Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Catholic Living in the Modern World => Topic started by: AnthonyPadua on June 24, 2025, 02:56:57 AM
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Has anyone heard of a scapula medal for the brown scapula? I heard this can be worn instead of the brown scapula but I'm not sure how true this is. Is anyone familiar with this?
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Yes, I've heard of it.
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I've heard of it but I also heard it does not carry the same indulgences as the Brown Cloth Scapular and is not meant to be worn instead of it. Others can chime in with specifics as I could be missing important information.
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AFAIK it can only replace the brown wool scapular in cases of necessity. I read the original permission was given for use in the tropics for the natives, because they wore little clothing and the scapulars would deteriorate quickly. This permission was also used by soldiers during war. Im not sure if anyone nowadays would have an adequate excuse to replace the wool scapular with the medal, it's probably mostly done out of "convenience". The wool scapulars can be covered in another material or a case if someone is sensitive to wool, and the cord can be replaced with a chain
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The Scapular Medal
Holy Office of Rome
In 1910, Pope St. Pius X introduced a scapular medal which may be substituted in most cases for any of the various scapulars. Valid enrollment in the scapulars must, however, be made before the substitution.
The decree, in translation, reads thus:
"For the future all the faithful already inscribed or who shall be inscribed in one or other of the real Scapulars approved by the Holy See (excepting those which are proper to the Third Orders) by what is known as regular enrollment may, instead of the cloth scapulars, one or several, wear on their persons, either round the neck or otherwise, provided it be in a becoming manner, a single medal of metal, through which, by the observance of laws laid down for each scapular, they shall be enabled to share in and gain all the spiritual favors (not excepting what is known as the Sabbatine Privilege of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel), and all the privileges attached to each.
"The right side of this medal must show the image of Our Most Holy Redeemer, Jesus Christ, showing His Sacred Heart, and the obverse that of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. It must be blessed with a separate blessing for each of the scapulars in which the person has been enrolled and for which the wearer wishes it to suffice. Finally, these separate blessings may be given by a single sign of the cross (<unico crucis signo>), whether in the act of enrollment or later at the convenience of those enrolled, it matters not how long after the enrollment or in what order they may have taken place; the blessing may be given by a priest other than the one who made the enrollment, as long as he possesses the faculty, ordinary, or delegated, of blessing the different scapulars-the limitations, clauses, and conditions attached to the faculty he uses still holding their force. All things to the contrary, even those calling for special mention, notwithstanding" (Holy Office, Rome, December 16, 1910).
The Medal has the image of the Sacred Heart and on the reverse the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.