Let’s reflect on these words of Our Lady, and see how we can incorporate the request she makes in our own lives. This is why she is such a powerful intercessor. ![]() Nicholas LaBanca talks about this in his article, 5 Messages from Marian Apparitions and Their Meaning, explaining, “Our Lady wants nothing more than to lead us to her son. Many saints have spoken about our Blessed Mother’s ability to guide her children to her son, and Marian apparitions are one of the most intimate ways Mary helps us to find the Lord, meeting them both in heaven. While on earth, the Virgin Mary’s ministry was completely dedicated to reflecting the love, joy, and peace that comes from following her son, and that ministry doesn’t stop now that she has been assumed into heaven. Marian apparitions are another beautiful way Mary connects us to her Son, Jesus Christ. To see the entire statement released by the Vatican on approving apparitions and other revelations, visit this link. While the Vatican-acknowledged apparitions do tend to be more widely known and celebrated, their presence does not make bishop-approved apparitions any less significant or important. Having the Vatican recognize the existence of an apparition is an extra bonus to this, solidifying the presence of heavenly intervention. If the bishop approves an apparition, it is worthy of admiration and devotion and the site of the apparition is worthy of pilgrimage. The Vatican can call for investigations to be had under its authority, however we usually only see this in cases of either urgency or strong contraried opinion. If the bishop has a hard time discerning the authenticity of the apparitions or revelations for any reason, the investigation can be passed up through Church authority. The document also notes that overall, the duty of approving apparitions first falls on the bishop of the diocese in which the apparition occurred. Lastly, the authorities at hand decide what level of authenticity and supernatural character the apparition displays, keeping in mind the possible offspring of ideas that could come from it. Secondly, if the apparition proves to be of a positive nature, the Church will go forward in allowing some type of public devotion to be celebrated.ģ. Psychological complications regarding the witness of the apparition.Ģ.The presence of grave immoral acts that were committed at the time of the apparition.Evidence of the apparition being directly aimed towards gaining some type of profit.Errors concerning God, Mary, the saints, and/or Church teaching.Errors concerning the nature of the apparition. ![]() On the contrary, negative apparitions show the following: Showing honesty of moral values, docility to Church authority, and capacity of returning to a normal regimen of the Faith.Holding great probability of factual content after thorough investigation.Positive apparitions follow general criteria such as: Firstly, the question of whether the apparition and revelations given during the appearance is positive or negative is addressed. ![]() Within the document, the Church lays out three steps in discerning the authenticity of an apparition:ġ. ![]() In fact, for the benefit of the bishops, Church officials, and the faithful, the Vatican released a set of guidelines to the public on approving apparitions and other revelations. The Church is very careful when it comes to approving and recognizing Marian apparitions. However, the twenty-six that have been approved as authentic and worthy of belief are spread all across the globe from Japan, to Wisconsin, to Egypt. Over the course of Church history, there have been many reports and accusations of Marian apparitions. This approval assures the presence of God and the forces of heaven within the appearance, and protects the community of the faithful from influences that may be contrary to the Faith. There is always at least one witness to an apparition, and it is not uncommon for the witness to later become a saint or holy figure within the Church.Īs one of our authors points out, “These are moments when the Blessed Virgin Mary appears to us here on earth, letting us know that her prayers for us are being offered to God.” For an apparition to be worthy of belief and devotion within the Catholic Church, it must be approved by the bishop of the area where the apparition took place. These appearances are often paired with some type of message Our Lady wants to communicate, and depending on the nature of her visit, can be anywhere from one short appearance to several over the course of years. Marian apparitions are known as appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary, coming down from heaven to earth.
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