The Vatican has released a new circular advising caution regarding supposed supernatural events, such as weeping Madonna statues and blood drops in representations of the Crucifixion, which have long been part of Catholic tradition.
Pope Francis has taken a skeptical stance on these phenomena, expressing last year in an interview with Rai TV that the Virgin Mary’s appearances “are not always true” and that he prefers her to direct attention to Jesus rather than to herself.
Reports of saints bearing the wounds of Jesus’ Crucifixion have historically led to the creation of shrines and pilgrimage sites. However, the new circular, which updates rules established in 1978, emphasizes caution. Issued by the Vatican’s Religious Discipline Service, the document warns that such incidents may be fraudulent, aiming for financial gain or the creation of personal cults.
The circular highlights several risks associated with unverified supernatural claims: injustices, exploitation, damage to Church unity, illegal financial gain, and serious doctrinal errors that could lead to scandals and undermine the Church’s credibility. Bishops are now required to issue a “nihil obstat,” a license that keeps the question of a phenomenon’s official recognition by the Vatican as “supernatural” open.
Official recognition of supernatural events remains extremely rare. The circular notes that many pilgrimage sites are associated with alleged supernatural events not recognized by the Vatican, yet this does not typically pose significant issues for the faith.
In addition to the “nihil obstat,” bishops can make five other types of decisions, such as rejecting an event as supernatural or taking measures to prohibit the worship of controversial or clearly false phenomena. Bishops must seek Vatican approval before making these decisions, although the Pope or the Religious Discipline Service may intervene in exceptional cases, bypassing local ecclesiastical authorities.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
