On 25 June, Pius IX approved the Red Scapular of the Passion of Our Lord and the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary for use as a sacramental.

The scapular is made of red wool with one side bearing the image of the crucifix, instruments of the Passion and the words “Holy Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Save Us.” The other side bears an image of a small cross above the Sacred Heart Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the words “Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, protect us.”

Sister Appoline Andriveau of the Sisters of Charity claimed that the devotion of the Red Scapular was revealed to her during a series of visions of Jesus and Mary in 1846. Sister Appoline said that she was promissed that those who wear the scapular faithfully and contemplated the Passion of Jesus Christ would grow in faith, hope, and charity.

Pope Pius IX, in approving the use of the Red Scapular, also granted with it various indulgences. Originally the Lazarist Order was responsible for blessing and investing someone with the Red Scapular, but now any priest can do so.

For more on scapulars and the Red Scapular

On 16 June 1846, Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferreti, the Archbishop of Imola, was elected to the papacy on the fourth ballot. Upon his election he took the name of Pius IX.

Austrian Emperor Ferdinand had sent the Cardinal Karl Kajetan Gaisruck, the Archbishop of Milan [which at that time was part of the Austrian Empire] to veto the election of Ferretti because he was perceived to be too liberal.* However, by the time Gaisruck arrived at the conclave, Ferretti had already been publicly proclaimed to be the new pope.

Pius IX was crowned as pope on 21 June 1846 and would be the longest reigning pope since St. Peter. He served as pope for almost 32 years.

Although he had been chosen for the papacy with the reputation for liberalism, after the Revolutions of 1848 and his forced flight from Rome Pius IX would become a strong supporter of conservatism.

More on the Conclave of 1846

*There were several times at which a European ruler would try to veto the election of a particular candidate which they did not favor. While the cardinals at a papal conclave never officially recognized the rite of a secular ruler to veto a particular papal election, usually a vetoed candidate would not be chosen by the conclave. See Jus exlusivae

On 14 June 1966, Pope Paul VI abolished the Index of Prohibited Books which had first been established by Pope Paul IV in 1559.

Paul IV established the Index Liborum Prohibitorum as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Fearing that certain books might lead to the corruption of the faith and morals of the Catholic faithful, Paul IV wanted the Index to prohibit those writings deemed to contain errors of theology or morality. Works that would be listed on the Index included scientific works such as texts by Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei; philosophic works by Jean Paul Sartre and René Descartes; and literary works by Victor Hugo and John Milton. The writings of Saint Faustina were placed on the Index for twenty years, though the Vatican later determined that the writings were placed on the Index due to a faulty Italian translation of St. Faustina’s words.

Some works that one might think would be on the Index were not. For example, books that contained teaching explicitly contrary to Catholic doctrine were automatically forbidden for Catholics to read and some works did not end up on the list simply because no one denounced them. The works that were placed on the Index, often did so after much debate. Catholic authors who ended up on the Index had the opportunity to defend their writings or to modify and then re-publish their works.

By the mid-20th Century, it was becoming impossible for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith to read all the books that were being published and the Index was less and less able to fulfill its function. Therefore, the Congregation stated that the Index would no longer be issued. Catholics are still encouraged to avoid those writings which might threaten faith or morality.

Authors who ended up on the Index of Prohibited Books