Vatican issues new guidelines on alleged supernatural phenomena

The Vatican has strengthened its guidelines on recognizing supernatural phenomena such as apparitions of the Virgin Mary and apparently blood-soaked crucifixes.

The new guidelines replace rules drawn up in 1978 and stipulate that bishops must no longer act independently in the face of such observations, but rather consult the Vatican.

The changes made by the Vatican's doctrinal office (DDF) aim to update the Church in its response to the rapid spread of allegations of online apparitions.

According to the document released Friday by the Vatican, the new procedure will allow “more rapid decisions while respecting popular devotion” when it comes to evaluating claims of supernatural phenomena, which could include the appearance of stigmata and other so-called miracles.

Under previous guidelines, a local bishop could quickly declare the supernatural nature of a phenomenon, the Vatican said, “only for the Holy Office to express a different decision later.” In other cases, a bishop could decide whether an event was supernatural or not, only for his successor to conclude otherwise, the statement continued.

The new Vatican guidelines state that “as a general rule” bishops and Church officials will not declare whether alleged phenomena are supernatural or not, leaving that decision to the Pope.

The head of the DDF, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, told reporters that often these events “have led to a great wealth of spiritual fruits, of growth in faith, devotion, fraternity and service. In some cases, they gave rise to shrines around the world that are central to the popular piety of many people today.”

Speaking at a news conference at the Vatican, the cardinal cited as a positive example Lourdes, the Marian shrine in southwest France visited by people suffering from physical and spiritual illnesses.

However, he added that certain alleged events that arise from the pursuit of “profit, power, fame, social recognition or other personal interests” can harm worshipers, potentially even to the point of “exercising a control over people or violate their rights. abuses. »

Bishops will now generally be expected to issue a “nihil obstat” which will authorize worship but leave open the question of formal recognition of “supernatural” activity in the Vatican. However, Fernandez said the recognition would be “very exceptional.”

Other options available to bishops include formally rejecting an experience as supernatural, as well as measures to ban or limit the worship of phenomena viewed with suspicion. The guidelines state that those who spread false statements may face sanctions, including formal sanctions from the Church.

Positive criteria that will be considered by the Church in reaching a conclusion include the credibility and reputation of those reporting the event, while negative criteria include possible errors, obvious pursuit of personal interest and “any psychosis (or) collective hysteria”.

One site of alleged Marian apparitions still being examined by the Vatican is Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Cardinal Fernandez telling reporters that the allegations would be investigated under the new standards.

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