Pope Leo XIV during an address at the Vatican called for the “prudent” evaluation of supernatu-ral phenomena to avoid falling into superstition. “To avoid falling into superstitious illusion, it is necessary to evaluate such events prudently, through humble discern-ment and in accordance with the teachings of the Church,” the Holy Fa-ther said to participants in a Nov. 13 meeting organized by the Dica-stery for the Causes of Saints that reflected on the relationship between mystical phenomena and holiness of life.
“What matters most and what must be em-phasized in the exami-nation of candidates for sainthood is their full and constant conformity with the will of God, revealed in Scripture and in the living apostolic tradi-tion,” he said. For this reason, he urged the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to maintain “balance.”
He added: “Just as causes for canonization should not be promoted solely in the presence of exceptional phenomena, neither should those same phenomena [be looked upon negatively] if they characterize the lives of the servants of God.”
