Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception
Encyclopedia
This devotional scapular traces its roots to Venerable Ursula Benincasa, who founded the Roman Catholic Order of Theatine Nuns. This scapular must have a blue woollen cloth and on one side bears a symbolization of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...

 and on the other the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Members of Ursula Benicasa's order would wear a blue scapular habit in honor of the Immaculate Conception. According to legend, Ursula Benicasa had a vision in which Jesus promised great favors for her order. She then begged Jesus for the same graces for all other faithful who would devoutly wear a small sky-blue scapular in honor of the Immaculate Conception and to secure the conversion of sinners. She stated in her autobiography that Jesus granted her petition and she began to distribute these small blue scapulars, after they had been blessed by a priest.

In January 1671 Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X
Pope Clement X , born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was Pope from 29 April 1670 to 22 July 1676.-Early life:Emilio Altieri was born in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Venetian lady...

 approved the blessing and investing of this scapular. Several years later, Clement XI granted specific indulgences for the wearing of this scapular and succeeding popes increased the number of such indulgences. The summary of the indulgences was approved by the Congregation of Indulgences first in 1845.

The confraternity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God Mary was erected in 1894 in the Theatine Church of S. Andrea della Valle at Rome. and was granted various indulgences. It later became an archconfraterity so it could grant indulgences to other confraternities. According to the statutes of the confraternity admission is effected by the blessing and investing with the Blue Scapular, the presentation of the small chaplet of the Immaculate Conception, and the enrolling of the name in the register of the confraternity. However, the number of the members of Theatines
Theatines
The Theatines or the Congregation of Clerks Regular of the Divine Providence are a male religious order of the Catholic Church, with the post-nominal initials "C.R."-Foundation:...

 have decreased over the years.

In 1992, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception obtained a perpetual permission from the Superior General of the Theatine Fathers to bless and confer the blue scapular of Immaculate Conception.

Sources

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