QUESTION: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) published a new document on discerning apparitions and other supernatural phenomena on May 17. How crucial are they to our Catholic faith? – Shone Jacob

ANSWER: Jacob Parappally MSFS

Our world is graced with the all-pervading presence of God. Our history has become salvation history enacted by God. Through God’s powerful intervention in history, He revealed His plans for humans in ‘many and various ways’ and finally through His Son, Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 1:1). The Church believes and teaches that everything necessary for human liberation and salvation, or all that is necessary for the wholeness of human beings and the well-being of the entire universe, is revealed in Jesus Christ. There is nothing more to be revealed by God in the world or in human history than what is already revealed in Jesus Christ. He is the fullness of revelation.
There are many ways to deepen our understanding and experience of Jesus Christ and His message. Some believers narrate extraordinary experiences of God’s presence through healing, receiving special favors, visions, mystical experiences, apparitions of our Blessed Mother Mary or saints, Eucharistic miracles, and so on. How can the Church ascertain the authenticity of such narrations as well as the visible signs of supernatural phenomena occurring in some places or in some people? Are there norms to guide the faithful in these matters? Who is the legitimate authority to declare a supernatural phenomenon as authentic or inauthentic? Such questions are raised and answered in the document, “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena,” published on May 17 by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF).
There were norms for discerning the authenticity of alleged supernatural phenomena already published 50 years ago during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI in 1978. This document was limited in its scope in the sense that it dealt with only “presumed apparitions and revelations.” It was kept as a confidential document given to the bishops and their associates until it was published in 2011. According to this document, local bishops were asked to submit their findings about apparitions and their conclusions to the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith before their judgment and approval before announcing them. However, the bishops were not allowed to mention whether the supernatural phenomenon was approved or not approved by the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith.

“The power of the human mind to create events
that are normally seen as impossible
cannot be denied. If all these are judged
to be divine revelations and treated accordingly
and sometimes for commercial gains,
what suffers is the credibility of Christian beliefs.”

The first articles of the present document explain the reasons for publishing this document. “Today, more than in the past, news of these apparitions is diffused rapidly among the faithful thanks to the means of information (mass media). Moreover, the ease of going from one place to another fosters frequent pilgrimages, so that the Ecclesiastical Authority should discern quickly about the merits of such matters. On the other hand, modern mentality and the requirements of critical scientific investigation render it more difficult, if not almost impossible, to achieve with the required speed the judgments that in the past concluded the investigation of such matters (constat de supernaturalitate, non constat de supernaturalitate) and that offered to the Ordinaries [Bishops] the possibility of authorizing or prohibiting public cult or other forms of devotion among the faithful.”
The new document has widened the scope of the norms to include, besides apparitions, visions, interior or exterior locutions, writings or messages, phenomena related to religious images, and psychophysical phenomena (no. 6). Reports about Eucharistic miracles are also included in these. Further, the new document is not kept confidential or secretive. While the 1978 document asked the local bishops not to mention the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith in approving or disapproving of the experience of apparitions, according to Cardinal Fernandez, “Now, when the bishop makes his decision public, it will be stated as ‘in agreement with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.’” Thus, the present document widens the scope of the previous 1978 document, revises it, and replaces it.

The Truth about Apparitions and Other Supernatural Phenomena
Though there are many narrations about apparitions and other various supernatural phenomena throughout the history of the Church, what prompted the former CDF, now rechristened as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF), to publish a new document with criteria to judge the authenticity of alleged supernatural phenomena? It is in the context of publishing post-truths, half-truths, blatant lies, fake news, etc., that go around through social media and other means of communication, as well as activities of the enemies of the Church, presenting stories about supernatural phenomena. Some of these are certainly concocted, but attract believers with an infantile faith to believe them and later are proved false, destroying their faith even in the real workings of God in their lives.
Certainly, there are also authentic signs and wonders of God’s interventions in the lives of His faithful people to deepen their faith and encourage others to conversion to God. How do we discern the authentic ones from fake ones? If there is news about weeping statues of our Blessed Mother or saints, is it fake news? How can the apparitions of our Lady or other divine apparitions be confirmed as genuine? Are the claims about miraculous healing after touching a relic credible? Cardinal Fernandez said, “The expectation of receiving a declaration about the supernatural nature of the event resulted in very few cases ever reaching a clear determination. In fact, since 1950, no more than six cases have been officially resolved, even though such phenomena have often increased without clear guidance and with the involvement of people from many dioceses. Therefore, one can assume that many other cases were either handled differently or just not handled at all.”
Those apparitions that are recognized by the Church have drawn pilgrims in large numbers, and even popes have made pilgrimages to the places of such apparitions, like Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal. There are other reports about apparitions which were not recognized by the Vatican. The claims of the apparitions of Jesus and Mary at regular intervals in a small town north of Rome in 2016 by an Italian woman who brought a statue of Our Lady from Medjugorje in Bosnia were not recognized by the officials of the Church as they were found false. Crowds who prayed before this statue claimed to have received messages, including warnings against same-sex marriages and abortion.
What are the ways to ascertain the veracity of the reports about supernatural phenomena like apparitions, miracles like weeping Madonnas, extraordinary divine interventions in the lives of certain people, etc.? How credible are these phenomena? How can the Church legitimately declare the establishment of new shrines and pilgrim centers claimed to be associated with certian miracles or private apparitions? Are they established, even if with the permission of local bishops, with authentic divine interventions or for selfish financial gains? Sometimes the sudden mushrooming of such centers attracts the faithful to seek miracles, but they die out sooner or later. Such phenomena shake even the fundamentals of Christian faith in the minds of believers. Therefore, certain criteria are needed to discern the authenticity of supernatural phenomena and clarity with regard to the legitimate Church authority to declare them authentic or inauthentic, or whether they are helpful for the faithful to increase their faith and the quality of their Christian life.

Criteria for Discerning Supernatural Phenomena
The present document, “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena,” provides six norms for classifying supernatural phenomena, judging their authenticity, and clarifying who is the legitimate authority to declare them so.
The first is “No obstacle” (Nihil Obstat or Nothing obstructs): When an alleged supernatural event is seen among “many signs of the action of the Holy Spirit” and “no aspects that are particularly critical or risky have been detected,” the event can be declared as having “no obstacle” for reception by an appropriate ecclesiastical authority (no. 17). This can be issued by the local bishop, indicating that the event would not be formally recognized as supernatural but there would be no objection to worship. The document further states that five other criteria can be applied and decisions can be taken by bishops, including the rejection of the event as supernatural and even banning the worship of some phenomena. However, the approval of the Vatican needs to be sought by bishops before publishing any conclusions.

“For Christians, the greatest miracle or
supernatural phenomenon is the reality of God
becoming human as well as Christ’s
real presence in the Eucharist.
One who truly believes in the mystery of the
Incarnation and the Eucharist does not
need any other signs from God to confirm
his/her faith. But for this, a Christian faithful
has to grow from his/her infantile faith to
an adult faith, which is faith
with reason and conviction.”

The second norm is “Let it be held before our eyes” or Prae oculis habeatur. It says that the phenomenon is seen to have “important positive signs” but, at the same time, also has “some aspects of confusion or potential risks.” Therefore, “doctrinal clarification might be necessary” (no. 18). It is a warning to both the faithful and the officials of the Church that they should properly assess the authenticity of the phenomenon. There is a need for “careful discernment” and dialogue between the bishop and the “recipients” of the “spiritual experience.”
The third norm is “It is attended to” or Curatur. In spite of having many critical and negative elements in the happening of the supernatural phenomenon, if the reception of it is “spread widely” and there are “verifiable spiritual fruits” obtained by it, the authorities need to be cautious about dealing with it. “A ban that could upset the People of God is not recommended,” but the bishop should not “encourage this phenomenon.” He needs to “seek out alternative expressions of devotion,” and “reorient its spiritual and pastoral aspects.”
The fourth norm is called “Under Mandate” or Sub mandato. In the case of the occurrence of a supernatural phenomenon, if it is found to be “rich in positive elements but misused by a person, a family, or a group of people who are misusing it” to derive “financial gain” from it, the management of the “specific place where the phenomenon is occurring” is entrusted to the bishop or a person delegated by the Holy See (no. 20).
The fifth norm is “Prohibited and Obstructed” or Prohibitur et obstruatur. If the alleged supernatural phenomenon has “some positive elements” but has “critical issues and risks” that appear to be very serious, then the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith asks the diocesan bishop “to declare publicly that adherence to this phenomenon is not allowed.” The reasons for the prohibition need to be given to the faithful who are affected, and care needs to be taken to “reorient” their spiritual concerns.
The sixth norm is the Declaration of non-supernaturality or Declaratio de non supernaturalitate. The Vatican authorizes a bishop to declare that an alleged supernatural phenomenon is not supernatural based on “facts and evidence that are concrete and proven.” This happens when an “alleged visionary admits to having lied, or if credible witnesses provide elements of proof” that make it possible to verify that the phenomenon is the result of “fabrication, an erroneous intention, or mythomania” (no. 22).
The question still remains: Are any of the so-called supernatural phenomena really authentic, an extension of divine revelation, or can such experiences be explained by sciences other than theology and spirituality? Being experiences, if a credible psychological or para-psychological explanation is given to such phenomena, would not the credibility of the Church be affected? The present document does not speak about a firm declaration of any phenomenon as supernatural. However, according to the present norms, a phenomenon can still be declared supernatural, which requires a special act by the pope (no. 23).

Call to Live an Adult Faith
It is the conviction of the Church that the Christian faith is reasonable. The Church’s magisterium needs to be on guard that it does not compromise with superstitious beliefs and unreasonable practices. The local bishops have a serious responsibility for teaching and catechizing the faithful to have adult faith so that they don’t simply believe in reports about supernatural phenomena, however compelling they may appear to be, without the recognition of the Church. In his pastoral letters, Paul instructs the bishop about his duties with regard to his office as bishop. He writes that he should “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). He writes to Timothy, charging him to “preach the word,” and he must be ready to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). Unfortunately, there are a few cases in the past where the local bishops did not discern properly before recognizing certain alleged occurrences of supernatural phenomena as worthy of acceptance. For this reason, the present document instructs the bishops that any declaration about his conclusion regarding the occurrence of any supernatural phenomenon must be made after reporting the matter to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith and after its approval.
Generally, people are miracle-mongers. It is natural for humans, who are aware of the transitory nature of everything in this world, including their own lives, to look for something supernatural, permanent, or lasting beyond this world. So when someone claims that they have encountered such things and gives reports about it, they are more inclined to believe it than not. For Christians, the greatest miracle or supernatural phenomenon is the reality of God becoming human as well as Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist. One who truly believes in the mystery of the Incarnation and the Eucharist does not need any other signs from God to confirm his/her faith. But for this, a Christian faithful has to grow from his/her infantile faith to an adult faith, which is faith with reason and conviction. For such people, the weeping statue of Mother Mary or various types of Eucharistic miracles are not necessary at all.
The power of the human mind to create events that are normally seen as impossible cannot be denied. If all these are judged to be divine revelations and treated accordingly and sometimes for commercial gains, what suffers is the credibility of Christian beliefs. What Cardinal Fernandez, the Prefect of DDF, said while presenting the new norms is very relevant when we reflect on the alleged supernatural phenomena. He said, “The Church, as a matter of fact, leaves the faithful free to devote their attention to these phenomena or not. Revelation that has already happened is the word of God. It contains everything we need for our Christian life.” Further, he said, “We must appreciate these supernatural interventions but realize that they must be discerned properly” and “Test everything, retain what is good.” Christians need to grow from their infantile faith to an adult faith so that they can convincingly proclaim their faith!