The sun rises behind the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal, before Pope Francis arrives Aug. 5, 2023. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez)
VATICAN CITY — In accordance with new Vatican norms on alleged supernatural phenomena, an Italian bishop has given his "nihil obstat" acknowledging the pastoral and spiritual value of devotion to Our Lady of the Mystical Rose of Montichiari and allowing for any eventual pilgrimages to related sites in his diocese.
Bishop Pierantonio Tremolada of Brescia issued the decree July 8 after the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith told him it did not find anything that directly contradicts church teaching in the writings of the late Pierina Gilli, who claimed to have received messages from a series of Marian apparitions in 1947 and 1966.
"The faithful are authorized to give (the phenomenon) their adhesion in a prudent manner," the bishop wrote in his decree. However, the decree is not a declaration recognizing the supernatural origin or character of the alleged events, and the faithful are not obliged to believe in them, he added.
While the devotion to Our Lady of the Mystical Rose is worldwide, Bishop Tremolada said his decree applied to his diocese and that, according to the new norms, each bishop should evaluate and decide what is pastorally prudent in his own diocese after consulting with the dicastery.
As of early July, the Vatican's doctrinal office had published two statements or letters concerning specific cases of alleged apparitions and revelations since new norms were released May 17 to help bishops proceed more quickly and carefully in the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena.
The first was a statement issued June 27 in which the dicastery verified the judgment of Bishop Marco Salvi of Civita Castellano who declared in March that alleged apparitions in Trevignano Romano, Italy, were not supernatural. The dicastery also confirmed the bishop's prohibition of devotions and pilgrimages in places associated with the alleged events in his diocese.
The new norms require bishops to discern alleged supernatural phenomena in dialogue with his national bishops' conference and to send his judgment to the dicastery for input and approval.
The norms also allow bishops to reach one of six conclusions that do not require any certainty about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon itself.
In the letter to Bishop Tremolada dated July 5, the prefect of the dicastery, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, said the main purpose of the norms was no longer to establish the supernatural character of alleged phenomenon but to come up with a "doctrinal-pastoral evaluation" based on "the fruits" of the devotion.
The dicastery gave its doctrinal judgment of the messages compiled by Gilli to support the bishop's own discernment, thereby allowing the bishop to issue his own decree.
The cardinal said the dicastery "found no elements in the messages circulated by Pierina Gilli that directly contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church on faith and morals. Neither do we find negative moral aspects or other critical issues in the facts connected with this spiritual experience."
He listed a number of "positive aspects that stand out in the messages as a whole and others that, instead, deserve clarification in order to avoid misunderstandings."
But, "we can argue that the spiritual proposal that flows from the experiences narrated by Pierina Gilli in relation to Our Lady of the Mystical Rose does not contain theological or moral elements contrary to the doctrine of the Church," it said.
— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
Vatican publishes new norms to discern alleged supernatural phenomena
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VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has published new norms for the church to discern alleged supernatural phenomena, such as Marian apparitions and mystical visions, which streamline the discernment process for bishops, allow the Vatican to avoid making definitive judgments on the authenticity of the events and reaffirm that Catholics are not obliged to believe in the purported phenomena.
In the document released May 17, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, laid out six possible conclusions that can be reached when discerning a possible supernatural phenomenon, ranging from a declaration that an event is not of supernatural origin to authorizing and promoting piety and devotion associated with a phenomenon without affirming its divine nature.
The significant development in the text, signed by Pope Francis, is that "as a rule, neither the Diocesan Bishop, nor the Episcopal Conferences, nor the Dicastery will declare that these phenomena are of supernatural origin," though "the Holy Father can authorize a special procedure in this regard."
Rather, declarations of supernatural authenticity "are replaced either by a 'nihil obstat'" -- a judgment meaning "no objection" that finds no problematic elements with a reported phenomenon -- "or by another determination that is suited to the specific situation," Cardinal Fernández wrote in his presentation of the new norms.
If a "nihil obstat" is issued in response to alleged supernatural phenomena, "the Diocesan Bishop is encouraged to appreciate the pastoral value of this spiritual proposal, and even to promote its spread, including possibly through pilgrimages to a sacred site," but "without expressing any certainty about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon itself," the guidelines said.
Other conclusions may require bishops: to further discern events that have positive aspects but also some signs of confusion; to intervene directly against people who are misusing a phenomenon for personal gain; to publicly forbid adherence to a phenomenon deemed to have serious risks; or declare that a phenomenon is decidedly not supernatural based on concrete evidence or proof that it was false.
Another conclusion specifically addresses phenomena with "various or significant" negative or "critical elements" but have "already spread widely" and have led to verifiable spiritual fruits. "In this situation, a ban that could upset the People of God is not recommended," the guidelines said. "Nevertheless, the Diocesan Bishop is asked not to encourage this phenomenon but to seek out alternative expressions of devotion and possibly reorient its spiritual and pastoral aspects."
Cardinal Fernández wrote that the possibility of concluding the discernment process with a "nihil obstat," as opposed to declaring the phenomenon is true and worthy of belief, is meant to "prevent any further delays in the resolution of a specific case involving an event of alleged supernatural origin."
He also cited historical instances of bishops issuing definitive statements that appear to oblige the faithful in their dioceses to believe the authenticity of certain supernatural phenomena.
"These expressions conflicted with the Church's own conviction that the faithful did not have to accept the authenticity of these events," the cardinal wrote, and they "effectively oriented the faithful to think they had to believe in these phenomena, which sometimes were valued more than the Gospel itself."
Citing Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Fernández wrote that a "nihil obstat" allows the faithful to believe certain phenomena "in a prudent manner" but that their devotion "is not obligatory."
The cardinal said such a response "naturally leaves open the possibility that, in monitoring how the devotion develops, a different response may be required in the future."
The document explained that the procedures for discerning alleged supernatural phenomena previously followed were approved by St. Paul VI in 1978, more than four decades ago, and remained confidential until they were officially published in 2011.
Yet since those norms were put into practice, "it became evident that decisions took an excessively long time, sometimes spanning several decades," it said, noting that "since 1950, no more than six cases have been officially resolved, even though such phenomena have increased without clear guidance and with the involvement of people from many Dioceses."
"This way of proceeding, which has caused considerable confusion, shows how the 1978 Norms are no longer adequate to guide the actions of the Bishops and the Dicastery," the cardinal wrote.
In its introduction, the document also noted that with "the advent of modern means of communication, these phenomena can attract the attention of many believers or cause confusion among them."
A revision process of the 1978 norms began in 2019, and the current document began being prepared in 2023, it said.
The document laid out procedures for bishops to follow in investigating supernatural phenomena in their territory and explained their responsibility to formulate a final judgment on them, from among the six conclusions provided, to be sent to the dicastery for approval. In fact, the new norms assure bishops that the dicastery will be more explicitly involved in working with them if they need to conduct an investigation. The bishop's decision must be sent first to the dicastery before it is made public and the dicastery will have the power to intervene at any time.
The procedures said that a bishop must "refrain from making any public statements in favor of the authenticity or supernatural nature of such phenomena, and from having any personal connection with them."
If forms of devotion arise in connection with an alleged supernatural event, "the Diocesan Bishop has the serious obligation of initiating a comprehensive canonical investigation as soon as possible to safeguard the Faith and prevent abuses," the document said.
The bishop should also "prevent the spread of confused religious manifestations or the dissemination of any materials pertaining to the alleged supernatural phenomenon -- such as the weeping of sacred images; the sweating, bleeding, or mutation of consecrated hosts, etc. -- to avoid fueling a sensationalistic climate," it said.
Outlining the norms for the investigative phase, the document said the positive criteria to consider in response to a supernatural phenomenon entail the credibility of persons involved with the events, the doctrinal orthodoxy of the phenomenon and messages associated with it, the spontaneity of the event and the fruits that it bears in the life of the Christian community.
Negative criteria, on the other hand, involve potential doctrinal errors associated with the event, the rise of a sectarian spirit revolving around it, an overt pursuit of personal gain or gravely immoral actions committed by those involved in the phenomenon and psychological or psychopathic tendencies among those who may have been influenced by the phenomenon.
If a bishop is granted a "nihil obstat" by the dicastery regarding an alleged supernatural phenomenon, the document said a bishop will indicate that the faithful "are authorized to give to it their adherence in a prudent manner," while ensuring they "do not consider any of the determinations as an approval of the supernatural nature of the phenomenon itself."
If a precautionary or negative determination is made, the bishop "must formally make it known," using clear and understandable language and considering whether to make known the doctrinal reasons for the decision, the norms said.
— Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service