CATHOLIC WORD BOOK - Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council

their part, have not yet arrived at an
explicit knowledge of God, but who strive
to live a good life, thanks to his grace.
Whatever good or truth is found among
them is looked upon by the Church as a
preparation for the Gospel. She regards
such qualities as given by him who
enlightens all men so that they may finally
have life” (Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church, Lumen Gentium, No. 16).
Sanctifying Grace: See Grace.
Satanism: Worship of the devil, a
blasphemous inversion of the order of
worship which is due to God alone.
Scandal: Conduct which is the occasion of
sin to another person.
Scapular: (1) A part of the habit of some
religious orders like the Benedictines and
Dominicans; a nearly shoulder wide strip
of cloth worn over the tunic and reaching
almost to the feet in front and behind.
Originally a kind of apron, it came to
symbolize the cross and yoke of Christ. (2)
Scapulars worn by lay persons as a sign of
association with religious orders and for
devotional purposes are an adaptation of
monastic scapulars. Approved by the
Church as sacramentals, they consist of
two small squares of woolen cloth joined
by strings and are worn about the neck.
They are given for wearing in a ceremony
of investiture or enrollment. There are
nearly 20 scapulars for devotional use: the
five principal ones are generally
understood to include those of Our Lady of
Mt. Carmel (the brown Carmelite
Scapular), the Holy Trinity, Our Lady of
the Seven Dolors, the Passion, the
Immaculate Conception.
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Scapular Medal: A medallion with a
representation of the Sacred Heart on one
side and of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the
other. Authorized by St. Pius X in 1910, it
may be worn or carried in place of a
scapular by persons already invested with a
scapular.
Scapular Promise: According to a legend
of the Carmelite Order, the Blessed Virgin
Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock in 1251
at Cambridge, England, and declared that
wearers of the brown Carmelite Scapular
would be the beneficiaries of her special
intercession. The scapular tradition has
never been the subject of official decision
by the Church. Essentially, it expresses
belief in the intercession of Mary and the
efficacy of sacramentals in the context of
truly Christian life.
Schism: Derived from a Greek word
meaning separation, the term designates
formal and obstinate refusal by a baptized
Catholic, called a schismatic, to be in
communion with the pope and the
Church. The canonical penalty is
excommunication. One of the most
disastrous schisms in history resulted in
the definitive separation of the Church in
the East from union with Rome about
1054.
Scholasticism: The term usually applied to
the Catholic theology and philosophy
which developed in the Middle Ages. (See
also Neo-Scholasticism.)
Scribes: Hebrew intellectuals noted for
their knowledge of the Law of Moses,
influential from the time of the Exile to
about A.D. 70. Many of them were
Pharisees. They were the antecedents of