Pope Paul VI is pictured next to Carmelite Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three Fatima visionaries, during a visit to the Marian shrine in Fatima, Portugal, May 13, 1967. Photo: CNS 
Approval Process
More than 1,500 visions of Mary have been reported around the world, but in the past century, fewer than 20 cases have received Church approval as worthy of belief. The Vatican’s ‘Norms regarding the manner of proceedings in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations’ were approved by Pope Paul VI in 1978. An official English translation was released in 2011. Responsibility for determining an apparition’s veracity lies with the local bishop, according to the norms established by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Fruits of the apparitions
The process is never brief, with some cases taking hundreds of years. Visionaries and witnesses must be questioned and the fruits of the apparitions, such as conversions, miracles and healings, must be examined. According to the norms, the local bishop should set up a commission of experts, including theologians, canonists, psychologists and doctors to help him determine the facts, the mental, moral and spiritual wholesomeness and seriousness of the visionary, and whether the messages and testimony are free from theological and doctrinal error.
Conclusions
A bishop can come to one of three conclusions: He can determine the apparition to be true and worthy of belief; He can say it is not true, which leaves open the possibility for an appeal; Or he can say that at the moment, he doesn’t know and needs more help. In the last scenario, the investigation is brought to the country’s bishops’ conference. If that body cannot come to a conclusion, the matter is turned over to the Pope, who delegates the doctrinal congregation to step in and give advice or appoint others to investigate.
Church recognition
Still, the Catholic Church does not require the faithful to believe in apparitions, even those recognised by the Church. Church recognition of a private revelation, in essence, is just the Church’s way of saying the message is not contrary to the Faith or morality, it is licit to make the message public “and the faithful are authorised to give to it their prudent adhesion”, the then Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2010 apostolic exhortation, Verbum Domini (‘The Word of the Lord’).
Abridged article by Junno Arocho Esteves which originally appeared in Crux.
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While Medjugorje has received the green light for organised pilgrimages, it hasn’t yet received Church approval. Major Marian sites that have received such approval include:
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Apparition Date – 1531, Mexico City, Mexico
In 1531, little more than a dozen years after Martin Luther set in motion events that split the Catholic Church, Mary appeared four times to Juan Diego at Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City, proclaiming herself the spiritual mother of all mankind and leaving her miraculous image on Juan Diego’s outer garment, his tilma. As is a common occurrence in Marian apparitions, the Virgin used Juan Diego’s native language, Nahuatl. She asked for a church to be built in her honour at the apparition site, but when Juan Diego brought the request to the bishop he was met with denial. The bishop didn’t initially believe the story, but upon seeing the tilma with the image of the Virgin he consented. The apparitions were formally approved by the second Archbishop of Mexico in 1555 and later the Holy See in 1895. Juan Diego was canonised in 2002 and today his tilma is one of Mexico’s most popular cultural symbols.
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
Apparition Date – 1830, Paris, France
In 1830, the year of the ‘July Revolution’, which saw the last of France’s Bourbon monarchs overthrown, Mary appeared three times to Catherine Labouré in the chapel of the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, at Rue du Bac. Here she told Catherine that God would charge her with a mission and while she would face contradiction, she shouldn’t fear because God would grant her special graces to succeed. During the apparition, Our Lady also showed Catherine the design of the ‘miraculous medal’ of the Immaculate Conception which helped to renew devotion to Our Lady in France and eventually worldwide. In 1836, the Archbishop of Paris began a canonical investigation which ruled that the medal was of supernatural origin and the miracles linked with it were genuine. Catherine Labouré was canonised in 1947 and her incorrupt body in interred in the same chapel where she experienced the apparitions.
Our Lady of La Salette
Apparition Date – 1846, La Salette-Fallavaux, France
Mary appealed for penance and an end to Sabbath-breaking and blasphemy when in 1846 she appeared to two children, Maximin Giraud (11) and Mélanie Calvat (14) while they were looking after herds high in the mountains by La Salette- Fallavaux one afternoon. When the two children first saw Our Lady she held her face in her hands and was crying due to the blasphemy and disregard for God in the area. This disrespect she foretold would result in punishment unless prayer, conversion and commitment were undertaken. The children were also given one secret each. However, these secrets are assumed to be of personal nature and not for the general public. Five years after the apparition, the Bishop of Grenoble said he believed the occurence was genuine, with Pope Pius IX formally approving the devotion that year. Maximin Giraud reportedly had a difficult, wandering life, while Mélanie Calvat become a nun. Neither of the two visionaries have been beatified, but this apparition has been credited with reviving Catholicism in the La Salette- Fallavaux region.
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Apparition Date – 1858, Lourdes, France
In 1858, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous (14), 18 times at Lourdes in southern France, describing herself as the “the Immaculate Conception”, and asking for penance and prayer for the conversion of sinners. Unlike the apparition at La Salette, Our Lady of Lourdes appeared petite and gentle instead of tall and maternal. Initially, Bernadette received much ridicule for recounting the apparition but she did eventually receive the support of the Church. In 1862 the Bishop of Tarbes declared, “what Soubirous saw was the Most Blessed Virgin”, continuing, “our convictions are based on the testimony of Soubirous, but above all on the things that have happened, things which can be nothing other than divine intervention”. Lourdes today still receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims a year from around the world, due largely to the healing water from a stream Bernadette uncovered at the Our Lady’s instruction. Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers until her death at the age of 35. She was canonised in 1933 by Pope Pius XI.
Our Lady of Hope
Apparition Date – 1871, Pontmain, France
The last of the approved 19th-Century French apparitions occurred at the height of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871, when a group of young children in the small town of Pontmain in northwestern France saw Mary appear in the sky for about three hours, with her message – encouraging prayer while emphasising Jesus’ love and concern – appeared on a banner under her feet. During this apparition the children’s parents and the local school teacher were called over, but were unable to see the apparition. One of the visionaries later described the Virgin as tall and young with tender eyes. Despite not being able to see the Virgin, a number of town members gathered around to pray. This same evening the nearby Prussian forces ceased their advance towards Pontmain and the nearby town of Laval for no known reason. The Bishop of Laval gave formal recognition of the vision the following year. Three of the four visionaries in Pontmain entered religious life. Today, the shrine receives around 200,000 people annually from the region and some international pilgrims, mainly from Germany.
Our Lady of Knock
Apparition Date – 1879, Knock, Ireland
Mary appeared at Knock, Co. Mayo, in 1879 when on an August evening a group of villagers saw a silent apparition, lasting for about three hours, by the gable end of the local church, with Mary, accompanied by St Joseph and St John the Evangelist, gazing upon a lamb that was standing upon an altar, surrounded by angels. During the apparition, a group of people which varied from anywhere between two and 25 at a time stood and knelt, gazing at the figures. Despite the rain and changing light, witnesses remarked that the figures remained visible and bright throughout. This apparition of the Virgin is rare in that she appears in a group and is silent for the entire duration. This silence has been attributed to the cultural shift in Ireland, specifically in terms of language. The eldest witness spoke no English, while the youngest witness spoke no Irish. A Church commission summoned in 1879 found that the witness statements were trustworthy and that no natural explanation for what happened could be offered. The original documents of the commission were lost, so in 1936 a second inquiry was called. This commission relied heavily on interviews with surviving witnesses and their children, press reports and devotional works from the time of the apparition. It also resulted in positive affirmation. A hundred years after the apparition, St John Paul II celebrated Mass in Knock and knelt in prayer at the apparition wall. Four other Popes have visited Knock, including Pope Francis who visited last year during the World Meeting of Families. Numerous cures and favours have been associated with a visit to Our Lady of Knock Shrine.
Our Lady of the Rosary
Apparition Date – 1917, Fátima, Portugal
From May to October 1917, Our Lady appeared monthly to three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos (9) and her cousins Francisco (8) and Jacinta Marto (7), in the Cova da Iria. During these visits, Mary entrusted the children with three secrets, encouraged devotion to her Immaculate Heart and requested the consecration of Russia. The final apparition was accompanied by the famed ‘Miracle of the Sun’ which was witnessed by thousands of pilgrims. Francisco and Jacinta both passed away during the flu pandemic that began in 1918. Bishop José Alves Correia da Silva declared the events worthy of belief on October 13, 1930. Lúcia, lived a long life as a Discalced Carmelite and passed away at the age of 97 in February 2005. In 2017, as part of the centenary celebrations, Francisco and Jacinta Marto were canonised and as such are the youngest saints in the Catholic Church to not die as martyrs. The apparitions and Miracle of the Sun resulted in international interest in the small Portuguese Village, which today is visited by millions of pilgrims every year.
Three Secrets of Fatima
The vision and reality of Hell.
The ending of World WarI, along with prediction of another war. The consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary was also included in this secret.
The persecution of Christians.
Our Lady of Beauraing
Apparition Date – 1932, Beauraing, Belgium
During the winter of 1932- 33 Mary appeared 33 times to a group of children in a convent garden in the small town of Beauraing in Belgium. Describing herself as “the Immaculate Virgin” and “Mother of God, Queen of Heaven”, she called for prayer for the conversion of sinners. The group of children, aged between nine and 15, reported that she requested a chapel be built at the site in the hope that pilgrims would come to the city and pray. During one of the last apparitions she revealed her Golden Heart to the seers. In 1943, the Bishop of Namur authorised public devotions to Our Lady of Beauraing and in 1949, the Holy See granted final approval. All five of the children grew up and lived quiet lives with their families. St John Paul II visited the city in May of 1985.
Our Lady of the Poor
Apparition Date – 1933, Banneux, Belgium
In early 1933, Mary appeared eight times to Mariette Beco (11) outside Mariette’s family home at the small Belgian village of Banneux. Describing herself as the “Virgin of the Poor”, she promised to intercede for the poor, the sick and the suffering. Similar to Lourdes, Our Lady asked Mariette to push her hands into a small spring which she said would be healing ‘for all nations’. Incidentally, when she first told people of the apparitions, Mariette was derided and mockingly called ‘Bernadette’. Following consultations with the Holy See, in 1942 the Bishop of Liege approved the veneration of Our Lady of the Poor. After the apparitions, Mariette lived a quiet family life. She died at the age of 90 in 2011. The site and small chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Poor still draws in pilgrims today and the spring, of which healings have been attributed, produces on average 2,000 gallons of water a day.
