Vatican validates the apparitions of María Rosa Mystica in Italy

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has given the green light to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary as Mystical Rose to the Italian visionary Pierina Gilli and declared that “it does not contain theological or moral elements contrary to the doctrine of the Church.”

This has been declared by the prefect of the Vatican Dicastery, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, through a letter approved by the Holy Father and sent on July 5 to Bishop Pierantonio Tremolada, Bishop of Brescia, the city in northern Italy where the apparitions occurred.

Based on the new Rules to proceed in the Discernment of alleged supernatural phenomenathe Vatican has not found “in the messages spread by Pierina Gilli elements that directly contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church on faith and morals.”

Furthermore, they assure that in the facts related to this spiritual experience “there are no negative moral aspects, nor other elements worthy of any criticism.”

They highlight that “several positive aspects can be found that stand out in the set of messages” and they also make some clarifications “in order to avoid misunderstandings.”

The Italian Pierina Gill, who died in 1991 at the age of 80, claimed to have received messages from the Virgin in 1947 and 1966 in the town of Fontanelle, south of Montichiari, in Brescia.

According to the visionary, the Virgin presented herself with the titles “Mystical Rose” and “Mother of the Church.” Furthermore, Pierina claimed to have seen 3 roses on the Virgin’s dress; one white, one red and one yellow, representing prayer, penance and suffering.

Decades later, on May 13, 1966, the Virgin Mary would have indicated to Pierina a fountain as a place of purification and grace. These facts were denied until 2019, when the place was proclaimed “Diocesan Sanctuary of the Mystical Rose – Mother of the Church.”

For the Vatican, the meaning attributed to the 3 roses were appropriate “and central to the visionary and her particular spiritual experience,” and they affirm that they should not “necessarily be thought of as directed at all believers.”

“It is better to avoid presenting them as the nucleus, the center or the synthesis of the Gospel, which can only be charity, as the New Testament reminds us in several places,” the letter reads.

Likewise, Cardinal Fernández emphasizes that “Mary’s cooperation must always be understood in the sense of her maternal intercession and in the context of her help to create dispositions so that we can open ourselves to the action of sanctifying grace,” since “only Jesus Christ He is our only Redeemer.”

In fact, Doctrine of Faith highlights that “while exalting this beauty of Mary with all her affection and admiration, Pierina clearly recognizes that everything Mary does in us always orients us toward Jesus Christ.”