Among the most widespread sacramentals in Catholic history is the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. For centuries, saints, Popes, clergy, and laity alike have worn it as a sign of consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary and confidence in Her maternal protection.

The Modernist Attack Upon Our Lady

Prior to the liturgical revolution (1969), it was common for all First Communicants to be invested with the Brown Scapular. At the conclusion of the First Communion Mass, the children would kneel at the altar rail and the priest, following the liturgical rite, would place a scapular over each child’s shoulders and say a one-sentence prayer. Thus, it was that every practicing Catholic was effectively enrolled in Our Lady’s confraternity, and the Brown Scapular became a clear “identifying badge” of Catholicism to the public at large.

Yet the heresy of Modernism leaves no aspect of the Faith untainted. In particular, modernists have attacked every aspect of Marian piety and devotion. Modernists have also done their utmost to minimize authentic Catholic belief and emphasis on the Four Last Things. Thus, it is no surprise that they have made great efforts to undermine the Brown Scapular, which remains one of the Church’s most powerful sacramentals. In fact, in the early 1200s, Our Lady even prophesied to St. Dominic: “One day I will save the world through the Rosary and the Brown Scapular.”

Sadly, in modern times, confusion surrounds both the Scapular itself and the so-called Sabbatine Privilege. Some dismiss these traditions as superstition, while others speak of them in overly simplistic ways detached from their proper theological context.

To understand this devotion correctly, Catholics must return to its historical origins, papal endorsements, and the spiritual obligations tied to wearing the Scapular.

The Origins of the Brown Scapular

The Brown Scapular originates from the Carmelite Order, which traces its spiritual roots to hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. These hermits had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and eventually became known as the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

According to longstanding Carmelite tradition, on July 16, 1251, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, an English Carmelite superior. She presented him with the Scapular and said: “Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order; this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.”

This promise has been understood by the Church not as a guarantee of salvation irrespective of one’s moral life, but as a sign of Mary’s special protection for those who faithfully wear the Scapular, striving to live in God’s grace.

What the Scapular Is

The Brown Scapular is a sacramental – an object blessed by the Church that disposes the faithful to receive actual grace and inspires holiness. It is not a magical object. Merely wearing the Scapular while deliberately living in mortal sin does not ‘guarantee’ salvation. Rather, the Scapular represents:

• Consecration to Our Lady
• Confidence in Her protection
• A commitment to live chastely according to one’s state in life
• Fidelity to prayer and the Catholic Faith

Pope Pius XII emphasized this clearly: “Let it be to them a sign of consecration to the most Sacred Heart of the Immaculate Virgin.”

The Scapular should be worn with devotion, not superstition.

We encourage those interested in learning more to read Fr. Michael Rodríguez’s article, “Theology of the Brown Scapular,” in Our Lady’s Garment: The Brown Scapular (see online shop).

https://shop.thefatimacenter.com/collections/everything/products/our-ladys-garment-the-brown-scapular

The Sabbatine Privilege

The most debated aspect of Scapular devotion is the Sabbatine Privilege, which refers to the belief that Our Lady will assist certain Scapular wearers by delivering them from Purgatory on the first Saturday after death.

This tradition is connected to a document known as the Sabbatine Bull, authored by Pope John XXII in the fourteenth century. According to this tradition, Our Lady promised special assistance to those who:

• Faithfully wore the Brown Scapular;
• Observed chastity according to their state in life; and
• Prayed the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or another approved substitute).

Historical debates exist regarding the authenticity of the original bull. (One should note that these debates largely arose in modernity and were made by the same men who discredited the historicity of the Gospels and the miracles recorded in Scripture.) Even so, various Popes have supported it, and the Church has repeatedly permitted belief in the substance of the privilege.

In 1613, the Holy Office allowed Carmelites to preach that the faithful may piously believe that Our Lady assists Scapular wearers after death, particularly through Her prayers and merits.

The Church did not define the exact timing or mechanism of this assistance, but she permitted confidence in Mary’s special intercession.

What the Church Actually Approves

The Church approves enrollment in the Brown Scapular and strongly encourages Marian devotion. Catholics may legitimately believe that Our Lady offers special assistance to those devoted to Her through this sacramental.

However, the Church rejects exaggerated claims that treat the Scapular as an automatic escape from hell or Purgatory regardless of how one lives. Like all sacramentals, the Scapular requires proper disposition. St. Alphonsus Liguori summarized this beautifully when he wrote that Marian devotions benefit those who sincerely strive to avoid sin and remain faithful to God.

The Scapular and Final Perseverance

One of the greatest benefits associated with the Brown Scapular is confidence in obtaining the grace of final perseverance. This aligns with the Church’s longstanding teaching that devotion to Our Lady helps souls remain faithful at the hour of death. It is no coincidence that Catholics pray daily: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”

The Scapular serves as a constant reminder to live in the state of grace and remain close to Our Lady.

Why This Devotion Matters Today

In a world marked by impurity, indifference, and spiritual confusion, the Brown Scapular remains deeply relevant. It reminds Catholics that:

• They belong to Mary;
• Purity matters;
• Purgatory is real;
• Death can come unexpectedly; and
• Final perseverance must be prayed for.

The Brown Scapular is a quiet but powerful witness of Marian devotion.

Conclusion

The Brown Scapular and the Sabbatine Privilege should be understood with both faith and balance. They are not superstitions, nor are they guarantees detached from repentance and holiness. Rather, they are profound reminders of Our Lady’s maternal care for Her children.

Those who faithfully wear the Scapular, strive to remain in grace, and cultivate genuine devotion to Mary may confidently entrust themselves to Her protection – both in life and at the hour of death. And that confidence has comforted Catholic souls for centuries.

The post The Brown Scapular and the Sabbatine Privilege Explained first appeared on The Fatima Center.

How was the Third Secret of Fatima actually written? Why did Sister Lucia struggle for months to put it on paper? And why do historical documents indicate that the Third Secret was written as two distinct texts, not one?

In this episode, David Rodríguez examines unpublished research based on Fr. Nicholas Gruner’s notes, the writings of Sister Lucia, and the testimony of those closest to the events. Discover the extraordinary spiritual battle surrounding the writing of the Third Secret, the intervention of Our Lady, and the evidence pointing to two separately written and sealed documents.

If you want to better understand the historical record surrounding the Third Secret of Fatima, this presentation provides a detailed look at the events of January 1944 and their lasting significance.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Opening Prayer
00:59 – Fr. Gruner’s unpublished manuscript and historical background
01:24 – Why Bishop da Silva ordered Sister Lucia to write the Third Secret
02:09 – Three months of mysterious inability to write
03:49 – Sister Lucia’s letters describing her struggle
05:30 – Satan’s opposition to the Third Secret
07:00 – Our Lady intervenes
07:29 – First apparition: January 2, 1944
08:26 – Second apparition: January 3, 1944
10:23 – Our Lady’s instructions: write the vision, not its meaning
11:01 – The vision and supernatural strength to write
12:30 – Why only the vision was written on January 3
13:20 – The second text and the spoken explanation
14:48 – Evidence for two sealed envelopes
15:16 – Why Sister Lucia waited until January 9
17:27 – One secret, two separate texts
18:08 – Delivering the sealed envelopes to the bishop
19:21 – “Not that which has been given to you to understand its meaning”
20:15 – Translation controversies and the hidden words of Our Lady
21:19 – Final thoughts and recommended reading
21:39 – Support The Fatima Center

The Fatima Center is dedicated to promoting the authentic Message of Fatima through faithful Catholic teaching, historical research, and devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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The Fatima Center’s mission is to ensure that the entire Message of Fatima is fully and widely known, accurately understood, and properly acted upon so that Our Lady’s purpose in coming to Fatima – the salvation of souls and the prevention of catastrophic chastisements – may be realized.

Directed since 1978 by Fr. Nicholas Gruner († 2015), The Fatima Center remains faithful to this mission today.

The post satan’s Attack On Sister Lucia – A Story Few Catholics Know first appeared on The Fatima Center.

“Whosoever dies clothed in this [Scapular] shall never suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, a pledge of peace and of My special protection until the end of the ages.”

– Our Lady of Mount Carmel to St. Simon Stock, 1251

On July 16, 1251, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to St. Simon Stock, the Superior General of the Carmelite Order, and gave him the Brown Scapular. Assuring him of Her special protection over the Order, She directed him to institute a confraternity of the faithful dedicated to Her service and wearing Her designated habit, whose members would likewise experience Her unfailing solicitude for their salvation.

(For a brief history of the Brown Scapular see the section beneath this article.)

A Sign of Salvation and Protection^[1]

Wearing the Brown Scapular is a sign of predestination, just as daily recitation of the Holy Rosary is a sign of predestination. The Scapular represents Our Lady’s protection and Her care for us. She promised to St. Simon Stock: “It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” 

The Scapular worn by the laity is two pieces of brown wool joined by ribbon, string, cord or chain. It is Our Lady’s garment, and by putting on the Scapular we place ourselves under Her mantle. The Scapular also represents the filial love, obedience and honor we have for our Blessed Mother and how we completely entrust ourselves to Her like ‘little children’ (cf. Mark 10:14-15).

Two great founders of Religious Orders, St. Alphonsus Liguori (Redemptorists) and St. John Bosco (Salesians), were devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and both wore Her Brown Scapular. When they died, each was buried in his priestly vestments and Scapular. Many years later, their graves were opened, the bodies and sacred vestments in which they were buried were dust, but the Brown Scapular which each was wearing was perfectly intact.

For more information about the Brown Scapular, see The Brown Scapular: A Sign of Salvation and Protection, “Miracles of the Brown Scapular” (pp. 8-20), “Necessity of Wearing the Scapular” (pp. 20-21), and “Scapular Facts” (pp. 27-28).

We now consider this feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in light of Our Lady’s last apparition at Fatima. We invite you to add other considerations in our comment section below.

October 13, 1917 and Our Lady of Mount Carmel

In Her prior apparition of September 13, Our Lady announced to the three children the coming of Our Lady of Mount Carmel the following month.

“In October, Our Lord will come as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus in order to bless the world.”

On October 13, 1917, while the crowd was witnessing the Miracle of the Sun, the three children were graced to see three successive visions in the sky, the last of which was Our Lady of Mount Carmel holding out the Brown Scapular.^[2] The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary are represented in this vision.

Out of all Her possible titles and honors Our Lady chose to appear as Our Lady of Mount Carmel during the Great Miracle of the Sun. Surely this is connected to how this Miracle foreshadows the great chastisements which will befall our disobedient world that has turned its back on God. On that fateful day, the pilgrims at Fatima were horrified, believing the world was coming to an end as the sun hurtled towards the earth. Yet, this was prevented by Our Lady.

The Brown Scapular has long been associated with Our Lady saving souls from falling into eternal hellfire and lifting souls out of the agonizing flames of Purgatory. Surely there was thus no better title under which She could therefore appear at Fatima. God has vowed that He wishes to save the world, but will only do so through worldwide devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He has extended many means of salvation to mankind, but we have rejected them. Now He offers us the last and most powerful remedy, His own Mother. How true it is that at this point in history, only She can help us.

God has therefore given Her two most powerful sacramentals far greater efficacy than ever before in this “Fatima Time”. Yes, the times are very evil, but God responds by making an ever-greater superabundance of grace available to mankind. Terrible trials may befall us, but then a correspondingly greater torrent of grace, merit and honor unto all eternity likewise await the faithful soul!

Let us therefore take up our Rosary, a potent spiritual sword, and do battle with the powers and principalities that prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. As Sister Lucia testified, there is no problem in the world, no matter how great, that faithful recitation of the holy Rosary can’t solve. And let us clothe ourselves in Her Scapular, an unconquerable spiritual shield, by which we resist the fiery darts and wiles of that Ancient Dragon who seeks our eternal perdition. Our Lady has guaranteed that if we are faithful to wearing the Scapular we will be saved. And by the order of grace, She is all-powerful with God! 

Our Lady of Fatima and the Brown Scapular

At the end of the 1940’s, while conversing with three Carmelite priests, Sister Lucia recalled that Our Lady wished that devotion of the Brown Scapular be propagated. Holding the Scapular in Her hands during Her last public apparition was to urge us to wear it, quite like in the preceding apparitions in which the presence of Her Rosary clearly manifested the wishes of Her Heart.

On October 15, 1950, Sister Lucia also explained this to Father Howard Rafferty when he questioned her in the name of the Father General of the Carmelites: “Our Lady held the Scapular in Her hands because She wants us all to wear it.”

As our founder, Father Nicholas Gruner, stated:

“Now, this mantle of the Carmelites symbolizes Our Lady’s spiritual maternity. Because the mantle is worn over the shoulder, therefore the mantle of Our Lady covers all Her children in Her spiritual womb. So, we entrust ourselves to Her Immaculate Heart, as Pope Pius XII tells us to do. The Scapular of Mount Carmel is the sign of our personal consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady promises us that it will protect us from danger, that it will be a sign of peace and a pledge of salvation, that whoever dies wearing this Scapular will not suffer eternal fire.”^[3]

Conclusion

Today, more than 700 years after giving us the Brown Scapular, Our Lady’s promised protection is more urgently needed than ever. 

Let us remain steadfast in this beautiful devotion, showing ourselves to be ever beneath Our Lady’s mantle, particularly in these dark days which precede the promised Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart. May Our Lady hasten the day in which Her prophecy and promise to St. Dominic are fulfilled: “One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, I will save the world!”

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!

Brief History of the Brown Scapular^[4]

The Scapular devotion dates from the time of the prophet Elias (Third Book of Kings). The people were then adoring Baal (the devil). To bring the people back to God, Elias prayed for a drought, which the people would understand as a sign of Divine displeasure. 

After it did not rain for three and a half years, Elias went up to Mount Carmel (in Palestine) and asked God to send rain. After praying for a time, he sent his companion to see if rain was coming. His companion went down the mountain side, looked to the sea, then returned to Elias and reported that he saw no rain. So Elias prayed again, then sent his companion down to the sea, and again, there was no rain. He prayed six times. Each time, there was no rain. 

Then Elias prayed a seventh time. This time when the man went down the mountain, he saw a little cloud coming out of the sea in the shape of a foot. And this cloud grew until it covered the whole land. And from that one cloud, there came the rain. 

Now Elias understood this cloud represented God’s Mother-to-come, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The cloud was in the shape of a foot, and he knew the prophecy of Genesis, that the Woman would crush the serpent’s head with Her foot.

Saint Bonaventure tells us that every page of the Old Testament talks about the Blessed Virgin in one way or another. Holy people have told us that there are two other reasons why this cloud represented the Blessed Virgin:

1. Because the sea was a salt-water sea, but the cloud was fresh water. The cloud represented Our Lady’s Immaculate Conception. Our Lady arose out of sinful humanity, but She alone was conceived without sin.
2. The cloud also represented the Blessed Virgin as Mediatrix of All Graces. The rainwater represents grace. The rainwater that fell on all the parched land came from one cloud. It came through the Mediatrix of All Graces. 

Elias, being a prophet, decided to commemorate this event and he founded a community of hermits on Mount Carmel to prepare for the coming of the Savior and His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

It was to the successor of these hermits of Mount Carmel that Our Lady appeared centuries later. The community had just been transferred in 1241 from Mount Carmel in Palestine to Aylesford, England. Saint Simon Stock was made Superior General of the Order for men in 1245. 

Weighed down by all the external persecutions and internal dissensions at that time, the 90-year-old Saint Simon Stock had retired to his cell alone. On July 16, 1251 he poured out his heart to the Blessed Virgin Mary – the Flower of Mount Carmel – asking Her to help him and all the Carmelites. 

Then, accompanied by a multitude of angels, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him, holding in Her hands the Scapular of the Order, and said: 

“This shall be to you and to all Carmelites a privilege that anyone who dies clothed in this [Scapular] shall not suffer eternal fire.”^[5]

The full Carmelite Scapular is made of brown wool, is about 14 inches wide and is worn down to the knees in the front and the back. 

Saint Simon established the Confraternity of Mount Carmel shortly after this apparition^[6] and thus the promise of eternal salvation was extended to Carmelite Confraternity members who died wearing the Carmelite Scapular. Pope Urban IV, in 1262, extended special blessings to these Confraternity members.

Already by 1276 AD the abbreviated form of the Scapular … existed as can be seen by the still-preserved small Scapular of Pope Gregory X, who died that year and was buried with his Scapular on. Five hundred and fifty-four years later, it was found intact in 1830 in his tomb and is still preserved in the Arezzo (Italy) museum today. There are historical records of Carmelite Confraternity meetings of lay people in Florence, Italy in 1280 AD.

[1] This section is based on The Brown Scapular: A Sign of Salvation and Protection, pp. 6-8.

[2] Whereas all three children witnessed the first vision, apparently Lucia alone witnessed the last two. Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, The Whole Truth About Fatima, Vol. I: Science and the Facts, (Buffalo, Immaculate Heart Publications, 1989), p. 306.

[3] Father Nicholas Gruner, The “Divine Impatience”, Speeches from the First Fatima Peace Conference (Buffalo: Immaculate Heart Publications, 2000), Part III, Chapter 1, “The ‘Divine Impatience’,” p. 137.

[4] This section taken from The Brown Scapular: A Sign of Salvation and Protection, pp. 4-6.

[5] The full text of Our Lady’s statement is: “Receive, My beloved son, this habit of your order: this shall be to you and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, a pledge of peace and of My special protection until the end of the ages” (“The Brown Scapular Is an Essential Part of the Fatima Message”).

[6] “The Brown Scapular … then became part of the Carmelite habit, and beyond being devoutly worn by its friars, nuns and tertiaries, was also extended to the faithful in general, who upon being invested or enrolled in the Scapular, became members of its Confraternity associated with the Order. The use of the powerful sacramental, and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in general, spread with the growth of the Carmelites throughout the world. …

“But the great promise of salvation is not the only benefit, or important part of wearing the Scapular. Wearing the Scapular is both an assurance and sign of Our Lady’s maternal protection and love for us, as well as a sign of our love for Her. By devoutly and habitually wearing the Scapular, close to our heart, we assure the Mother of God of our constant love, our veneration, our trust and hope in Her at every moment.

“As the Scapular is the main part of the Carmelite habit, it is a reminder to us of our need to pray and do penance, in a spirit of reparation and union with God, as the religious of Carmel do. (see “The Brown Scapular Is an Essential Part of the Fatima Message”).

The post Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima first appeared on The Fatima Center.

The Message of Fatima is the ONLY solution to the grave crises facing the Church and the world today. LEARN MORE about Our Lady’s Message: » www.fatima.org

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The Fatima Center’s mission is to ensure that the entire Message of Fatima is fully and widely known, accurately understood, and properly acted upon so that Our Lady’s purpose in coming to Fatima – the salvation of souls and the prevention of catastrophic chastisements – may be realized.

Directed since 1978 by Fr. Nicholas Gruner († 2015), The Fatima Center remains faithful to this mission today.

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The post The Apostasy Comes From The Vatican first appeared on The Fatima Center.

The Fatima Center wishes you a grace-filled eve of the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel!

Editor’s Note: In 2024, The Fatima Center reprinted an updated edition of our extremely popular booklet, Our Lady’s Garment: The Brown Scapular. If you would like a copy of this revised edition or a Brown Scapular, please contact us. What follows below is a small excerpt taken from the updated booklet.

On October 13, 1917, during the great Miracle of the Sun, Lucia dos Santos was granted visions of the Child Jesus, Our Lady, and Saint Joseph. In the final vision, Our Lady appeared vested as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She held out the Brown Scapular, offering Her Scapular to the world. 

The Brown Scapular is not a ‘magical charm,’ nor is it in and of itself an automatic guarantee of salvation. Rather, the Scapular is a powerful sign that one belongs to the Blessed Virgin Mary. By wearing the Scapular, we place ourselves under Her mantle. She offers Her mantle to us, but we have to place ourselves under it! And, ultimately, that mantle is union with Christ! She draws us to Christ and brings Christ to us! 

Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 

On October 15, 1950, Sister Lucia attested to Fr. Howard Rafferty, a specially deputed representative of the Father General of the Carmelite Order, “Our Lady held the Scapular in Her hands because She wants us all to wear it.” On another occasion, Sister Lucia also said: “Our Lady wants everyone to wear the Brown Scapular. It is the sign of consecration to Her Immaculate Heart.” Pope Pius XII also referred to the Scapular as “the sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Thus, wearing the Brown Scapular is a most excellent way of living and daily renewing your consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is a sign that one has decided to follow Jesus after the example of the Virgin Mary, for She always takes us to Her Son! 

And one draws near to Our Lady through the use of Her Brown Scapular — it is as if we are protected by Her own ‘Garment of Grace’! 

Our Lord and His Mother 

There exists an extremely close and unbreakable bond between Jesus Christ and His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Saint Peter Julian Eymard (†1868) teaches: “We must never separate Jesus from Mary: we can go to Him only through Her… Without Mary, we shall never find Jesus.” 

Now this unfathomable bond was decreed by God from all eternity. No one can call this bond into question, for it is willed by God Himself. God, Who is all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful, has forged this bond since the beginning. 

It is God Who, before time began, decreed the Mystery of the Incarnation; and essential to this Mystery is Mary, the Mother of the Incarnate Word. There is no Incarnation without the most holy Mother of God, and there is no such thing as the salvation of souls — the salvation of any soul — without the cooperation of the same most holy Mother of God. 

True Devotion to Mary 

The faithful wearing of the Brown Scapular is a sign of one’s complete surrender to the most holy Mother of God. The Blessed Virgin Mary, in turn, will guide you to what is most pleasing to Her Divine Son. She will lead you to appreciate the promises of your Baptism: to reject sin and all that leads to sin, to choose God, to live for God, to believe in God, hope in God, and love God, and to believe the truths of the Catholic Faith. 

It is not so much that a piece of brown cloth worn about the neck can save a man from hell; rather, the power of the Brown Scapular is in the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and there are no limits to this power. The Brown Scapular is the honored uniform or badge of those devoted to the Blessed Virgin. She has promised to save from hell by Her intercession anyone who dies wearing this Scapular. And the Queen of Heaven and Earth is able to keep Her promise. 

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel agrees to be our Mother and we agree to live as Her children! That’s why we dress ourselves as She is dressed!

A Heavenly Garment 

In the very act of taking us under Her mantle as a pledge of our salvation, we see Mary giving Herself, opening Her arms out for us. 

Authoritative writers and saints speak of the Brown Scapular as “Mary’s garment.” They mean that this ordinary piece of cloth, when assumed by us as the vehicle of Her Promise, can be said to be Her garb, because it has come to us from Her sacred hands and is hallowed by its intimate association with Her. The Scapular, in a profound sense, is a relic of the Queen of Heaven, and it has been hallowed by seven centuries of continuous wonders in every part of the world. 

Our Lady has wrought miracles through the Scapular similar to those worked by Our Lord in His public life — e.g., restoring sight to the blind, curing cripples and paralytics, and even bringing the dead back to life. She has also used it to extinguish conflagrations, prevent shipwrecks, deflect bullets, and effect deathbed conversions. 

When Elias was taken up from the earth, he let fall his mantle at the feet of Eliseus. Overflowing with gratitude, Eliseus hastened to pick it up; it was a relic of his master, the founder of Mary’s Carmel. And this action seems to have been prophetical of Mary, the true Foundress of Carmel, Who was to come later, when Her family needed Her, and let fall Her mantle of salvation. 

With Elias’ cloak, Eliseus struck the waters of the Jordan, which again divided to make way for him. Mary’s mantle, the Scapular, has been raised against every kind of destruction: from fire and storm to the attacks of animals, from physical attacks to spiritual attacks and temptation — all have melted away before Our Lady’s Scapular. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary gave us the Brown Scapular primarily for our spiritual preservation and salvation. Surely, then, the very reason for which She works such numerous miracles with Her Scapular against our visible enemies, is Her desire to remind us that it is truly a safeguard against our invisible enemies. 

A Simple Conclusion of Catholic Faith 

Dear Faithful, the Church’s teaching on the Brown Scapular can succinctly be summarized as follows. God chooses to manifest His infinite power and love through the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Brown Scapular in turn manifests the Virgin Mary’s power and love. Mary’s power is omnipotent by grace and Her love is fathomless. It is because of Her love that She made the Scapular Promise, and it is by Her power that She keeps it. 

—
Note: Fr. Michael Rodríguez explained this teaching in “Fatima and the Brown Scapular,” a conference given in Cleveland on May 14, 2017. View the video here.

The post A Theological Reflection on the Brown Scapular first appeared on The Fatima Center.

“Atheism in legislation, indifference in matters of religion, and the pernicious maxims which go under the name of Liberal Catholicism are the true causes of the destruction of states; they have been the ruin of France. Believe me, the evil I denounce is more terrible than the Revolution, more terrible even than The Commune. I have always condemned Liberal Catholicism, and I will condemn it again forty times over if it be necessary” (Pope Pius IX).

What Is Bastille Day?

Celebrated each year on July 14^th, Bastille Day recalls the storming of the Bastille, a medieval fortress and political prison in the center of Paris, that represented the royal authority. While the prison, at the time of its storming on July 14, 1789, had only seven prisoners, its fall is frequently reckoned as the start of the French Revolution. Today it remains a national holiday in France, commemorated with parades, celebrations and fireworks.

The French Revolution was aimed at the destruction of “Altar and Throne.” This was their battle cry. They sought to destroy the Church and bring anarchy to the State. The philosophers of the enlightened led the French Revolution and the essential collapse of Catholicism in what was once regarded the most Catholic nation in the world. Since that time, we have seen mankind exalted, human reason deified, and the faith and piety of many vanish.

In the United States, more than 20 cities conduct annual celebrations of Bastille Day, which feature French food, music, and games. And similar festivities occur in other countries. But a Catholic should not celebrate any of these as the storming of the Bastille and the subsequent French Revolution were anti-Catholic, atheistic attacks on the Faith.

French Revolutionaries Established the Worship of Paganism in Place of Christianity. Sundays Were Abolished. Feast Days Were Outlawed.

While few textbooks mention it, the Paris Commune – in a ceremony in the Cathedral of Notre Dame on November 10, 1793 – instituted a new religion for France intended for the worship of Reason and Liberty. Called the “cult of the goddess of reason,” this man-made and blasphemous attack on the First Commandment took place in Notre Dame. Statues were erected in honor of their false worship and hymns were sung: “Come, Holy Liberty, dwell in this temple; become the Goddess of the French people.” Such a mockery of the True God is beyond expression and is still worthy of acts of reparation!

A new calendar was introduced, Catholic feast days were banned, and man-made secular holidays were forced to take their place. Catholics were also forced to work on Sundays – in fact, the new calendar abolished Sunday altogether and replaced the week with 10 days! Christmas Day was replaced by Isaac Newton’s birthday. And the list of atrocities is longer than can be repeated here.

One year later, the “cult of the Supreme Being,” the deistic anti-Catholic religion, took its place. It would last until 1802 when Napoleon Bonaparte would outlaw both.

French Revolutionaries Murdered Thousands of Catholics

Far beyond the murder of King Louis XVI and his wife, the French revolutionaries’ Reign of Terror saw the murder of thousands of Catholics. Estimates place the number of victims of the Reign of Terror at 20,000 – 40,000. Of those, roughly 6% were clergy and 70% were working class peasants. It is well known that many average, poor Catholics rose up to defend the Faith in the Vendee region and there suffered martyrdom rather than seeing priests murdered, churches burdened, and a new atheistic government imposed. Sister Elvira Garro writes:

“The French Revolution broke out in 1789 in an apparent hostile environment for the Church. The confiscation of Church goods and the expulsion of religious orders rapidly ensued. In 1790, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy condemned by Pius VI, was approved, and converted the French Church into a national and schismatic Church, separate from Rome. The clergy was divided by a sworn oath: priests who swore on the Civil Constitution, thus becoming employees of the State, and ‘refractory priests’ or ‘non-jurors,’ who remained faithful to Rome. The latter group were removed from their duties, and parishes were handed over to ‘jurors’ (priests who took the oath). Those who did not take the oath were threatened with dismissal, deportation, or the guillotine.

“Many priests faithful to Rome were exiled, while others hid in order to clandestinely attend to the flock entrusted to them. Thus, a ‘church of the catacombs’ was born: a barn, a basement, a castle moat, and the woods were all places where Mass was celebrated and sacraments received. The faithful and the priests knew that their life was in danger, but they preferred death to denying Christ and His Church.”

It is well known that the family of St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney at this time refused to attend the Sacraments of priests who agreed to this new Constitution. Born in 1786 to poor peasant parents, St. Jean Vianney was brought up to assist at Holy Masses said in secret by priests who remained faithful to the Church. If the family was discovered, they would have been sentenced to death. But still they persisted and St. Jean Vianney studied the catechism from private tutors before receiving his First Holy Communion in a home with windows covered. These sacrifices would inspire and help deepen his faith. Their opposition is in many respects similar to the objections of faithful Catholics who refuse to accept the errors, ambiguities, and sacrileges commonplace in most modern Catholic churches.

French Revolutionaries Destroyed Many Catholic Churches, Desecrated Altars, and Destroyed the Relics of Saints

Those familiar with French history will know of the desecration of many French churches – including the destruction of relics, icons, paintings, and whole buildings – during the French Revolution. Next to the Pantheon – a church which has been desecrated and to this day still serves as a monument and burial chamber for leading atheistic revolutionaries – is the Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont. Inside Saint-Étienne-du-Mont are some of the relics of St. Genevieve which were not destroyed.

Even the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame was not immune from the atheistic hate of the French revolutionaries. Completed in 1345 – nearly 200 years after the groundbreaking – Notre Dame is a beacon of hope to those who pray and work for a restoration of Catholicism in France. The cathedral suffered serious damage in the 1790s when – like many French churches – it was desecrated by the French Revolutionaries.

May God help restore France to her former Catholic glory. For this intention, we could pray the private litany to the French Saints.

Pray the Holy Face Devotion on Bastille Day

The following prayers are taken from the prayers of Sister Saint Pierre, Carmelite Nun of Tours, to whom Our Lord gave the messages of devotion to His Holy Face and the work of reparation:

“The future of France depends on the work of reparation [devotion to the Holy Face]. It is always shown to me [Sister Saint Pierre] as the means of salvation which God, in His infinite mercy, has designed for FRANCE” (taken from the Life of Sister Mary St. Pierre, 1884).

Prayer of the seer of the Holy Face, Sister Saint Pierre OCD, with imprimatur:

“Arrest, O Divine Father, the instruments of Thy justice, ready to strike us!
Behold the instruments of the most Sacred Passion of Jesus, red with His Adorable Blood. May this sight change Thy justice to mercy and move Thee to speak peace to France and the world.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee all the glory that our Divine Saviour Jesus has rendered Thee during the thirty years of His hidden and laborious life, and all the merits He has acquired for us from the moment of His Divine Incarnation until His evangelical Life. I make this offering for the honor and glory of Thy Holy Name, in reparation for the indignities offered our Saviour; finally, for the wants of the Holy Church, the salvation of France, and the Work of Reparation.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Holy Face of Jesus for the salvation of poor France. It is the golden coin which alone can cancel her debts.”

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