St. Mary Church

Feast date: May 20

The Catholic Church honors St. Bernardine of Siena on May 20. A Franciscan friar and preacher, St. Bernardine is known as “the Apostle of Italy” for his efforts to revive the country's Catholic faith during the 15th century.

Bernardine Albizeschi was born to upper-class parents in the Italian republic of Siena during 1380. Misfortune soon entered the boy's life when he lost his mother at age three and his father four years later. His aunt Diana cared for him afterward, and taught him to seek consolation and security by trusting in God.

Even at a young age, Bernardine demonstrated a remarkable concern for the poor as an outgrowth of his love for God. Having become accustomed to fasting, he preferred at times to go without any food in order to help someone in greater need. From the ages of 11 to 17 he focused on his studies, developing the eloquence and dedication that would serve his future work as an evangelist.

Before becoming a preacher, however, Bernardine spent several years ministering to the sick and dying. He enrolled in a religious association that served at a hospital in the town of Scala, and applied himself to this work from 1397 to 1400.

During that time, a severe plague broke out in Siena, causing a crisis that would eventually lead to the young man taking charge of the entire hospital. Inside its walls, up to 20 people were dying each day from an illness that also killed many of the hospital workers. The staff was decimated and new victims were coming in constantly.

Bernardine persuaded 12 young men to help him continue the work of the hospital, which he took over for a period of four months. Although the plague did not infect him, the exhausting work left him weak and he contracted a different sickness that kept him in bed for four months.

After recovering, he spent over a year caring for his aunt Bartholomaea before her death. Then the 22-year-old Bernardine moved to a small house outside the city, where he began to discern God's will for his future through prayer and fasting.

He eventually chose to join the Franciscans of the Strict Observance in 1403, embracing an austere life focused on poverty and humility. During this time, while praying before a crucifix, Bernardine heard Christ say to him: “My son, behold me hanging upon a cross. If you love me, or desire to imitate me, be also fastened naked to your cross and follow me. Thus you will assuredly find me.”

After Bernardine was ordained a priest, his superiors commissioned him to preach as a missionary to the Italians who were falling away from their Catholic faith. The Dominican evangelist St. Vincent Ferrer, just before leaving Italy, preached a sermon in which he predicted that one of his listeners would continue his work among the Italians –  a prophecy Bernardine heard in person, and went on to fulfill.

Bernardine's personal devotion to God, which amazed even the strict Franciscans, made his preaching extremely effective. He moved his hearers to abandon their vices, turn back to God, and make peace with one another. He promoted devotion to the name of Jesus as a simple and effective means of recalling God's love at all times.

When other priests consulted him for advice, Bernardine gave them a simple rule: “In all your actions, seek in the first place the kingdom of God and his glory. Direct all you do purely to his honor. Persevere in brotherly charity, and practice first all that you desire to teach others.”

“By this means,” he said, “the Holy Spirit will be your master, and will give you such wisdom and such a tongue that no adversary will be able to stand against you.”

Bernardine's own life attested to this source of strength in the face of trials. He patiently suffered an accusation of heresy –  which Pope Martin V judged to be false – and refused to abandon his bold preaching when a nobleman threatened him with death.

But Bernardine was also widely admired throughout Italy, and he was offered the office of a bishop on three occasions. Each time, however, he turned down the position, choosing to fulfill the prediction of St. Vincent Ferrer through his missionary work. Bernardine preached throughout most of Italy several times over, and even managed to reconcile members of its warring political factions.

Later in his life, Bernardine served for five years as the Vicar General for his Franciscan order, and revived the practice of its strict rule of life. Then in 1444, forty years after he first entered religious life, Bernardine became sick while traveling. He continued to preach, but soon lost his strength and his voice.

St. Bernardine of Siena died on May 20, 1444. Only six years later, in 1450, Pope Nicholas V canonized him as a saint.

I’m going to begin with a couple of questions that ask you to reflect on your life. Since today is the Feast of Pentecost they are questions about the Holy Spirit in your life. You ready? Here’s my first question. What is amazing you today? I’m talking about the kind of amazement that deepens your […]

Vatican City, May 19, 2024 / 08:15 am (CNA).

On the solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis said that Christians are called to proclaim the Gospel to everyone with gentleness and the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Speaking in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope explained that the Holy Spirit’s “work in us is powerful, as symbolized by the signs of wind and fire,” but it is also gentle and “welcoming to all.”

“From the ‘upper room’ of this basilica, like the apostles, we too are being sent forth to proclaim the Gospel to all,” Pope Francis said in his homily on May 19.

“Thanks to the Spirit, we can and must do this with his own power and gentleness,” he added.

Pope Francis underlined that this power is not arrogant, calculating, or imposing but is “born of fidelity to the truth that the Spirit teaches us in our hearts.”

“Consequently, we do not give up but tirelessly proclaim peace to those who desire war, forgiveness to those who seek revenge, welcome and solidarity to those who bar their doors and erect barriers, life to those who choose death, respect to those who love to humiliate, insult, and reject, fidelity to those who would sever every bond, thereby confusing freedom with a bleak and empty individualism,” he said.

“Nor are we intimidated by hardship, derision, or opposition, which, today as always, are never lacking in the apostolate.”

Pope Francis presided over the Mass the day after traveling to the northern Italian city of Verona. The 87-year-old pope was not the main celebrant but gave a shortened homily from a white chair at the front of the congregation to the right of the altar.

Cardinal Arthur Roche, the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, served as the main celebrant for the Pentecost Mass.

In his homily, Pope Francis explained how the Holy Spirit helps us to overcome sinful passions, like impurity or envy, and then gently plants the seeds of virtue and helps them to grow.

“He lovingly protects these virtues, so that they can grow stronger and so that, after the toil of combatting evil, we may taste the sweetness of mercy and communion with God,” he said.

“As a beautiful prayer of the early Church says: ‘Let your gentleness, O Lord, and the fruits of your love abide with me,’” he added.

Thousands were gathered inside St. Peter’s Basilica for the Pentecost Mass. After the Mass, Pope Francis appeared in the window of the Apostolic Palace and prayed the “Regina Caeli” in Latin.

The pope told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square that listening to the word of God helps to “silence the chatter” and provides space for one to hear the consoling voice of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit repeats in us “transformative words of love,” he added, that help us to realize the eternal love of God. The pope recommended that people spend time praying in silence in Eucharistic adoration to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Pope Francis also prayed for the Holy Spirit to bring communion between Christians, harmony in families, and an end to the wars in Ukraine and the Holy Land.

The solemnity of Pentecost, which is celebrated 50 days after Easter, marks the descent of the Holy Spirit.

At the end of his Pentecost homily, Pope Francis prayed: “Come, Creator Spirit, enlighten our minds, fill our hearts with your grace, guide our steps, grant your peace to our world.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Empowered and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to develop the gentleness needed to proclaim the Gospel to all, Pope Francis said.

Just as the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, transformed their hearts and instilled in them a "serene courage" to share their experience of Jesus, the pope said that today's Catholics who received the gift of the Spirit in baptism and confirmation are called to develop a similar missionary impulse.

"From the 'upper room' of this basilica, like the apostles, we too are being sent forth to proclaim the Gospel to all," Pope Francis said in his homily for Pentecost Mass in St. Peter's Basilica May 19. "We are sent into the world not only geographically, but also beyond the frontiers of race and religion for a truly universal mission."
    
Yet, he said, Christians are called to evangelize through the "power and gentleness" of the Spirit, "not with arrogance and imposition."

"Christians are not overbearing," he said; "their strength is another: the strength of the Spirit."

While Pope Francis presided over the Mass, Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was the main celebrant at the altar, which currently is surrounded by scaffolding due to restoration work on the canopy that stands over it.

Vested in red, the pope said that Christians must tirelessly share the Gospel as the apostles did, not "with calculation and cunning, but with the energy born of fidelity to the truth that the Spirit teaches us in our hearts and causes to grow within us." 

In that way, he continued, "we surrender to the Spirit, not to the forces of the world."

Pope Francis said that emboldened by the Holy Spirit, Christians should not be "intimidated by hardship, derision or opposition," but proclaim peace, solidarity, life and fidelity to those who act in discordance with the Gospel.

"At the same time, our proclamation seeks to be gentle (and) welcoming to everyone," he said. "Let us not forget this: everyone, everyone, everyone."

The pope then encouraged Christians to recall Jesus' parable of the great banquet, in which a king asks his servants to invite anyone they can find, "good and bad," to a dinner banquet.

"May the Spirit give us the strength to go forth and call to everyone with that gentleness," the pope prayed. And "that it gives us the gentleness to welcome all."

After Mass, Pope Francis prayed the "Regina Coeli" with visitors wearing rain ponchos and holding umbrellas in a drizzly St. Peter's Square. 

"The Holy Spirit is that which creates harmony," the pope told visitors after the prayer. "He creates it from different, sometimes conflicting realities."

Pope Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit would increase the "communion and fraternity of Christians from different confessions" and that the Spirit would give the leaders of governments "the courage to make acts of dialogue that lead to putting an end to war." 

The pope lamented the many wars taking place in the world and prayed particularly for the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, which has been the site of a renewed Russian assault in recent days, as well as for Palestine and Israel. 

Pope Francis prayed "that the Holy Spirit may bring the leaders of nations and all of us to open the doors toward peace."

"Today, on the feast of Pentecost, let us pray to the Holy Spirit, love of the Father and the Son, that it may create harmony in hearts, harmony in families, harmony in society, harmony in the whole world," he said. 
 

Rome, Italy, May 19, 2024 / 04:00 am (CNA).

This weekend, the Church celebrates Pentecost, one of the most important feast days of the year, which concludes the Easter season and celebrates the birth of the Church. 

Here’s what you need to know about the feast day.

Pentecost always occurs 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus and 10 days after his ascension into heaven. Because Easter is a moveable feast without a fixed date and Pentecost depends on the timing of Easter, Pentecost can fall anywhere between May 10 and June 13.

The timing of these feasts is also where Catholics get the concept of the novena — nine days of prayer — because in Acts 1, Mary and the apostles prayed together “continuously” for nine days after the Ascension leading up to Pentecost. Traditionally, the Church prays the novena to the Holy Spirit in the days before Pentecost.

The name of the day itself is derived from the Greek word “pentecoste,” meaning “50th.”

There is a parallel Jewish holiday, Shavu’ot, which falls 50 days after Passover. Shavu’ot is sometimes called the “Feast of Weeks,” referring to the seven weeks since Passover.

Originally a harvest feast, Shavu’ot now commemorates the sealing of the Old Covenant on Mount Sinai, when the Lord revealed the Torah to Moses. Every year, the Jewish people renew their acceptance of the gift of the Torah on this day.

In the Christian tradition, Pentecost is the celebration of the person of the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles, Mary, and the first followers of Jesus, who were gathered together in the upper room.

A “strong, driving” wind filled the room where they were gathered, and “tongues as of fire” came to rest on each one of them (Acts 2:13). They were suddenly able to speak in different languages and be understood. It was such a strange phenomenon that some people thought the Christians were drunk — but Peter pointed out that it was only “9 in the morning” and said the phenomenon was caused by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also gave the apostles the other gifts necessary to fulfill the great commission — to go out and preach the Gospel to all nations. This fulfilled the New Testament promise from Christ that the apostles would be “clothed with power” before they would be sent out to spread the Gospel (Luke 24:46-49).

It was right after Pentecost that Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached his first homily to Jews and other nonbelievers, in which he opened the Scriptures of the Old Testament, showing how the prophet Joel prophesied events and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

He also told the people that the Jesus they crucified is the Lord and was raised from the dead, which “cut them to the heart.” When they asked what they should do, Peter exhorted them to repent of their sins and to be baptized. According to the account in Acts, about 3,000 people were baptized following Peter’s sermon.

For this reason, Pentecost is considered the birthday of the Church — Peter, the first pope, preaches for the first time and converts thousands of new believers. The apostles and believers, for the first time, were united by a common language and a common zeal and purpose to go and preach the Gospel.

Typically, priests will wear red vestments on Pentecost, symbolic of the burning fire of God’s love and the tongues of fire that descended on the apostles.

However, in some parts of the world, Pentecost is also referred to as “Whitsunday,” or White Sunday, referring to the white vestments that are typically worn in Britain and Ireland. The white is symbolic of the dove of the Holy Spirit and typical of the vestments that catechumens desiring baptism wear on that day.

An Italian Pentecost tradition is to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues, and so, in some places in Italy, Pentecost is sometimes called “Pascha Rosatum” (“Easter roses”). One of the most famous locations for the rose petal dropping is the Pantheon.

In France, it is tradition to blow trumpets during Mass to recall the sound of the driving wind of the Holy Spirit.

In Asia, it is typical to have an extra service, called genuflexion, during which long poems and prayers are recited.

In Russia, Mass-goers often carry flowers or green branches during Pentecost services.

This story was originally published on June 2, 2017, and has been updated.

VERONA, Italy (CNS) -- Adults in the world's richest nations deserve "the Pontius Pilate Nobel Prize because we have become experts at washing our hands" of the violence and injustices in the world, Pope Francis said.

Always insisting on having the last word, being concerned only for one's own well-being, investing in weapons manufacturing and thinking that war can solve problems all contribute to a lack of peace in the world, the pope said May 18 at the "Peace Arena" in Verona.

In the Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheater built in the year 30 and famous today as the setting for operas, some 12,500 people involved in popular movements and Catholic organizations committed to service, peace and justice met with the pope to pray for peace.

In the city that is the setting for Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet," organizers chose "Justice and Peace Will Kiss" from Psalm 85 as the theme for the pope's visit.

Maoz Inon, an Israeli whose parents were killed Oct. 7 by Hamas militants, and Aziz Sarah, a Palestinian whose brother was killed by Israeli soldiers, were given a standing ovation by the crowd when they spoke arm-in-arm from the same podium.

After they shared their story, they went up to Pope Francis, and the three enclosed each other in a strong embrace as the crowd continued to applaud.

"Please, let's have a short moment of silence, because there isn't much to say after that," the pope said. "Just watch and, seeing the embrace of these two, everyone pray in their hearts to the Lord for peace and make a decision to do something to end wars."

Earlier, responding to questions about peacemaking, Pope Francis insisted that the secret is to start with the small things in life.

"Aggression multiplies," he said. "If someone insults you, you immediately want to double down."

"Once there was a funny scene: A person went to buy something and it was obvious he was not given the right price," the pope said. "He shouted all sorts of things. The store owner listened and then said, 'Sir, are you finished?'

"'Yes,' the customer said. 'Then go take a hike,' the owner said. He didn't use those words -- he used stronger words," the pope said, eliciting laughter. "But he sent him to take a walk. When things start getting heated, go take a walk. Calm down."

On a larger scale, the pope said, people in a society always will have different ideas about how things should go.

"A society without conflict is dead," he said. "A society where there is no dialogue about conflicts is a suicidal society. A society where conflicts are taken in hand and there is dialogue is a society with a future."

Pope Francis ended the morning at Verona's Montorio prison where he met with inmates -- women and men -- and stayed for lunch.

The pope's staying for a formal program and for lunch did not go unnoticed. Leonardo, 22, welcomed the pope on behalf of all the inmates, telling him, "None of us will ever forget this day. We've noticed you are giving us more time than you did to any other appointment today."

Greeting the inmates and staff in a yard and giving a shout-out to inmates watching from the windows of their cells, Pope Francis told them, "For me, entering a prison is always an important moment, because prison is a place of great humanity -- humanity tried, sometimes fatigued by difficulties, guilt, judgments, misunderstandings and suffering, but at the same time filled with strength, a desire for forgiveness, a desire for redemption."

"In this humanity, here, in all of you, in all of us, is present today the face of Christ, the face of the God of mercy and forgiveness," the pope said.

Before going to the Arena and to the prison, Pope Francis and about 5,500 children and young people were welcomed to the Basilica of St. Zeno by "The Embrace," a 32-foot-tall statue of a smiling Christ with his arms extended wide. The sculpture is made of 300 metal cutouts of children, women and men. The statue, commissioned by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land and made in Verona, was planned for the roof of a Catholic school in Jerusalem, and hopes are that one day it can be erected there.

The pope had a brief question-and-answer session with the young people, limiting the questions because, he told them, he did not want it to turn into "a torture session."

A boy asked how children can be peacemakers. The pope responded that they could start simply by not fighting with their siblings, classmates or parents and by sharing always, especially with people who have less than they do.

And, he told them, "do not be afraid to go against the tide if you want to do something good."

Beginning the day with priests and members of religious orders inside the basilica, Pope Francis urged them to never forget that "at the origin of every Christian life, there is the experience of an encounter with the Lord, which does not depend on our merits or commitment, but on the love of the one who comes to seek us, knocking on the door of our hearts and inviting us into a relationship with him."

"We are not better than others. It is pure grace," the pope told them. "He is the one who chose us" and not the other way around.

At the end of the meeting, Verona Bishop Domenico Pompili gave Pope Francis a copy of the baptismal certificate of Father Romano Guardini, a priest, philosopher and theologian, who was born in Verona in 1885, but studied, was ordained and worked in Germany, where he died in 1968. Pope Francis studied the priest's theology and often quotes his work.

 

WASHINGTON - As the Catholic Church in the United States prepares to celebrate its first National Eucharistic Congress in over half a century, Pope Francis will send His Eminence Luis Cardinal Tagle as his special envoy. His Eminence currently serves as Pro-Prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Evangelization. Cardinal Tagle will celebrate the closing Mass of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress being held July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Commenting on the announcement, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the appointment by Pope Francis “a gift to the Eucharistic Congress.” Archbishop Broglio said Cardinal Tagle’s “deep passion for apostolic mission rooted in the Eucharist is sure to have an inspirational impact for everyone attending the Congress,” adding that the Cardinal knows the United States well, having earned a doctorate in theology at The Catholic University of America in 1991.

Looking to bring the Catholic Church together for a national celebration of the mystery of the Eucharist in the life of the Church, the bishops of the United States approved the National Eucharistic Congress as a milestone moment in the three-year National Eucharistic Revival with the vision that it would flow into the final year of the Revival, the Year of Missionary Sending. “The Congress will give public witness to the Church’s core identity rooted in the Eucharist, and we pray that it will inspire a renewed sense of mission as we live out the gifts of unity and charity.  May it be the catalyst for a continued deepening of our faith in the Real Presence,” said Archbishop Broglio.

For more information on the Eucharistic Revival, Pilgrimage, and Congress, please visit https://www.eucharisticrevival.org.

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Rome Newsroom, May 17, 2024 / 11:03 am (CNA).

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández held a press conference on Friday addressing the Vatican’s new guidelines on apparitions, with the prelate noting that the new norms would help introduce greater prudence in the discernment process. 

“The Church has stated that the faithful are never forced to believe in this phenomenon. They are never obliged. There’s no obligation,” said Fernández, the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, during the conference at the Holy See Press Office on Friday. 

“The Church, as a matter of fact, leaves the faithful free to devote their attention to this phenomena or not,” he added. “Revelation that has already happened is the word of God. It contains everything we need for our Christian life.”

The document, titled “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena” and released on Friday morning, establishes new guidelines on Marian apparitions, abrogating a former document issued in 1978 under Pope Paul VI. 

Noting that these new norms establish a set of pragmatic guidelines to assist the local ordinary as well as the dicastery, Fernández said that “some phenomenon that could have a supernatural origin sometimes appear to be related to confused human experiences.” 

Speaking specifically on the role of the bishops in the process, the cardinal observed that there have been instances in which some bishops have issued decrees on apparitions saying these events “should be considered as being true” and that the “faithful must believe, shall believe in this.”

“Quite often the bishop’s decrees have used these words,” Fernández said.

He emphasized that these new norms will help bishops “have a prudential character so that the faithful can accept this in a prudent way.” 

“The pastoral action of the bishops and then situations can be very different and therefore we decided to have six possible conclusions,” he added. “If we look at history, at the different cases, we recognize different kinds of situations that can be basically located within these six possibilities.”

The new norms outline three stages for the discernment process. At the end of the evaluation process, the local bishop and a delegate he appoints to oversee the commission’s work are to prepare a “personal votum” in which the bishop proposes to the dicastery a final judgment. That decision will normally follow one of six formulas, one of which is the “nihil obstat,” a pronouncement that means there are no doctrinal objections.

“Without expressing any certainty about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon itself, many signs of the action of the Holy Spirit are acknowledged ‘in the midst’ of a given spiritual experience, and no aspects that are particularly critical or risky have been detected, at least so far,” the document states.

Drawing on biblical examples, Fernández noted that “right from the very beginning of the Church, the Holy Spirit itself, with charisms, promoted the necessary discernment of these manifestations. After 2,000 years, the Church still takes care of the faithful, helping them to be meek to the Holy Spirit.”

“These new norms are in continuity with this task,” he said.

Rome Newsroom, May 17, 2024 / 06:53 am (CNA).

The Vatican’s top doctrinal office is centralizing its authority over the investigation of alleged Marian apparitions and other religious phenomena under new norms it issued Friday, a break from past protocols that gave local bishops greater autonomy in discerning such cases.

While emphasizing that “discernment in this area remains the task of the diocesan bishop,” the new guidelines state that the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “must always be consulted and give final approval to what the bishop decides before he announces a determination on an event of alleged supernatural origin.” 

The document spelling out the new procedures, titled “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena,” explains that the doctrinal office previously played a role in the evaluation process but generally did so behind the scenes.

“While previously the dicastery had intervened but the bishop was asked not to mention it, today, the dicastery openly manifests its involvement and accompanies the bishop in reaching a final determination,” the document states. “Now, when the bishop makes his decision public, it will be stated as ‘in agreement with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.’”

The DDF’s prefect, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, who signed the document, held a press briefing for journalists at the Vatican Friday at noon local time.

The new norms take effect on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, abrogating the previous norms established under Pope Paul VI in 1978. 

One key component of the news norms is that only the pope can judge that an alleged apparition or other phenomenon is of "supernatural origin." It is beyond the scope of a local bishop or an episcopal conference to do so, the DDF says.

Centralizing control

In the document’s introduction, Fernández observes that under the older norms, “decisions took an excessively long time, sometimes spanning several decades,” delaying “the necessary ecclesiastical discernment.” 

Fernández also highlights that in the past there was greater deference to the local bishop in ascertaining the validity of alleged supernatural events, stating that “some bishops insisted on being able to make a positive declaration of this type.”

“Even recently, some bishops have wanted to make statements such as, ‘I confirm the absolute truth of the facts’ and ‘the faithful must undoubtedly consider as true …’”

“These expressions,” Fernández states, “effectively oriented the faithful to think they had to believe in these phenomena, which sometimes were valued more than the Gospel itself.”

Responding to the “development of modern means of communication” and “the increase in pilgrimages,” the document notes that these alleged events assume a global character “meaning that a decision made in one diocese has consequences also elsewhere.”

The document also emphasized that there have been cases of alleged supernatural events that have been “detrimental to the faithful,” adding that the Church “must respond with utmost pastoral solicitude.”

Some of the issues Fernández outlines included “the possibility of doctrinal errors,” “an oversimplification of the Gospel message,” and “the spread of a sectarian mentality.” 

Restrictions on pronouncements

The new guidelines note that during the discernment process “the diocesan bishop is to refrain from making any public statement in favor of the authenticity or supernatural nature of such phenomena and from having any personal connection with them.”

The document continues: “If forms of devotion emerge in connection with the alleged supernatural event, even without true and proper veneration, the diocesan bishop has the serious obligation of initiating a comprehensive canonical investigation as soon as possible to safeguard the faith and prevent abuses.”

In those cases, the bishop must establish an investigatory commission to include at least one theologian, one canonist, and “one expert chosen based on the nature of the phenomenon.” 

The document also stipulates that an interdiocesan commission must be created to evaluate cases that involve “the competence of multiple diocesan bishops.”

The new norms emphasize that should “alleged supernatural events continue” during the  investigatory process and “the situation suggests prudential measures,” then it is incumbent upon the bishop to “enforce those acts of good governance to avoid uncontrolled or dubious displays of devotion, or the beginning of a veneration based on elements that are as of yet undefined.”

Weighing positives and negatives

During the evaluation phase, the commission is to look at both the “positive” and “negative” criteria of the alleged apparition, the DDF’s new norms state. 

The document identifies four positive criteria: 

1. “The credibility and good reputation of the persons who claim to be recipients of supernatural events or to be directly involved in them, as well as the reputation of the witnesses who have been heard.”

2. “The doctrinal orthodoxy of the phenomenon and any messages related to it.”

3. “The unpredictable nature of the phenomenon, by which it is evident that it is not the result of the initiative of the people involved.”

4. “The fruits of the Christian life, including a spirit of prayer, conversions, vocations to the priesthood and religious life, acts of charity, as well as sound devotion and abundant and constant spiritual fruits.” 

The new norms also set forth six negative criteria to be considered: 

1. “The possibility of a manifest error about the event.”

2. “Potential doctrinal errors.”

3. “A sectarian spirit that breeds division in the Church.”

4. “An overt pursuit of profit, power, fame, social recognition, or other personal interest closely linked to the event.”

5. “Gravely immoral actions committed by the subject or the subject’s followers at or around the time of the event.”

6. “Psychological alterations or psychopathic tendencies in the person that may have exerted an influence on the alleged supernatural event.” 

At the end of the evaluation process, the bishop and a delegate he appoints to oversee the commission’s work are to prepare a “personal votum” in which the bishop proposes to the dicastery a final judgment. That decision will normally follow one of six formulas:

1. Nihil obstat: “Without expressing any certainty about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon itself, many signs of the action of the Holy Spirit are acknowledged ‘in the midst’ of a given spiritual experience, and no aspects that are particularly critical or risky have been detected, at least so far,” the document states.

2. Prae oculis habeatur: “Although important positive signs are recognized, some aspects of confusion or potential risks are also perceived that require the diocesan bishop to engage in a careful discernment and dialogue with the recipients of a given spiritual experience.” 

3. Curatur: “Although important positive signs are recognized, some aspects of confusion or potential risks are also perceived that require the diocesan bishop to engage in a careful discernment and dialogue with the recipients of a given spiritual experience.” 

4. Sub mandato: “In this category, the critical issues are not connected to the phenomenon itself, which is rich in positive elements, but to a person, a family, or a group of people who are misusing it.”

5. Prohibetur et obstruatur: “While there are legitimate requests and some positive elements, the critical issues and risks associated with this phenomenon appear to be very serious.”

6. Declaratio de non supernaturalitate: “In this situation, the dicastery authorizes the diocesan bishop to declare that the phenomenon is found to be not supernatural,” the document states.

Next steps

Following the DDF’s final decision, the diocesan bishop, unless directed otherwise by the dicastery, “will inform the national episcopal conference of the determination approved by the dicastery” and “will clearly make known to the people of God the judgment on the events in question.” 

The document notes that a nihil obstat “allows the pastors of the Church to act confidently and promptly to stand among the people of God in welcoming the Holy Spirit’s gifts that may emerge ‘in the midst of’ these events.” 

The document explains that the phrase “in the midst of” denotes that “even if the event itself is not declared to be of supernatural origin, there is still a recognition of the signs of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural action in the midst of what is occurring.” 

But the norms stress that in cases where a nihil obstat is granted, “such phenomena do not become objects of faith, which means the faithful are not obliged to give an assent of faith to them.” 

As in the case of charisms recognized by the Church, the document states, “they are ‘ways to deepen one’s knowledge of Christ and to give oneself more generously to him, while rooting oneself more and more deeply in communion with the entire Christian people.’” 

In the press conference on Friday, meanwhile, Fernández said the new norms will allow bishops to “have a prudential character so that the faithful can accept this in a prudent way.”

In the new guidance, Fernández said, the Church “leaves the faithful free to devote their attention to this phenomena or not.”

“Revelation that has already happened is the word of God. It contains everything we need for our Christian life,” he said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican has published new norms for the church to discern alleged supernatural phenomena, such as Marian apparitions and mystical visions, which streamline the discernment process for bishops, allow the Vatican to avoid making definitive judgments on the authenticity of the events and reaffirm that Catholics are not obliged to believe in the purported phenomena.

In the document released May 17, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, laid out six possible conclusions that can be reached when discerning a possible supernatural phenomenon, ranging from a declaration that an event is not of supernatural origin to authorizing and promoting piety and devotion associated with a phenomenon without affirming its divine nature.

The significant development in the text, signed by Pope Francis, is that "as a rule, neither the Diocesan Bishop, nor the Episcopal Conferences, nor the Dicastery will declare that these phenomena are of supernatural origin," though "the Holy Father can authorize a special procedure in this regard."

Rather, declarations of supernatural authenticity "are replaced either by a 'nihil obstat'" -- a judgment meaning "no objection" that finds no problematic elements with a reported phenomenon -- "or by another determination that is suited to the specific situation," Cardinal Fernández wrote in his presentation of the new norms.

If a "nihil obstat" is issued in response to alleged supernatural phenomena, "the Diocesan Bishop is encouraged to appreciate the pastoral value of this spiritual proposal, and even to promote its spread, including possibly through pilgrimages to a sacred site," but "without expressing any certainty about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon itself," the guidelines said.

Other conclusions may require bishops: to further discern events that have positive aspects but also some signs of confusion; to intervene directly against people who are misusing a phenomenon for personal gain; to publicly forbid adherence to a phenomenon deemed to have serious risks; or declare that a phenomenon is decidedly not supernatural based on concrete evidence or proof that it was false.

Another conclusion specifically addresses phenomena with "various or significant" negative or "critical elements" but have "already spread widely" and have led to verifiable spiritual fruits. "In this situation, a ban that could upset the People of God is not recommended," the guidelines said. "Nevertheless, the Diocesan Bishop is asked not to encourage this phenomenon but to seek out alternative expressions of devotion and possibly reorient its spiritual and pastoral aspects."

Cardinal Fernández wrote that the possibility of concluding the discernment process with a "nihil obstat," as opposed to declaring the phenomenon is true and worthy of belief, is meant to "prevent any further delays in the resolution of a specific case involving an event of alleged supernatural origin."

He also cited historical instances of bishops issuing definitive statements that appear to oblige the faithful in their dioceses to believe the authenticity of certain supernatural phenomena.

"These expressions conflicted with the Church's own conviction that the faithful did not have to accept the authenticity of these events," the cardinal wrote, and they "effectively oriented the faithful to think they had to believe in these phenomena, which sometimes were valued more than the Gospel itself."

Citing Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Fernández wrote that a "nihil obstat" allows the faithful to believe certain phenomena "in a prudent manner" but that their devotion "is not obligatory."

The cardinal said such a response "naturally leaves open the possibility that, in monitoring how the devotion develops, a different response may be required in the future."

The document explained that the procedures for discerning alleged supernatural phenomena previously followed were approved by St. Paul VI in 1978, more than four decades ago, and remained confidential until they were officially published in 2011.

Yet since those norms were put into practice, "it became evident that decisions took an excessively long time, sometimes spanning several decades," it said, noting that "since 1950, no more than six cases have been officially resolved, even though such phenomena have increased without clear guidance and with the involvement of people from many Dioceses."

"This way of proceeding, which has caused considerable confusion, shows how the 1978 Norms are no longer adequate to guide the actions of the Bishops and the Dicastery," the cardinal wrote.

In its introduction, the document also noted that with "the advent of modern means of communication, these phenomena can attract the attention of many believers or cause confusion among them."

A revision process of the 1978 norms began in 2019, and the current document began being prepared in 2023, it said.

The document laid out procedures for bishops to follow in investigating supernatural phenomena in their territory and explained their responsibility to formulate a final judgment on them, from among the six conclusions provided, to be sent to the dicastery for approval. In fact, the new norms assure bishops that the dicastery will be more explicitly involved in working with them if they need to conduct an investigation. The bishop's decision must be sent first to the dicastery before it is made public and the dicastery will have the power to intervene at any time.

The procedures said that a bishop must "refrain from making any public statements in favor of the authenticity or supernatural nature of such phenomena, and from having any personal connection with them."

If forms of devotion arise in connection with an alleged supernatural event, "the Diocesan Bishop has the serious obligation of initiating a comprehensive canonical investigation as soon as possible to safeguard the Faith and prevent abuses," the document said.

The bishop should also "prevent the spread of confused religious manifestations or the dissemination of any materials pertaining to the alleged supernatural phenomenon -- such as the weeping of sacred images; the sweating, bleeding, or mutation of consecrated hosts, etc. -- to avoid fueling a sensationalistic climate," it said.

Outlining the norms for the investigative phase, the document said the positive criteria to consider in response to a supernatural phenomenon entail the credibility of persons involved with the events, the doctrinal orthodoxy of the phenomenon and messages associated with it, the spontaneity of the event and the fruits that it bears in the life of the Christian community.

Negative criteria, on the other hand, involve potential doctrinal errors associated with the event, the rise of a sectarian spirit revolving around it, an overt pursuit of personal gain or gravely immoral actions committed by those involved in the phenomenon and psychological or psychopathic tendencies among those who may have been influenced by the phenomenon.

If a bishop is granted a "nihil obstat" by the dicastery regarding an alleged supernatural phenomenon, the document said a bishop will indicate that the faithful "are authorized to give to it their adherence in a prudent manner," while ensuring they "do not consider any of the determinations as an approval of the supernatural nature of the phenomenon itself."

If a precautionary or negative determination is made, the bishop "must formally make it known," using clear and understandable language and considering whether to make known the doctrinal reasons for the decision, the norms said.