In an Aug. 15 article for the leftist publication The Atlantic, Daniel Panneton called the Catholic rosary a “symbol” of religious radicalism.
In his piece titled “How the Rosary Became an Extremist Symbol”, Panneton slams Catholic media groups or figures who “actively” campaign “against LGBTQ acceptance in the Church,” and other issues important to American leftists.
Panneton also targeted traditional Catholics on social media who he accused of disseminating “extremist homophobic and transphobic 'groomer' discourse.”
Panneton also mocked “rosary-branded events,” writing: “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.”
Online shops have reported a surge in the sale of rosaries following social media response and other reaction to the article.
Shannon Doty, CEO of Rugged Rosaries, told the Catholic News Agency that she saw “a pretty good boost in sales” on both of her websites, RuggedRosaries.com and MonkRosaries.com amid reaction to the article.
Rugged Rosaries sells durable rosaries, inspired by rosaries that used to be used in the military during World War I.
Doty began making rosaries out of paracord for her son’s friends in the military more than ten years ago. She began selling a "Soldier's Combat Rosary" and it gradually turned into a business, the Catholic News Agency noted.
Jonathan Conrad, founder of the Catholic Woodworker, told the Catholic News Agency that his company had the best sales day of the month the day after Panneton's article was published.
The mission of Catholic Woodworker, Conrad said, “is to equip families for battle in the modern world, with a scriptural emphasis that we are not contending with flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers of this present darkness.”
The World Apostolate of Fatima USA in Asbury, New Jersey, has also reported a boost in sales of the rosary since The Atlantic article was published.
David Carollo, executive director of the apostolate told Catholic News Agency that there was a surge in sales of the rosary and other religious items. He said there had been lots of “buzz” since the “downright insulting” article ran and added that he plans to respond to it with his own article. The apostolate's social media also gained an increase in followers, he said.
“We don't pray against people, we pray for people,” Carollo added. “That's what the rosary is all about.”
I always pray that when we send out a big order like this, each recipient will actually use and pray the rosary. #rosary #paracordrosaries #prayer pic.twitter.com/u6DPMVu5Nl
— Rugged Rosaries® (@ruggedrosaries) May 9, 2022
A new crucifix calls for a new design. What do you think?! pic.twitter.com/dnaYetGHbp
— The Catholic Woodworker (@cathwoodworker) September 6, 2019
In case you missed it! https://t.co/6gmtlIlFxM pic.twitter.com/5bgXNqcQ3Q
— World Apostolate of Fatima, USA/Blue Army Shrine (@FatimaBlueArmy) April 17, 2021
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