In The Virgin of Carmel Saving Souls in Purgatory, which element communicates hope?

• A. the halos
• B. the angels
• C. the scapulars
• D. the lilies

Answer: (C)

Symbols of Marian devotion in this scene are used to convey hope. The Carmelite scapular, worn as a sign of Mary’s protection and the promise of salvation, functions as a concrete channel of mercy for souls in purgatory. In this imagery, the scapular embodies Mary’s intercession and the assurance that devoted souls can be aided toward final purification and entry into heaven. That direct link between Mary’s mercy and the possibility of deliverance is what communicates hope most clearly.

Halos mark sacredness, and angels indicate divine assistance, and lilies symbolize purity, but they don’t carry the same explicit promise of salvation through Mary’s intercession that the scapular does.