Angelik Caruana is a resident of
Birżebbuġa
Birżebbuġa (; sometimes shortened to B'Buġa) is a seaside town in the Southern Region of Malta, close to Marsaxlokk. It is approximately from the capital Valletta, and it has a population of 9,736 as of March 2014.
The town is popular amon ...
in Malta who has reported a series of
visions of the Virgin Mary
A Marian apparition is a reported supernatural appearance by Mary, the mother of Jesus, or a series of related such appearances during a period of time.
In the Catholic Church, in order for a reported appearance to be classified as a Marian ap ...
since 21 April 2006, including a number of times at a hill in
Borġ in-Nadur
Borġ in-Nadur is an archaeological site located in open fields overlooking St George's Bay, near Birżebbuġa, Malta. It is occupied by a Tarxien phase megalithic temple as well as the remains of a Bronze Age village which includes the earlies ...
where he delivered monthly messages to the public.
Caruana originally made headlines in 2006 when he claimed that a statue of the Virgin Mary in his home was weeping blood and oozing oil.
The blood was later identified as Angelik's own and the oil as burnt cooking oil.
The Borġ in-Nadur site sometimes received more than 200 visitors,
and Caruana has a number of followers who circulate his messages through newsletters and the internet.
In January 2016, the Catholic Church decreed that Caruana's messages were not divine in nature, and should not be promoted.
The curia were particularly concerned over Caruana's "monetary gain" from the reported apparations, and two cases where Caruana had told cancer patients that their illness has been cured, only for them to die weeks later.
History
![Borg_in-Nadur_Hill_Cross](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Borg_in-Nadur_Hill_Cross.jpeg)
In January and April 2006, Caruana reported that a statue of the Virgin Mary in his house in Birżebbuġa was issuing tears of blood. Mrs. Caruana had felt so drawn towards the statue while it was on display in a Birzebbuga pet shop, that she immediately purchased it and placed it in a prominent place in her residence. Three days later, on the 23rd January, tears of a red liquid oozed from the statue. In April that year he reported his first vision of the Virgin Mary in a local church, in which she referred to herself as the "Immaculate Conception and the Queen of Peace and the Family" and asked for the urgent conversion of Maltese families, and prayer for the conversion of the people of Iran, Russia, America, China and Australia.
Apparitions began to occur more regularly, although without any pattern, and in June 2006, Caruana reported apparitions on the 19, 23 and 30. Father Hayden Williams was notified of the events and became Caruana's spiritual director under his own initiative, without the support of the church,
accompanying him on many occasions during his apparitions.
Starting in December 2006, Caruana was reporting weekly apparitions on a hill at Borġ in-Nadur, which he described as "the special place Mother Mary has chosen for the apparitions".
These apparitions included conversations with the Virgin Mary, visions of souls in Purgatory, vision of the
Archangel Uriel
Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is mentio ...
, Satanic attacks, mystic visions of Jesus on the Cross, the apparition of the Eucharist on Caruana's hands and his subsequent Holy Communion, and visions of other supernatural phenomena.
During a vision on February 28, 2007 on Borg in-Nadur Hill, Angelik Caruana is reported to have said the Madonna told him she is appearing in Malta because she wants people to accept her son again.
The public messages Caruana gives on Borġ in-Nadur Hill are now recorded live by the priests accompanying him, and are read out to an audience. All the messages are also posted to an official website. Lengthy messages start out with "My dear children" where Caruana greets the listeners as the Virgin Mary's children. Caruana's messages have directed the pilgrims present to meditate on the rosary daily as the means to acquire peace, and have said that
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
is more of a necessity than visiting the site of Borġ in-Nadur, although Caruana has said that he believed the Virgin Mary wanted the people to visit the site and pray as "it is a special place that she herself has chosen".
In 2010, Caruana was directed by the Virgin Mary to travel to
Gozo
Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
, Malta's sister island where he described further apparitions from her at a site in
Xewkija
Xewkija ( mt, Ix-Xewkija, it, Casal Xeuchia, pronounced and written as Casal Sceuchia) is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo. The population of Xewkija is 3,300 as of March 2014.
History
Xewkija, which is situated between G ...
. In 2011, Caruana travelled to the Vatican, where it was reported he climbed over a security barrier to interrupt a general audience with
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereign ...
, in order to personally deliver a letter containing "devotional messages". Caruana was escorted from the venue by Vatican security.
Other visions
Archangel
Uriel
Uriel or Auriel ( he, אוּרִיאֵל ''ʾŪrīʾēl'', " El/God is my flame"; el, Οὐριήλ ''Oúriēl''; cop, ⲟⲩⲣⲓⲏⲗ ''Ouriēl''; it, Uriele; Geʽez and Amharic: or ) is the name of one of the archangels who is mentio ...
is a
guardian angel
A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...
who Caruana describes as being visible only to him. Caruana has spoken of how the angel can transport his soul to different places. On a particular occasion, Caruana described how his soul was transported over five hundred miles to
Medjugorje
Medjugorje ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Međugorje, Међугорје, ) is a town located in southwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, about southwest of Mostar and east of the border with Croatia. The town is part of the Čitluk municipality ...
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Uriel reportedly ministers the Eucharist to Caruana. Several witnesses have reported the Eucharist appearing out of nowhere, with Caruana receiving it in his hands and subsequent Holy Communion.
Caruana talks of communing with souls from Purgatory, who ask for intercession so that they might be transferred to heaven. The visits from the souls in Purgatory include a re-visitation at the time of their entrance in heaven, when Caruana is able to witness them entering the pearly gates. Caruana considers it important to pray for the departed.
St. Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
has also appeared in Caruana's visions, and has spoken to him about the need to "radically change the Church from the inside".
Caruana reports experiencing pain related to Jesus' sufferinġ Every Friday, he describes feeling the five wounds of Jesus during the
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
, and occasionally the crown of thorns and the flagellation. Caruana believes that the Virgin Mary has told him that one day he will also demonstrate visible
stigmata
Stigmata ( grc, στίγματα, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ: the hands, wrists, and feet.
Stigm ...
of these injuries.
Caruana has described several demonic attacks on his person, and has experienced three visions of Hell.
In the first vision, the Virgin Mary's hands emitted a blazing fire that extended between the cross and the bronze-age wall, passing through an assembled crowd of the damned, who Caruana saw to be blaspheming and fighting one another. Within the flames and among the people Caruana perceived many devils that had the shape of humans and animals, who began to mock the people while hovering above them. Fr. Hayden reported Caruana as asking "Why is it Lady that you are now showing me hell?" Caruana experienced a similar vision in July 2008, causing him to weep, and request a sign from the Virgin Mary. He reported her reply as a request that she would only issue such a sign following sufficient conversion.
Messages from the hill
Some of the messages recorded by Caruana take the form of
teaching
Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the context of an educational institution. Teaching is closely re ...
s, on subjects such as the existence of
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
, the rejection of
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
as an American "party" tradition, and the variety of sins which will condemn a soul to
Hell
In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
, including abortion, divorce, euthanasia, pornography,
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
,
child abuse
Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child or children, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to a ...
and premarital sex. Modern attitudes to marriage have been singled out for particular concern, with
Internet pornography
Internet pornography is any pornography that is accessible over the internet, primarily via websites, FTP servers peer-to-peer file sharing, or Usenet newsgroups. The availability of widespread public access to the World Wide Web in late 1990s ...
and workplace
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
being cited by Caruana as breaking up many thousands of families, and divorce being a source of "disorder and confusion", with children becoming "as though orphans".
Speaking on behalf of the Virgin Mary, Caruana has expressed messages of support for Malta's anti-abortion perspective, saying that only "those who have cast aside Jesus Christ can regard abortion as a good thing". He has also spoken of the dangers of drug abuse, which cause those around the abuser to suffer, and which he describes as a means of "Satanic rule". The Virgin Mary's suffering in relation to mankind's wrongdoing is frequently mentioned in Caruana's messages.
In 2010, Caruana began to speak on
apocalyptic themes, quoting the Virgin Mary in saying that "the time of darkness and tribulation" was near, and that Malta was fortunate to have Caruana passing on messages from Jesus via Mary. Religious conversion is a recurring theme in the messages recorded by Caruana, who calls for an "urgent conversion" from all the countries of the world, particularly Iran, Russia, America, China and Australia.
Caruana has given messages which predict future events relating to the apparitions. On the 5 of August 2009, Caruana reported that the Virgin Mary had promised that miraculous water would issue from the plant at by the foot of the cross at Borġ in-Nadur Hill, "for two whole years". In June 2010, Caruana reported another message about the promised miraculous stream of water from the plant and said that the time when this will happen was "not far off".
Again on 4 August 2010, a year after the first prediction, Caruana reported a message from the apparition which said "the time is fast approaching! The time for which my Son Jesus has sent me is near. Indeed, my children, soon the flow of water up here will be created." On 4 August 4, 2011, according to Caruana, the Virgin Mary was said to have promised a spring that would provide water that will heal the sick.
Investigations
Fr. Hayden Williams O.F.M. (Cap) accompanied Caruana in an unofficial capacity since the start of the alleged visions in 2006, to February 2013, when his were duties were passed to Fr. Anton Gouder. The Church has made it clear that Fr Williams was not assigned by the Archbishop but took up the position under his own initiative.
In 2009, after Caruana had claimed to possess a statuette of the Madonna which wept blood and leaked oil on his kitchen table, a forensic investigator and a pathologist were commissioned by the Archbishop to investigate the claims. Tests on the substance showed it to be ordinary cooking oil, with the "blood" being a burnt form of the oil.
The Archbishop's
Curia
Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...
investigated another case where Caruana reported blood on the face of a statue of the Madonna, and although the substance was shown to be human blood, an expensive forensic investigation identified it as Caruana's own.
In October 2012 church authorities in Malta issued a directive that phenomena and messages such as those alleged to occur at Borg in-Nadur were no longer to be announced and interpreted in the public fora. “...
a spirit of discernment and evaluation of these alleged phenomena and messages, the authorities of the Church in Malta feel that the time is ripe to issue this directive”. Furthermore, the church said that, Angelik Caruana will only attend activities at Borg in Nadur on the 26th of every month.
"Curia orders mystic to refrain from issuing messages from alleged apparitions", ''Malta Today'', October 12, 2012
/ref>
In 2016, the Archbishop's Curia issued a decree, signed by Archbishop Charles Scicluna
Charles Jude Scicluna (born 15 May 1959) is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been the Archbishop of Malta since 2015. He held positions in the Roman Curia from 1995 to 2012, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop o ...
, concluding that Caruana's messages were neither divine nor supernatural. The decision was reached following consultation with the College of Consultors
A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e., a counselor.
In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:
*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by ...
and the Bishop of Gozo Mario Grech
Mario Grech (born 20 February 1957) is a Maltese prelate who was Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019. He was Pro-Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops from October 2019 until he became Secretary General in September 2020.
Pope Francis raise ...
. The curia were concerned over Caruana receiving monetary gain from his reported apparations, as Vatican policy is that "genuine apparition cases should not be linked to some monetary gain". Concern was also raised over a number of cases of "false miracles" claimed by Caruana, with two instances where he had told cancer patients that their illness has been cured, only for them to die within a month. The decree advised that "Priests, male and female religious, Catechists and all the Christian faithful are to refrain from the promotion, in any way whatsoever, of the said alleged apparitions, the said alleged messages and the other alleged mystical phenomena related to this case."
References
External links
The Apparitions of the Lady of Borg in-Nadur
Angelik gave cancer sufferers false hope with miracle cure, Church says
Malta Today
''MaltaToday'' is a twice-weekly English language newspaper published in Malta. Its first edition was published in 1999, and started out as a Friday newspaper.
History
''MaltaToday'' was first published on Friday, 19 November 1999. It was edi ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caruana, Angelik
Living people
Maltese Roman Catholics
Marian visionaries
Angelic visionaries
Place of birth missing (living people)
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Birżebbuġa