A Vatican gag order for Marian visionaries? [Catholic Caucus]

NCR cafe ^ | January 14, 2009 | JOHN L. ALLEN JR

[NYer]

British media are justly renowned for their tongue-in-cheek treatment of matters Catholic, and this week they’ve had some fun with a story about a new set of Vatican guidelines for investigating reports of apparitions and visions, such as those surrounding the Virgin Mary. The story first broke Jan. 6 in Rome, on the Italian Catholic web site “Petrus,” but it’s taken a week or so for the Anglo-Saxon press to catch up.

Global discussion was sparked by a report on Tuesday in the British paper The Independent, with the provocative headline, “Catholics ordered to keep quiet over Virgin visions.”

Briefly, the story is that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is preparing a new document to be sent to the world’s bishops outlining the procedure to be followed in cases of reports of supernatural happenings, such as a statue that sheds tears or Mary delivering messages to alleged seers. It amounts to an update of a 1978 document from the congregation treating the same subject.

In broad strokes, the congregation will reportedly recommend that dioceses commission a team of psychiatrists, theologians and spiritual experts (including exorcists) to look into such reports. They’re supposed to establish whether the visionary seems psychologically stable; whether trickery or economic interests may be involved; whether any alleged revelation is consistent with church teaching; and whether there are grounds to suspect demonic influence.

The guidelines also apparently suggest that bishops should instruct alleged visionaries to remain silent while they wait for the church to render a verdict, the assumption being that hunger for publicity is not a good sign. Since the initial inquest would remain in the hands of the local bishop, this does not really amount to a Vatican "gag order," though the clear implication appears to be that discretion is the better part of valor.

One interesting wrinkle, according to the “Petrus” report, is that alleged seers will be required to turn over their PCs to investigators, who are supposed to determine if they've gone on-line researching various miracles and wonders suggesting, perhaps, that they wanted to mimic other famed incidents.

In the background to the new guidelines lurks continuing controversy over Medjugorje, the Bosnian site where the Virgin Mary has allegedly been delivering revelation to a group of local seers since 1981. Medjugorje has become a pilgrimage destination for millions of devotees each year, despite the fact that the church has never authenticated the visions, and that two local bishops in a row have been openly skeptical. To a lesser extent, Vatican concern has also been shaped by ferment in Italy over the Madonnina, or “little Madonna, of Civitavecchia a small statue of the Virgin, originally purchased in Medjugorje, which has reportedly been shedding tears since the mid-1990s. (Ever alert to the possibility of splashy headlines, the Guardian’s 2000 story on the statue was slugged ‘The Crying Game’

At one level, the Vatican’s interest is in quality control - making sure that the good faith of devotees is not abused by con artists or the unhinged, and that Catholic teaching is not doctored on the fly. Inevitably, however, issues of power may also be involved, since in the Catholic system the only ‘licensed’ spokespersons for God, so to speak, are the ordained. The eruption of alternative channels of revelation, especially among laity, thus has the potential to make officialdom nervous.

In general, the new guidelines seem likely to raise the bar for such phenomena to be officially declared legitimate, though it’s hardly as if standards are currently lax. French theologian Fr. René Laurentin has documented some 2,450 reports of Marian appearances in the history of the church, with roughly 300 investigations of such occurrences in the last century alone. Of that number, church authorities have sanctioned only about a dozen. (The most recent is Our Lady of Laus in France, declared authentic by the Vatican on May 5, 2008. The judgment came after the local diocese gave its thumbs-up in 1665, meaning that devotees had to wait three and a half centuries.)

Widening the focus, the new guidelines are consistent with the Marian devotion of Pope Benedict XVI, who tends to accent the affective and maternal dimension of Mary’s role rather than alleged visions and healings. That approach, which I styled the pope’s ‘Marian Cool’, was on display during his September 2008 visit to Lourdes. My piece from the time can be found here: Pope in France: A Lesson in ‘Marian Cool’

[NYer]

This is a Catholic Caucus thread.

[PatriotGirl827]

Thank you for posting this. I have been following this stuff for a couple of years now, and it does seem that Medjugorje (among others) is a big problem that has to be dealt with soon. There is too much ambiguity among the faithful.

[NYer]

You’re correct about the need to resolve Medjugorje. I doubt that will happen in our lifetimes. Only recently, the Vatican approved an apparition dating back several centuries. Better to have straightforward facts than questionable witnesses.

[Mad Dawg]

But ... but .... Whaddami gonna do with this grilled cheese sammich? I swear it looks just like ...

ONly kidding.

I've been exposed to a barrage of emails about the authenticity of Medjugorje. I don't see how a fella like me can debate this stuff. If it increases Marian devotion, that's good, and that's as far as I'm prepared to go.

[AliVeritas]

You have the Vatican link to the document re: CDF yet?

[Salvation]

Nothing can be judged or announced about Medjugorie until the visions stop. They have not.

[Constitutions Grandchild]

The rules regarding such visions, revelations, etc. have always been thus. I, for one, am relieved to know the Vatican has not changed its position on such matters. For those who have received visions and revelations, I’m certain it is a frustrating process, but to release such spirituality before authenticated, is a real travesty.

I’d hate to go back to the old days when if a prophet was wrong, he was stoned to death. That’s the real barbarity.

[marshmallow]

At one level, the Vatican’s interest is in quality control - making sure that the good faith of devotees is not abused by con artists or the unhinged, and that Catholic teaching is not doctored on the fly.

Paging Cardinal Mahony......please pick up the phone!!

Oh I beg your pardon. The story is about apparitions.

For one brief moment I thought the Vatican was about to crack down on the major source of the abuse of the sensibilities of faithful Catholics.

[fatima]

Also they should crack down on the broadcaster's who are promoting non-approved apparitions.Big paycheck with them promoting and setting up meeting,trips,etc.

[PatriotGirl827]

But two successive local Bishops have ruled against their authenticity (the apparitions), as well as a third commission made up of 20 or so Bishops and other experts.

There is not much historical precedence for the Holy See later approving an apparition that a local Bishop has already ruled on negatively.

I don’t know what the final outcome will be, of course, I’m just saying that it doesn’t look good for Med. right now, as far as getting formal recognition.

Fatima and Lourdes are my favorites - tried and true!

[fatima]

They can be silenced until a ruling.

[steve86]

Nothing can be judged or announced about Medjugorie until the visions stop. They have not.

Well, the "purported" visions have not stopped. Authentic apparitions persist for only a short time, certainly not decades. I am not entirely closed minded about "Medjugorie" but am nearly so, especially concerning the more recent activities there.

[the invisib1e hand]

This guy writes well.

Ave Maria!

[GCC Catholic]

It's possible too that the earlier messages could be approved, but the later ones may not be. This has occurred in other cases, including the apparitions of Our Lady of America in the 1950s.

The bishop of the diocese gave approval to the first set of messages, and even gave permission for the striking of a medal, but then passed on unexpectedly, and the rest of the messages still do not have formal approval (and thus are not published).

That said, I still have no idea what to make of Medjugorje given the last several years of events.

[steve86]

I thought I was the only person who bothered to make a distinction between the original events, which might well have been divinely inspired, and the later progression of revenue-generating activities which tend to evoke skepticism. But it appears you and perhaps even the church do as well. Some persons, overly cynical, reject any and all reports from the area as deception or fraud.

I am happy if even the current goings on in the southwestern corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina inspire Catholics to pray more Rosaries and worship more fervently. But one has to remain constantly vigilant against diabolical tricks including impersonations of heavenly figures, or even plain human opportunism and greed, and these kinds of things could occur even at an approved site such as Lourdes.

[dangus]

>> British media are justly renowned for their tongue-in-cheek treatment of matters Catholic, <<

No, their renowned for their fanatical hatred of anything “papist.” British humor about Catholics is sneering, not tongue-in-cheek.

[Dominick]

Well, the "purported" visions have not stopped. Authentic apparitions persist for only a short time, certainly not decades.

I have all but lumped Medjugorie in with Bayside and Conyers as false apparitions.

There are a lot of things that happen all over the world ignored and ridiculed by the media every day, it has been that way since the 17th century.

Nihil novi sub sole..

[netmilsmom]

>>They can be silenced until a ruling.<<

Amen!!!! And so they should be, the greedy crew.
Anyone who does serious research into the kiddies who saw the “Gospa” while out sneaking a cig then lying about it, KNOWS from the very beginning this was fake, fake, fake.

Read this

>>While the Vatican took their usual ambiguous attitude about the legitimacy of the apparitions, probably waiting to see how yet another Croatian experiment in mass conversions turns out before issuing a final verdict, many high ranking Roman Catholic clergymen, like Mostar bishop Zanic, were quite vocal in denouncing the “miracle” as an evil hoax from the very beginning. Among them, a renowned Roman Catholic priest, an exorcist and an author, Malachi Martin, who didn’t hesitate to issue a devastating condemnation early on: “Medjugorje is a Satanic hoax.”.......

.......Led by the few dozens of brigand Franciscans and suspended clergymen, the “seers” who are now way past their teenage years, live in a lap of luxury hardly expected from those who have daily visitations by Mother of God. Phil Kronzer, who invested much of his time and resources in unmasking the Medjugorje scam after being personally victimized by the architects of the cult, has ignored the death threats issued by Croat Ustashas and made two videos about Medjugorje hoax, “Visions on Demand” and “Divine or Deceived?”

Kronzer shows the “apparitions” are nothing but a web of lies and a malicious fraud, hiding an immense money smuggling operation. Instead of humility and modesty, the alleged visionaries supposedly chosen to receive the innumerable visitations of the Most Pure Mother of God, all six Croatian “seers” are bathing in the opulence and earthly wealth. They own luxurious houses both abroad and in Medjugorje, on what is know as “Millionaires Row”. ‘Seer’ Ivan Dragicevic, a special advisor to the Hollywood actor Jim Caviezel during his preparation for the role of Christ in Gibson’s Passion, just like a Hollywood star, drives a Mercedes and jets around on speaking tours, addressing crowds (through an interpreter) in England and the United States. In 1994, he married a former Miss Massachusetts, Lauren Murphy, in Boston.

The behavior of the Medjugorje clergy involved with the cult is even more scandalous. Though defrocked by their superiors, they continue to officiate at Mass, hold speeches throughout the world and guide the “seers,” controlling millions of dollars of profit the scam brings in yearly. In a tragicomic attempt to shield their handlers from bishop Zanic, the “visionaries” claimed to have received a number of messages in which their “Lady,” having nothing more important to say, repeatedly and resolutely sided with defrocked priests and threatened the disobedient bishop with eternal damnation if he continues opposing the cult.<<

This is evil and those who follow it are being duped...

[PatriotGirl827]

Good post - I agree with the verdict of Fr. Martin.

This is a very problematic subject in my parish, where many good, holy, faithful people are involved in this very deeply. I worry about the eventual fallout.