The following are some highlights from a 1978 document that was recently published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. According to VIS, "The document was approved by Pope Paul VI and issued by the congregation in 1978 though it was not then officially published as it was principally intended as a direct aid for the pastors of the Church."
Please Note: Emphasis may be added to text below. Also note that paragraphs below may be combined & some punctuation may be changed from the original.
* "Today, more than in the past, news of these apparitions is diffused rapidly among the faithful thanks to the... mass media. Moreover, the ease of going from one place to another fosters frequent pilgrimages, so that Ecclesiastical Authority should discern quickly about the merits of such matters. On the other hand, modern mentality and the requirements of critical scientific investigation render it more difficult, if not almost impossible, to achieve with the required speed the judgements that in the past concluded the investigation of such matters ('constat de supernaturalitate, non constat de supernaturalitate')"
* "When Ecclesiastical Authority is informed of a presumed apparition or revelation, it will be its responsibility: a) first, to judge the fact according to positive and negative criteria; b) then, if this examination results in a favourable conclusion, to permit some public manifestation of cult or of devotion, overseeing this with great prudence (equivalent to the formula, 'for now, nothing stands in the way') ('pro nunc nihil obstare'). c) finally, in light of time passed and of experience, with special regard to the fecundity of spiritual fruit generated from this new devotion, to express a judgement regarding the authenticity and supernatural character if the case so merits"
* "Positive Criteria (for judging, at least with probability, the character of the presumed apparitions or revelations): a) Moral certitude, or at least great probability of the existence of the fact, acquired by means of a serious investigation; b) Particular circumstances relative to the existence and to the nature of the fact, that is to say: 1. Personal qualities of the subject or of the subjects (in particular, psychological equilibrium, honesty and rectitude of moral life, sincerity and habitual docility towards Ecclesiastical Authority, the capacity to return to a normal regimen of a life of faith, etc.); 2. As regards revelation: true theological and spiritual doctrine and immune from error; 3. Healthy devotion and abundant and constant spiritual fruit (for example, spirit of prayer, conversion, testimonies of charity, etc.)."
* "Negative Criteria (for judging, at least with probability, the character of the presumed apparitions or revelations): a) Manifest error concerning the fact; b) Doctrinal errors attributed to God Himself, or to the Blessed Virgin Mary, or to some saint in their manifestations, taking into account however the possibility that the subject might have added, even unconsciously, purely human elements or some error of the natural order to an authentic supernatural revelation; c) Evidence of a search for profit or gain strictly connected to the fact; d) Gravely immoral acts committed by the subject or his or her followers when the fact occurred or in connection with it; e) Psychological disorder or psychopathic tendencies in the subject, that with certainty influenced on the presumed supernatural fact, or psychosis, collective hysteria or other things of this kind."
* "If, on the occasion of a presumed supernatural fact, there arises in a spontaneous way among the faithful a certain cult or some devotion, the competent Ecclesiastical Authority has the serious duty of looking into it without delay and of diligently watching over it. If the faithful request it legitimately (that is, in communion with the pastors, and not prompted by a sectarian spirit), the competent Ecclesiastical Authority can intervene to permit or promote some form of cult or devotion, if, after the application of the above criteria, nothing stands in the way. They must be careful that the faithful do not interpret this practice as approval of the supernatural nature of the fact on the part of the Church."
* "By reason of its doctrinal and pastoral task, the competent Authority can intervene 'motu proprio' and indeed must do so in grave circumstances, for example in order to correct or prevent abuses in the exercise of cult and devotion, to condemn erroneous doctrine, to avoid the dangers of a false or unseemly mysticism, etc."
* "In doubtful cases that clearly do not put the good of the Church at risk, the competent Ecclesiastical Authority is to refrain from any judgement and from any direct action (because it can also happen that, after a certain period of time, the presumed supernatural fact falls into oblivion); it must not however cease from being vigilant by intervening if necessary, with promptness and prudence"
* "It is up to the Sacred Congregation (for the Doctrine of the Faith) to intervene motu proprio in graver cases, especially if the matter affects the larger part of the Church, always after having consulted the Ordinary and even, if the situation requires, the Conference of Bishops."
Related: Apparitions (Topic Page) | Marian Apparitions at Medjugorje: True or False?
[5/29/12]
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