Definitive Answer on the Brown Scapular?

[Thom18]

Is enrollment still required? I took my scapular to my priest and asked him to enroll me, but he said that it’s not a requirement and only blessed it. I was fairly certain that enrollment was necessary, so I’m not sure what to do. I know there was a thread about a week ago asking a similar question, but their was a split opinion. So, what’s the verdict?

 

[edward_george1]

The enrollment for the Brown Scapular is found in the Book of Blessings, an official text of the Church, as well as the Carmelite catechesis on the Scapular, so I would assume that indicates that you still need to be enrolled.

-Fr ACEGC

 

[Thom18]

Thanks, Father. This was my understanding, but my pastor’s response made me wonder.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Your pastor may not be totally familiar with the requirement. We’ve had some threads before from people whose parish priests may not have performed the enrollment properly.

People can get spiritual benefits from wearing the scapular if they are not enrolled, but if you are going to be a serious scapular wearer, you probably want to be enrolled. I would suggest that if there is a Carmelite monastery near you, that is a good place to find a priest who knows how to go about it, if you can go to a Mass there that’s open to the public. The Blue Army Shrine is another place that does it all the time, but the shrine is several states away from your stated location, so probably the Carmelites are your best bet.

 

[semper_catholicus]

The pastor is unfortunately incorrect. In order to recieve the spiritual benefits attached to the brown scapular, you must be enrolled.

 

[Vico]

Is enrollment still required? I took my scapular to my priest and asked him to enroll me, but he said that it’s not a requirement and only blessed it. I was fairly certain that enrollment was necessary, so I’m not sure what to do. I know there was a thread about a week ago asking a similar question, but their was a split opinion. So, what’s the verdict?

In the USA, no list is kept of those that are invested by a priest into the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The pastor is unfortunately incorrect. In order to recieve the spiritual benefits attached to the brown scapular, you must be enrolled.

No, this is not correct. From the official Carmelite Scapular Catechesis:

Is it necessary to enroll people in the Scapular Confraternity for them to share in the spiritual benefits attached to the scapular?

No, those who wear the scapular out of devotion, practice the Order’s spirituality, yet who have no formal association to the Order share in a spiritual affiliation to the Carmelite Order. It gives them the assurances of the graces pertinent to this sacramental. Indiscriminate enrollment in the Scapular Confraternity or other such associations weakens the purpose and mission of those associations and should be avoided.

 

[semper_catholicus]

That’s news to me. Literally every other caremltie site about the brown scapular I’ve read said that enrolment is necessary to obtain the promise.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I don’t know what you’re reading, hopefully not the schismatic Sisters of Carmel one again, but the one I posted is the official site of the Carmelite order.
Having said that, I still got myself invested. I did it twice just to make sure, once at the Blue Army shrine and once at the local Carmelite monastery. It’s a nice ceremony.