Marian apparition 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 ...

s are reported supernatural appearances by

Mary, the mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

. Below is a list of alleged events concerning notable Marian apparitions, which have either been approved by a major Christian church, or which retain a significant following despite the absence of official approval or despite an official determination of inauthenticity. While a number of Marian apparitions are approved or received positive judgments, many receive no-decision or negative judgments from the church.

Catholic Church

According to norms of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

which have been in effect since the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italian Peninsula, Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation ...

in the 16th century, the initial responsibility of evaluating the merits of any purported apparition falls to the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

of the area in which the events allegedly occurred. If, after an investigation, the bishop determines that the apparition constitutes an authentic supernatural appearance of the

Blessed Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, then the apparition is considered approved for the entire Catholic Church, unless his successor or the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

were to contradict his decision.

Positive judgment

The apparitions in this category have been judged to be "worthy of belief."

Approved, with widespread liturgical veneration endorsed by the Holy See

A distinction is sometimes made between apparitions that are "Vatican approved" and those that are not. However, by the norms of ''

Normae Congregationis ''Normae Congregationis'' (NC) is a 1978 document written by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) which sets guidelines for Catholic bishops in discerning claims of private revelation such as Marian apparitions. It specif ...

'', the only formal mechanisms for

approval of an apparition would be the

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

approving an apparition that had occurred in the

Diocese of Rome The Diocese of Rome ( la, Dioecesis Urbis seu Romana; it, Diocesi di Roma) is the ecclesiastical district under the direct jurisdiction of the Pope, who is Bishop of Rome and hence the supreme pontiff and head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...

, or the pope approving an apparition against the will of the local bishop, neither of which has happened to date. Even in cases in which the

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of the Holy Office in Rome. It was founded to defend the Catholic Church from Heresy in Christianity, heresy and is ...

cooperates with an investigation that yields a positive result, the consequent approval derives its authority from the local bishop, not from the Holy See. Because approval by the Holy See can therefore only be claimed based on informal indicators of endorsement, lists of "Vatican-approved Marian apparitions" vary widely depending on the criteria used. The criterion used here is that the Holy See must have approved the widespread veneration of the apparition by inscribing it on a

liturgical calendar The liturgical year, also called the church year, Christian year or kalendar, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches that determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which ...

besides that of the particular diocese in which the apparition occurred.

Approved

Below is a list of additional apparitions which have been approved by the local

ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (Every Little Thing album) (2011) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016) * "Ordinary" (Wayne Brady song) (2008) * ...

(i.e. the bishop assigned to the area in which the events allegedly occurred).

Positive judgment of related effects

In some cases, the apparitions do not receive a positive judgment in themselves (because an investigation is still in progress, or because an investigation is judged not to be feasible or necessary, etc.), but elements surrounding the apparition receive approval.

Approved contemporaneous miracle

In cases in which a seer reports that Mary appeared to him or her and worked a miracle, ecclesial authorities will occasionally evaluate and certify the miracle – thereby implying belief in the person's account of how it happened – but without directly commenting on the apparition itself.

Approved public veneration

There are cases in which the Holy See or a local

chooses not to open or definitively conclude an investigation into the supernatural character of the apparitions themselves, but approves of the public religious activity inspired by the apparition. Such approval can come by way of an explicit decree or by implicit means such as the authorization of liturgical veneration.

Approved public pilgrimages

For alleged apparitions in this category, public pilgrimages are permitted, but not public veneration.

No judgment

Apparitions in this category have not received judgment on the apparitions themselves or on associated elements, either because an investigation was never opened, or because an investigation is still in progress.

Neutral judgment

Apparitions in this category have been evaluated, but received neither approval nor rejection. This is known as a "non constat de supernaturalitate" judgment, or "non constat" for short. The apparitions listed here also lack approval for any related public cultus, such as public veneration or pilgrimages.

Negative judgment

Some apparitions, despite being officially rejected, are notable for continuing to have a substantial following. In rare cases, rejected apparitions are approved at a later date once new evidence becomes available.

Coptic Orthodox Church

Notes

References

External links

The Appeals of Our Lady
a compilation of apparitions researched by

Carlo Acutis Carlo Acutis (3 May 1991 – 12 October 2006) was an English-born Italian Catholic youth and amateur computer programmer, who is best known for documenting Eucharistic miracles around the world and cataloguing them onto a website which he crea ...

''National Geographic'': 500 Years of Virgin Mary Sightings in One Map

{{Roman Catholic approved apparitions Marian apparitions Catholic Mariology Anglican Mariology Christian miracles