Members of the Confraternity of the Mary Mediatrix of All Grace praying to the image in their home in 2018. (Photo: Ray Manalo)
Aug 1 2023
The Vatican has intervened to discourage Catholics in the Philippines from celebrating the 75th anniversary of an alleged Marian apparition, which the Church refused to accept as a miracle seven decades ago.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith wrote to the head of national bishops’ conference Bishop Pablo Virgilio David that “it would not be advisable” for him to allow such a celebration this August.
The diacastery in a letter said it intervened after Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles John Brown informed it of the preparations in Archdiocese of Lipa for the celebrations of the alleged apparition by the Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All Graces.
The confraternity, a group of Catholics including clergy, say they will go ahead with the anniversary celebrations of the alleged apparitions in 1948, although the Vatican wants them to stop it.
“There may be an order from the Vatican, but our faith cannot deny that there was a supernatural event on that day,” Jovelyn San Jose, 63, a confraternity member, told UCA News. He wanted Church officials to revisit and re-examine the pieces of evidence.
“Celebrating the anniversary is part of religious freedom,” he said.
San Jose claimed they “would not be defying” the Church leaders if they celebrated the anniversary on Aug. 18 in private.
“We believe the apparition is authentic and even the Philippine government could not prevent us from gathering to commemorate the event, which for us, is an act of faith. This is not criminal, and it is protected by religious freedom,” he told UCA News.
The dicastery’s letter, which the bishops’ conference published on July 30, said the Vatican and the dicastery in 1951 examined the documents and declared that the alleged apparitions have “no supernatural character or origin, a decision directly approved by Pope Pius XII.”
The May 8 letter also said when dicastery became aware of the “persistent confusion and false notions deriving from erroneous and inaccurate information” relating to its 1951 decision, it “reaffirmed” decision in 2015.
Bishop conference president Bishop Virglio relayed the Vatican letter to Catholic dioceses asking them to halt any preparation for celebrations. David did not explain why the letter was not made public earlier.
However, prayer preparations have already started in Lipa for the anniversary, confraternity members said.
“We have bishops and priests who are our supporters. I hope they will still attend and celebrate the Mass for us. This is really a test of faith. We may not publicize all events, but we will still celebrate it,” Robert Faraon, 58, from Batangas province, told UCA News.
Faraon said one of the petals which allegedly fell from heaven with the image of Mary is in his house.
“We have one of the petals at home. And one could see how it was impossible to create that image of Mary in the petal. The image was so clear and delicately marked. Only a miracle could explain it,” Faraon said.
In 1948, Teresita Castillo joined a Carmelite monastery in Lipa City. Soon afterward, she claimed she heard a voice instructing her to go back to the same location around 15 days thereafter.
Castillo obeyed and on Sept. 15, 1948, she once again heard the voice who she described as “mother” and later, believed was the voice of the Virgin Mary.
In May, a retired judge and a member of the confraternity filed a defamation case leading to the arrest of a Catholic priest for allegedly making offensive remarks about the alleged Marian apparition. – UCA News
