VATICAN CITY. The Vatican introduced on Friday stricter procedures for evaluating reported supernatural events such as weeping Madonnas and blood-dripping crucifixes, phenomena that have captivated the Catholic faithful for centuries.
The Vatican’s doctrinal office has overhauled norms first issued in 1978, stating that the old guidelines are no longer practical in the internet age. Today, news about apparitions or weeping Madonnas spreads rapidly and can harm the faithful if hoaxers exploit people’s beliefs for financial gain or manipulation, the Vatican explained.
In a document replacing guidelines from 1978, the Vatican’s doctrinal office (DDF) mandated that bishops can no longer act independently when faced with reports of such phenomena. Instead, they must consult the DDF before initiating investigations.
Furthermore, the new rules strip bishops of the authority to recognize the “supernatural” nature of apparitions and other purportedly divine events. This responsibility now rests with the pope and central Vatican offices.
Pope Francis has previously expressed skepticism regarding these events. Last year, he told Italian TV RAI that Virgin Mary apparitions are “not always real” and that he prefers to view Mary as “pointing to Jesus” rather than drawing attention to herself.
Reported incidents, including the appearance of “stigmata” or Jesus’ crucifixion wounds on the hands and feet of saintly individuals, have often become the basis for shrines and pilgrimages.
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, head of the DDF, emphasized the need for cautious assessment of such events, warning that they might be fraudulent and exploited for “profit, power, fame, social recognition, or other personal interest.”
The new DDF document advises that bishops should typically issue a “nihil obstat” — a provisional approval for worship that leaves open the question of formal Vatican recognition of the phenomenon as “supernatural.” Fernandez noted that such recognition is “very exceptional.”
Bishops can reach five other conclusions on purported supernatural events, including their formal rejection or measures to ban or limit the worship of controversial or clearly fake phenomena.
The document cited past confusion over alleged supernatural appearances by the Virgin Mary in Amsterdam during the 1940s and 1950s. These were eventually ruled invalid in 2020 after several conflicting verdicts. “It took about 70 excruciating years to bring the whole matter to a conclusion,” the DDF stated.
The norms acknowledge that many pilgrimage sites are linked to purported supernatural events not authenticated by the Vatican. However, this does not pose significant problems for the faith.
An example not mentioned in Friday’s document is the popular shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia, where repeated apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been reported since 1981. A Vatican investigation into these claims is ongoing. “We think that with these rules it will be easier to arrive at a prudential conclusion [on Medjugorje],” Fernandez said.
The proliferation of supposed religious phenomena, some clearly fraudulent, contributed to the split in Christianity and the rise of Protestantism in Europe during the 16th century.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
