The humble Benoite

On May 4 in France, the Marian apparitions of Notre Dame de Laus, in the diocese of Gap and Embrun, whose bishop is Jean-Michel di Falco, were granted ecclesial approval of their truthfulness. European and extra-European media dedicated ample coverage of the news. “L’Osservatore Romano”, the daily newspaper of the Holy See, entrusted to an expert, Salvatore M. Perrella, Dogmatics and Mariology Professor at Rome’s Pontifical Theological Faculty ‘Marianum’, the task of deepening the issue of the “Maryphanies”, the manifestations or apparitions of the Holy Virgin. On May 7, a long essay was issued on “Apparitions and Visions. The criteria of the Church”, which considers the most significant data: these apparitions took place for 54 years, practically during the entire life “of the humble and illiterate sixteen-year-old shepherdess Benoite Rencurel (1647-1718), who Pius IX declared ‘venerable’ in May 1872 and whose beatification process is under way”. Benoite – Perrella explained- “devoted herself entirely to the erection of a sanctuary ‘in honour of my adored Son’ and to the not easy but important ‘pastoral of reception’ of the increasingly numerous pilgrims arriving in Laus, to whom she instilled the ways to reconciliation, prayer and of the Gospel; an evangelization service which many opposed and scorned, but which was certainly effective and bore many fruits”.The criteria of the Church. “Marialogian” Perrella highlighted “the singular coincidence that after 350 years since the originating events, this ecclesial placet was granted the same year which marks the 150th anniversary of the Lourdes apparitions”, along with a long treatise “on ecclesial procedures aimed at verifying its truthfulness and authenticity”. This is how the “visions” are classified (as the “supernatural perceptions of an object which is naturally invisible”), compared to the “apparitions” (“sensible manifestation of an individual whose presence in the precise circumstances in which it is produced, cannot be explained according to the ordinary course of nature”). He also explained that “private” or “particular” revelations “can’t be put on the same plane as the divinely founding Revelations bestowed by Christ, reported in the Scripture and transmitted through Church tradition”. He added that “these aren’t superfluous” since they have an irreplaceable meaning within the Church” (Rahner). The central part of the essay is devoted to “verification procedures” of which he quotes: message examination, medical and psychological diagnosis of the seers, education, knowledge of the doctrine, spiritual and sacramental life, degree of ecclesial communion, morality of existence, possible miracle healing. He added that “compared to the past, ecclesial commissions place the seers under strict spiritual scrutiny in order to establish the ‘truth’ of extra-ordinary phenomena” (for example in Medjugorie).Caution in the approvals. “During its history, the Church approved 11 apparitions out of 295 undergoing scrutiny. Our Lady of Laus is the 12th apparition which will be granted official approval on May 4 2008”. These are the closing words of the essay. The historical data referring a “scant” 3% of ecclesial approvals compared to the almost 300 submitted, confirm the seriousness and caution marking the Church approach towards such a difficult and complex issue throughout the centuries. To this regard Perrella wrote: “Apparitions are an ever-topical issue arising interest of people from all social and cultural backgrounds. Today they are a gift for the soul and a challenge for reason”. He also explained that Church Magisterium adopts three-fold criteria vis à vis apparition phenomena and related judgement. These are: the ‘positive criterion’, according to which it ‘acknowledges the transcendence’ ( constat de supernaturalitate ); the ‘fence-sitter criterion’, according to which it ‘acknowledges the lack of transcendence’ (non constat de supernaturalitate); the ‘negative criterion’, whereby it acknowledges “the non-transcendence’ of the facts presented (constat de non supernaturalitate)”. In his closing statement the author recalls that “Marian apparitions are not directed to glorifying the Virgin since they are meant to strengthen faith in the God of Jesus Christ… and in this way influence the history of the world”.