The Blue Scapular Prayer Book

32 heroic virtues and proclaimed her a Venerable Servant of God. In 1633, the Theatine Fathers in their General Chapter, recognized the Oblates of the Immaculate Conception and the community of contemplative nuns whose inception was rooted in the vision of Venerable Ursula as branches of their Order. From that time on, these two communities took on the title of Theatine Nuns of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. Thereupon, the Theatine Fathers also began to promote devotion of the Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, a task assigned to them officially by Pope Clement X on January 30, 1671. At the Theatine Fathers’ request, he granted privileges and indulgences to the Blue Scapular by a special apostolic breve. These were similar in scope to the ones obtained by the Conceptionists in the 15th century. Another Pope, Clement XI, endowed this scapular with more indulgences, which he mentioned in his apostolic letter of May 12, 1710. The indulgences were confirmed and amplified by Pope Gregory XIV in 1845 and by Blessed Pius IX in 1850. These two Popes also declared that the indulgences of the Blue Scapular could be applied to the souls of the faithful departed.