Garabandal: Vatican pronounces on alleged Marian apparitions

Cardinal Víctor Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, spoke about the alleged Marian apparitions of Garabandal (Spain), during the news conference about the spiritual experience of Medjugorje, held in the Vatican on September 19.

“Garabandal, like El Escorial (ed. alleged Marian apparitions not approved by the Church, beginning in June 1981) and other cases, has received a ‘not observed‘, is not a constant of no —constant which is not supernatural—but a ‘not observed’, that is to say that There are no elements to reach this conclusion.“said the Argentine cardinal when responding to a question about Garabandal, the first time he has spoken publicly on the subject.

“He non constant that occurred in other times, could now correspond to various determinations that are described in the new regulations. It can be a total prohibition or it can be, for example, what is called is taken care of¸ which means that public worship is not allowed”continued the Vatican prefect.

When speaking about the norms, Cardinal Fernández referred to the new Rules to proceed in the Discernment of alleged supernatural phenomenapublished by his dicastery in May of this year, which determine that the declaration of supernaturality will be exceptional and will be reserved for the Pope, and after which the Vatican has approved the devotion in nine different places, without specifying whether or not the messages come from the Virgin Mary.

Continuing with his response, the cardinal specified that in Garabandal “nothing is allowed that has a relationship between the messages and the apparitions, but there can be a private cult”.

“It is is taken care of It more or less represents what, in fact, already happens in various cases. I think that today Garabandal can correspond to that is taken care of because it is allowed that people go to the place to pray and then go to Mass in a parish.”

The prefect also indicated that “in these cases the bishops have the possibility of reviewing, of better specifying What is the situation in each place. “This is happening with several cases in some countries.”

“We will see if the bishop wants to specify anything. So far I don’t think he has any interest,” she concluded.

ACI Prensa contacted the Diocese of Santander to ask if the local bishop, Mons. Arturo Ros, had anything to say about it. “There will be no statements,” indicated the diocesan media delegate, Fr. Antonio Arribas.

Between 1961 and 1965, four girls—Conchita, Jacinta, Mari Loli and Maricruz—claimed to have witnessed the apparitions of Saint Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary in their town, San Sebastián de Garabandal, in the community of Cantabria (Spain).

The events attracted crowds who claimed to have seen the girls go into deep ecstasy, levitate and perform displays of strength.

During the alleged appearances, which were recorded by photography and film cameras, several tried to get the minors to come out of the trance through the use of force.

A few years ago, Bishop José Vilaplana, Bishop of Santander between 1991 and 2006, said that he did not find supernaturalism, but he did not condemn the alleged apparition either and allowed pilgrims to celebrate Mass in the town church.

“All the bishops of the diocese from 1961 to 1970 affirmed that the supernatural character of said apparitions, which took place around that time, could not be confirmed,” said the prelateand also expressed that he did not consider it necessary to reiterate this in a new statement and publicize something that happened a long time ago.

In 2018 the film was released Garabandal, only God knowswhich tells the story of the alleged apparitions.

In October 2022, Bishop Manuel Sánchez Monge, Bishop of Santander between 2015 and 2023, noted that “my position, like that of my predecessors, is that Rome’s assessment remains valid: ‘There are no signs of supernaturality.'”