Scapular
short cloak worn with ecclesiastical dress
A scapular (from Latin scapula 'shoulder') is a Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the monastic and devotional scapular; both forms may simply be referred to as "scapular". As an object of popular piety, a devotional scapular serves to remind wearers of their commitment to live a Christian life.
The monastic scapular appeared first, perhaps as early as the 7th century AD in the Order of Saint Benedict. It is a length of cloth suspended both front and back from the shoulders of the wearer, either reaching almost to the hem of the tunic or ends at knee height. It may vary in shape, color, size and style. Monastic scapulars originated as aprons worn by medieval monks, and later became part of the habits for members of orders or confraternities. Monastic scapulars now form part of the religious habit of monks and nuns in many religious communities.
The devotional scapular is a much smaller item and evolved from the monastic scapular. Devotional scapulars may be worn by individuals who are not members of a religious order.
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This entry incorporates text from “Scapular” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.