Pope urges crackdown on reported visions of Mary

[Michie]

The Pope has instructed Vatican officials to adopt stricter criteria for the approval of visions of Mary.

As Pope Benedict XVI began his first visit as pontiff to France, being greeted at Paris airport by President Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni, it emerged that he had asked a Spanish Jesuit to draw up new guidelines for bishops around the world on the recognition of reported apparitions.

The Vatican said it had asked Monsignor Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer to launch his investigation because the Pope wanted to avoid "excesses and abuses" of such visions. The pontiff believes bishops should resist being swayed by the emotional reaction of believers and be guided instead by strictly applied "scientific, psychological and theological criteria".

Ignazio Ingrao, Vatican correspondent of the weekly news magazine Panorama, said the inquiry had been prompted because of the readiness of a bishop of Civitavecchia, the port north of Rome, to approve reports that a statue of the Madonna owned by a local family had wept tears of blood. The bishop even claimed to have seen the tears himself while holding the statue in his arms. The bishop was later replaced.

Continued-http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4739281.ece

 

[Michie]

On the verge of his visit to Lourdes this Sunday, Pope Benedict has called for a new, hardline approach to the assessment of reported visions.

He wants the strictest “scientific, psychological and theological criteria" to be applied to their evaluation and the avoidance, at all cost of “abuses” and “excesses”.

Since the year 39 AD, apparitions of Mary have been reported by the faithful, in places as diverse as Spain, Japan and Eygpt. Allegations of miraculous sightings of the Madonna persisted into the 20th century, and continue to this day at the controversial if popular Bosnian shrine at Medjugorje.

While some Marian visions, such as those at Lourdes in 1858, have long been accepted as being of “divine and supernatural origin” by the Roman Catholic Church, others have been condemned as false. Below Faith Online compiles a list of 10 of the most popular apparitions of the Madonna.

1. Lourdes, South-West France, 1858:

On a freezing day in Februrary 1858, Bernadette Soubirous, an illiterate pauper, claimed she had seen a “lady dressed in white” holding a rosary. Seventeen more apparitions followed, during which the vision urged Bernadette to pray for the conversion of sinners, and, on one occasion, to scratch the ground in front of her. A well bubbled up, said to have miraculous properties, and with it a tradition that the Lourdes waters could heal the sick. Though six million Catholics now visit Lourdes annually, Bernadette was initially declared fit for the lunatic asylum by the local press, but later entered a convent.

Continued- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4743833.ece

 

[Mom2Alex]

In my view, this is a very, very, very good thing. Not a week goes by where someone does not tell me something about an alleged private revelation someone somewhere had about some unapproved appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

[WarriorAngel]

The pontiff believes bishops should resist being swayed by the emotional reaction of believers and be guided instead by strictly applied "scientific, psychological and theological criteria".

Is he referring to the replaced Bishop and the statute that wept blood or whatever, i wonder.

 

[thereselittleflower]

Is he referring to the replaced Bishop and the statute that wept blood or whatever, i wonder.

That among all the other plethora of alledged marian apparitions that have been popping up like hotcakes over the years.

 

[thereselittleflower]

Continued- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4743833.ece

michie, you know I beat you to this one.


http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7284562

 

[Sianelle]

As wonderful as the Marian apparitions are, - and I think if we are truly honest we would all have to confess to a desire to see one, - it is important to remember that faith shouldn't need visions and miracles to keep it robust and strong.
I very much agree that any report of an apparition needs to be very carefully examined by Holy Church, otherwise there is a risk that the Christian faith will be seen to be no more than some sort of circus or sideshow in the eyes of the world.
Having worked in the Mental Health Sector I'm very well aware that voices can be heard and visions seen that have not the slightest thing to do with Our Blessed Lady. My Irish blood has gifted me a little of the 'sight' and there are two occasions when I've been spoken to loudly and clearly by a voice in my ear when nobody was there. On occasion I've also seen luminous beings, - sometimes in very moving circumstances, - but I wouldn't call what I've seen 'angels' or 'saints' or a 'divine visitation'.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

It about darned time.

In the past 18 months Mary has been scene in everything from french toast to a stain on the wall.

I'm surprised the Papratzzi don't have a crew following her around at this point.

 

[eucharist04]

This is a good thing, because we can so focus on Mary that we forget that the Church is all about Jesus.

 

[thereselittleflower]

This is a good thing, because we can so focus on Mary that we forget that the Church is all about Jesus.

Well, I have to disagree with that last part, for when one focuses on Mary, one is keenly aware of Jesus.

 

[Michie]

michie, you know I beat you to this one.


http://christianforums.com/showthread.php?t=7284562

Ha! Good!

 

[Tonks]

Good.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

It about darned time.

In the past 18 months Mary has been scene in everything from french toast to a stain on the wall.

I'm surprised the Papratzzi don't have a crew following her around at this point.

That's very funny.

 

[Weird]