The Fivefold Scapular, also known as

Redemptorist The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scal ...

Scapular, is a

sacramental A sacramental (Latin pl. ''sacramentalia'') is a sacred sign, a ritual act or a ceremony, which, in a certain imitation of the sacraments, has a spiritual effect and is obtained through the intercession of the Church. Sacramentals surround the sa ...

made up of five best-known of the early

scapular A scapular () is a Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the monastic and devotional scapular; both forms may simply be referred to as "scapular". As an object of popular piety, a scapular ...

s in the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

: the

Brown Scapular The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (also known as the Brown Scapular) belongs to the habit of both the Carmelite Order and the Discalced Carmelite Order, both of which have Our Lady of Mount Carmel as their patroness. In its small form, it ...

of the Carmelites, the Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, the Black Scapular of the Servites, the

Red Scapular The Red Scapular of the Passion of Our Lord and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is a Roman Catholic sacramentals, sacramental scapular associated with the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians. It is often just called the Scapular of ...

of the Passion, and the White Scapular of the Most Holy Trinity. There are 17 total officially approved scapulars of the Catholic Church.

History

The Fivefold Scapular originally was a four-fold scapular (Brown, Black, Blue, and white), and is known as Redemptorist Scapular, since the Redemptorist Fathers were first granted special faculties, in perpetuity, by the Holy See to bless and invest the scapulars in 1803 and to enroll the faithful into the respective confraternities. In 1847, the Red Passionist Scapular was added to the other four to become the current form of Fivefold Scapular, and in 1886

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

gave permission to bless and enroll the five scapulars cumulatively, and later the Church extended the faculty (to bless and enroll the Fivefold Scapular) to any priest.

The Brown Scapular

The Brown Scapular (also known as the

Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (also known as the Brown Scapular) belongs to the habit of both the Carmelite Order and the Discalced Carmelite Order, both of which have Our Lady of Mount Carmel as their patroness. In its small form, it ...

, or simply as ''the Scapular'') is the most popular scapular. It was given to

Simon Stock Simon Stock, OCarm was an English Catholic priest and saint who lived in the 13th century and was an early prior of the Carmelite Order. The Blessed Virgin Mary is traditionally said to have appeared to him and given him the Brown Scapular. Po ...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is a Roman Catholic Titles of Mary, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated as patron saint, patroness of the Carmelites, Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on M ...

, who promised him that "whoever dies clothed in this scapular shall not suffer the eternal flames." Later, she appeared to

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Papacy, Avignon Pope, elected by ...

as the

Mediatrix Mediatrix is a title given to Mary, mother of Jesus in Catholicism. It refers to the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a mediator by intercession in the salvific redemption by her son Jesus Christ, the one proper Mediator by action. Mediatrix ...

of all graces, promising him that "whoever shall wear my Scapular faithfully, pray the Divine Office arious indults have applied in the past and apply today and exercise

chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...

in their state of life shall not suffer

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

, and if they should go to

Purgatory In Christianity, Purgatory (, borrowed into English language, English via Anglo-Norman language, Anglo-Norman and Old French) is a passing Intermediate state (Christianity), intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul ...

, I shall bring them to

Heaven Heaven, or the Heavens, is a common Religious cosmology, religious cosmological or supernatural place where beings such as deity, deities, angels, souls, saints, or Veneration of the dead, venerated ancestors are said to originate, be throne, ...

on the

First Saturday The First Saturdays Devotion, also called the Communion of Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is a Catholic devotion which, according to Lúcia dos Santos, was requested by the Virgin Mary during the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima in ...

after their death" (

Sabbatine Privilege In Roman Catholicism, the Sabbatine Privilege refers to a belief in the early liberation of souls from Purgatory, on the first Saturday after death, through the special intercession and petition of the Virgin Mary. The Privilege is based on an a ...

). The Brown Scapular has been praised by numerous popes. Venerable

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII (; born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli; 2 March 18769 October 1958) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death on 9 October 1958. He is the most recent p ...

said that the Brown Scapular is "a sign of

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

to the

Immaculate Heart of Mary The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Catholic devotion which refers to the view of the interior life of Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for ...

" and that "the scapular is not superstitious... One is not saved from Hell merely by wearing it. No, for it is a sign that they must live their lives in total obedience to

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

and trust in him, through and with the Immaculate Heart of Mary." In 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared in

Fátima, Portugal Fátima () is a city in the concelho, municipality of Ourém and Santarém District, district of Santarém in the Oeste e Vale do Tejo Region of Portugal, with 71.29 km2 of area and 13,212 inhabitants (2021). The homonymous Freguesia, civil ...

, as

Our Lady of the Rosary Our Lady of the Rosary (), also known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, is a Titles of Mary, Marian title. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly known as Feast of Our Lady of Victory and Feast of the Holy Rosary is celebrated on 7 October ...

, holding not only the

Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may refer to: *Rosary The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct fro ...

but also the Brown Scapular. Moreover, in her final apparition, during the

Miracle of the Sun The Miracle of the Sun (), also known as the Miracle of Fátima, is a series of events reported to have occurred miraculously on 13 October 1917, attended by a large crowd who had gathered in Fátima, Portugal, in response to a prophecy made by ...

, one of the three seers, after known as

Sister Lúcia Lúcia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos, OCD, (28 March 1907 – 13 February 2005) also known as ''Lúcia of Fátima'' and by her religious name ''Maria Lúcia of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart'', was a Discalced Carmelite nun from Portugal. ...

, saw Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Furthermore, it was to

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic, (; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilians, Castilian Catholic priest and the founder of the Dominican Order. He is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists, and he a ...

that the Virgin Mary appeared with the Rosary and the Brown Scapular, her arms outstretched (a gesture of prayer), saying, "One day by the Rosary and the Scapular I will save the world". Finally, the members of the

Blue Army of Our Lady of Fátima The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fátima, now mostly known as the World Apostolate of Fátima, is a public international association that has as its general purpose "the promotion of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church and the strict adhe ...

wear the Brown Scapular as a sign of personal consecration to

Our Lady of Fátima Our Lady of Fátima (, ; formally known as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fátima) is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portu ...

The Blue Scapular

The Blue Scapular (also known as the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception) is due to Venerable Ursula Benincasa, founder of the Order of Theatine Nuns, when a group of wealthy young women who had given up their wealth in order to live for

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

had wanted to honor the Immaculate Conception of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. The Virgin Mary had promised Benincasa that whoever wore her Scapular would be under her special protection and receive special

graces In Greek mythology, the Charites (; ), singular Charis (), also called the Graces, are goddesses who personify beauty and grace. According to Hesiod, the Charites were Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who were the daughters of Zeus and Euryn ...

through her maternal intercession. The Blue Scapular was highly praised by

Pope Clement X Pope Clement X (; ; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death on 22 July 1676. Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, born in Rome in ...

The Black Scapular

The Black Scapular (also known as the Scapular of the Seven Sorrows of Mary) was revealed to

Pope Alexander IV Pope Alexander IV (1199 or 1185 – 25 May 1261) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 December 1254 to his death. Early career He was born as Rinaldo di Jenne in Jenne, Italy, Jenne (now in the Province of Rome ...

shortly after he had

sanctified Sanctified may refer to: *Sanctification, the process of making holy Music Albums * ''Sanctified'' (album), by Morgana Lefay, 1995 *''Sanctified'', by the Rance Allen Group, 1975 Songs * "Sanctified" (song), by Rick Ross featuring Big Sean and ...

the

Servite Order The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary (; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothers), contemplative nu ...

in 1255.

Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...

had promised that whoever meditated upon her seven dolors would receive her special protection at the hour of death.

The Red Scapular

The Red Scapular (also known as the Scapular of the Passion of Our Lord and the Sacred Hearts and Jesus and Mary) was revealed to Sister Apolline Andriveau, a Daughter of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, in 1846. The Lord promised that whoever wore his Scapular would be granted a great increase of

faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...

hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

, and

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

every Friday (the office day of the Passion). The apparition was repeated several times, and in the following year Pope

Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

sanctified the sacramental on June 25, 1857.

The White Scapular

The White Scapular (also known as the Scapular of the Most Holy Trinity) is the usual habit of the Secular Third Order of the Most Holy Trinity and is worn also by members of the Confraternity of the same Order (the Trinitarians). Saint John de Matha during his first Mass (around 1193) had a vision of Christ between two captives (http://www.trinitari.org). The Christian captive had a staff with a red and blue cross on the top in the Greek form (+). From this vision he founded the Order of the Holy Trinity and Captives (the Trinitarian Order) whose charism was to liberate Christians taken into captivity by the Moors and to glorify the Holy Trinity. (Today it is still seeking the glory of the Holy Trinity and the liberation of captives).

References

{{reflist *''The Trinitarian Order'' by Fr. Andrew Witko 2007 Rome/Cracow *1925 ''Constitutions of the Third Order of the Most Holy Trinity'' *''The White-Red-Blue Scapular Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity'' Published by the Order in 1947 Scapulars Catholic devotions