Catholics”
That’s not true.
Its acquired a ‘make a stupid point” or “sell something” meaning for idiots trying to amplify out of context what is basically very isolated circumstances.
My mom and dad gave me my rosary, still have it, still carry it.
Never once have I thought about it being a weapon – except against vampires or against daemons in the occasional exorcism 😁
Lefties all being vampires and demons you can see their problem with “assault rosary” and “militant catholics.”
I know a couple people that have Rosaries blessed by Pope John Paul II. They are special but never seen as weapons of any kind.
when karol wojtyla visited the chickagoo lakefront in ’79 my guy with the little plywood newsstand moved a truckload of sum tines.
As someone already mentioned…it can be a garrote to strangle your adversary. Possibly use the crucifix to gouge out someone’s eyes. Wrap it around the knuckles and it’s a make-shift brass-knuckle. Sharpen one edge or point of the crucifix to stab or slash your opponent. I suppose you could also rig up some boobytraps using it as a chain or possibly have it entwined/attached to a grenade pin (body of which is obscured or buried). Could have it wired to a car battery where your target is standing in a pool of water (or near a dripping pipe). I’m sure there are some others–that’s just a minute or two of thinking about it.
Or the optional flame thrower/grenade launcher/entrenching tool/grappling hook attachment for when you have to storm the heavens.
(see what I did there?)
Very creative list!
I think I’ll stick with my Glock 17 – a purpose-built tool.
I’m on the security team of my (lutheran) church. I briefly considered dangling a rosary from my holster, but it interrupts the concealed-carry vibe. Sheepdogs don’t intentionally frighten the sheep.
“daemons” should have been “demons” … gotta watch the spell check thing closer.
A daemon is a Unix background process…
Every Sunday morning I tool up get on the security team at church “project in the flock with a Glock” but I’m not Catholic so no rosary I guess I’m OK not the extremist I thought I was…
(whispers:) are you on my security team?
“in the flock with a Glock.” I like it. The Church militant and triumphant.
Back in the day in Kankakee,ILL there was a businessman named Romy Hammes who had car dealerships & built a subdivision named Marycrest. He also plastered “Save the world. Pray the rosary as you drive”! billboards all over the midwest. Maybe he was right?!? As antique dealer’s we’ve sold rosaries. Who knew they were magical talismans???😀😎🙄
@.40 cal Booger
“then stop trying to give shoulder rides to strangers and they will not try to strangle you.”
But, I don’t know any strangers.
If a substantive minority of the Left didn’t take this sort of magical thinking hooey seriously it’d be a whole lot funnier – wish it was more along the line of “Bigfoot Stole My Wife” than the next cover story of The Atlantic or the NYT, but such are the days we live in.
The Atlantic must have a requirement for soy boys/girls only. I have to give Daniel credit for being able to twist something benign like a rosary into a “far right” weapon. His grasp of the language is somewhat impressive but his logic and conclusions are absurd.
I’d be curious to know if he has a similar take on prayer rugs…
and worry beads.
Are they level 3a or above and do they have plate pockets ?
Is a prayer rug the same as a magic carpet ride?
Blinding the enemy with smoke bomb incense the rosary and pointer armed Penguins recaptured hill 473
Whereupon they set about rapping the enemies’ knuckles with their rulers.
LOL. That got me to quit the Catholic church when I was 10. Fuckin’ nuns were brutal.
“Fuckin’ nuns were brutal.”
Rather an oxymoron there, eh?
Unless you were an altar boy, in which case you would have been more concerned about priests.
Watch out for the ones with tactical rulers
“Watch out for the ones with tactical rulers”
True tactical rulers are camouflaged, and you can’t see them coming.
I remember Sister Miyamoto Musashi from 3rd grade. She would walk around menacingly with her ruler in a scabbard ready for instant deployment. She cut a student’s head clean off one day. Really! I didn’t actually see it you understand, but everyone knew it happened. We knew. We just knew…
And while I’m on the subject, what ever gave the nuns the idea that smashing my hand with a ruler to the point where I could barely hold a pencil would result in better handwriting?
And Ralphie shot his eye out…
Next thing you know they’ll be saying white marshmallows are dangerous! Got to look out for the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!
It’s like watching Benny Hill every day
Rad-trad? I guess I’m cool with that. The left started the culture war, after all. I’m fine with traditionalists getting involved. I’m not Catholic, so I guess that leaves me out of rad-trad culture. Doesn’t mean I can’t find common cause with them.
I follow these folk, they seem to do a lot of good in the culture war – https://firstliberty.org/news/supreme-court-to-consider-postal-worker-forced-to-quit/
The Constitution of the United States guarantees freedom of religion. Nowadays, the Dems only want to extend that freedom to religions that want to overthrow the US. If you’re a Moslem, you can do anything at all, maybe even including honor killing your wife, daughter, sister, whatever. Christians? A simple “Bless you” or “Merry Christmas” can get you canceled, and maybe lynched.
It is hard to believe that in the 21st Century we still have a sub-culture that engages in prayer, ritual, incantations and dances naked by the light of the moon with their assault rifles.
What is next? Burning witches at the stake or banning the polio, small pox, measles, mumps, covid 19 vaccines etc as agents of the Devil.
The Far Right stupidity is infinite.
“It is hard to believe that in the 21st Century we still have a sub-culture that engages in prayer, ritual, incantations and dances naked by the light of the moon with their assault rifles.”
Anything that a proven pathological liar says is certain to be unbelievable.
Yes, dacian the demented, it IS difficult to believe that, here in the 21st century, we still have deluded morons who believe in Marx, Lenin, Mao, globull warmening, QAnon, and that Alger Hiss was innocent. But then, that’s what you get when you tolerate brainless morons who worship irrational ideologies.
Now, tell us again about your vaunted “education”, dacian the dunce.
It is hard to believe
WHY??
And to your kind, The State is your g0d. Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot are your prophets. It’s why every revolution follows the same path.
Southern,
And achieves the same result. Lather, rinse, repeat. As Albert Einstein allegedly said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.”
To which idiots like dacian reply, “But those weren’t REAL (communism, socialism, progressivism, collectivism, communitarianism, insert-euphemism-of-your-choice)!! WE’LL ‘do it right’!!!” And then, as I said, lather, rinse, repeat. Amazing that anyone is stupid enough to keep following that path . . . and then there is dacian.
Don’t threaten ME with a good time!
I might also add that I expected all the Catholic bashing from the Far Right Anglo-Saxon White Protestants. They have never lost their desire for a forced Protestant Caliphate and the destruction of religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
I might also add that you’re a pathological liar. Go f*** yourself.
The article was written by one of your fellow insurrectionists that belittles Catholics.
The comments by the people who you claim are far right, seem to be more supportive of Catholics than you are.
Again, you just a insurrectionist looking for validation by lies or half truths.
While I might not agree with Catholicism based on it’s distant and recent past, I would accept a Catholic over a l3ftist any day.
Dacian and his fellow Neo-Marxist Communists also worship their god (little g), the (Big Gov) State! The lefts religion is an Orwellian, Atheistic Hell that has killed hundreds of millions. Don’t let them play the false equivalency game.
Pretty sure the large majority of Catholics own at least one rosary. But go ahead, paint it as an extremist symbol, then be surprised when Hispanics stop voting blue.
Aside from this being just another screed vomited by an oh so tolerant left wing extremist…
Liberals are trying to set the premise for conducting an outright pogrom on everyone who doesn’t hew to their “Progressive” orthodoxy.
They want you in jail or dead.
Rad-Trad aka “Traditional” Catholics.
How much do you want to bet this author has diagnosed mental defects such as depression or anxiety and takes medication to deal with them?
This author is literally frightened of other human beings minding their own damned business and forming a community.
Think you pretty well nailed it there amigo.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!! The guy’s article proves his point and confirms this is a war between good and evil. The Rosary is a very effective weapon against evil. Oh, and I guess “RadTrads” are the ones that are the real threat. LOL.
I confess: I do openly carry my Rosary. Everywhere.
People will find a symbol to represent their views no matter what. This is not the first time this representation has been used. It guided kings and their inhumane ways for centuries, it pushed the crusades thru the middle east and pissed off a large part of the world in one way or the other. It mistreated and abused indigenous people and their children for centuries and in modern time abused children of all kinds. And all in the name of God. This isn’t God’s doing. This is man’s doing. This not the only symbol know for this kind of B.S.. just look around.
I had to check and make sure this was not the Bee.
Or did the author just go out, find or photoshop some pics and write this nonsense.
Or maybe all those supposed far right sexual assaults? Sexual assaults have gone up, but in blue cities where they defunded the police. Other things that have gone up, robberies, shootings, crime in general. A recent IRS report showed CA losing a net outflow of 260,000 people in 2020 alone. Rising crime was the primary reason. High taxes, cost of living followed.
NYC is seeing the same thing.
Where are these people going? TX, ID, FL are the top destinations.
Sexual assaults have gone up, but in blue cities:
Must be all those disgruntled Republicans getting even for their vote being cancelled.
WHEW THANKS ON ARTICLE … WHAT A WORLD NOW A DAYS ..
PRAY THEY BURN IN HELL ???
PRAY THEY BURN IN HELL ???
WTF? They are Catholic “Traditionalists” (Rad-Trad)… Means they adhere to the original doctrines, rites and teachings of Catholicism… WHY, should THEY burn in Hell?… Not a Catholic but you are a fucking moron.
MAXX,
While I agree with your post, you could have saved yourself some typing – delete all but the last five words.
Agree. When you’re right you’re right…
sorry, lost me a few years ago when the “ok” symbol somehow was claimed as a white nationalist sign
Ahh was the little soy boi Davey triggered by some Catholic gal laughing at his tiny little weapon?
https://journal14.com/how-daniel-panneton-used-1183-words-to-tell-us-that-hes-a-great-researcher-who-doesnt-understand-a-single-thing-about-his-subject/
Combat Swiss Guards??? FIVE HUNDRED YEARS AGO! Laughable as “FBI competence”
This is not new. The Vatican navy played a crucial role in the epic victory at Lepanto in 1571. In 1683 Polish King Sobeiski led an army, that had been called together, by the Pope to break the Ottoman seige at Vienna.
So what he’s saying is that the rosary is equivalent to the rainbow f(l)ag?
Yeah, or the BLM banner, the black uniforms of ANTIFA, the Democrat Jackass etc..
Another classic bogeyman scare tactic using isolated (at best) incidents which are foisted by the left (and their media lackeys) as common place behavior. Always remember that the neo-Marxist left do orders of magnitude more insanity. Always have, always will. The left wants you dead…in the name of power & control.
Make Istanbul Constantinople Again!
Deus Vult!
The Saints, The Boondock Saints.
Dulcet prag dulcet vera sic ectem somthing somthing, two shots to the back of the head. Pennies on the eyes.
Yeah The Boondock Saints.
Wait until he hears the Good Words of St. Javelin of Kharkov.
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