Vatican confirms apparitions of the Virgin Mary in India and rules out “syncretism”

The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, confirm in a letter approved by Pope Francis that there is a “constant action of the Spirit” in the Marian sanctuary of Vailankanni (India) and that the influx of non-Christian pilgrims does not represent “a form of syncretism.”

The letter is dated August 1 and its recipient is the Bishop of Thanjavur, Bishop Sagayaraj Thamburaj, where the sanctuary of Our Lady of Health, the most important in India, is located.

In it, Cardinal Fernández states that “the millions of pilgrims who travel here moved by faith, and the numerous spiritual fruits that are produced in the Sanctuary, testify to the constant action of the Holy Spirit in the place.”

Likewise, it indicates that “many non-Christian pilgrims who come in search of consolation echo similar testimonies. Some of them are cured of their illnesses and many find peace and hope. Without a doubt, the Holy Spirit also acts in them, responding to the intercession of Mary.”

This supernatural action among non-Catholics, Cardinal Fernández clarifies, “should not be considered as a form of syncretism or mixture of religions.”

“The Sanctuary is a place where the closeness of Mary is manifested, who welcomes everyone and demonstrates the love of the Lord to those who contemplate her,” the Cardinal continues. “Those who cannot receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church are not denied the consolation of the Mother of Jesus.”

Cardinal Fernández also assures that Pope Francis “cares very much about the piety of the faithful pilgrims, because it reflects the beauty of the Church on the way out that seeks Jesus in the arms of Mary and entrusts its pain and its hope to the heart of His Mother. ”.

“Pope Francis has asked me to communicate to you the great appreciation he feels for this place of faith,” concludes the cardinal.

What is the Velankanni Shrine of Our Lady of Health?

The Marian devotion in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Health of Velankani has its origin in some apparitions of the Virgin Mary to poor and sick children in the 16th century, according to what was expressed by the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith .

In particular, we remember the encounter with a child who offered the Virgin the milk he was carrying so that she could feed the Child she was carrying in her arms.

The place is also related to the devotion of some Portuguese sailors who, grateful for feeling protected by the Virgin Mary during a storm, built a chapel in the place of greater consistency than the pre-existing one and dedicated it on September 8, the feast of the birth. of the Virgin.

“We cannot help but remember how, in the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the destructive waters did not damage the church,” recalls Cardinal Fernández. On the day of the tsunami, some 2,000 pilgrims participated in Mass and, while other buildings at sea level further away were completely destroyed, the water did not reach the temple.

This chapel was elevated to the status of a parish in the 18th century, during the anti-Catholic persecution unleashed by the Dutch. Pope Saint John XXIII erected it as a minor basilica in 1962.