The Catholic Church released a document Friday providing new guidelines for identifying purported supernatural phenomena.
The document, which has been translated into seven languages, states that the Church “restricts events that are beyond the scope of normal experience and that appear to be of supernatural origin (such as apparitions, hallucinations, internal or external conversations, writings, or messages). It specifically refers to how the church should investigate. , phenomena related to religious images, and psychophysical phenomena. )”
Throughout Christian history, most church denominations have acknowledged various supernatural and miraculous occurrences caused by the Holy Spirit, angels, saints, and other benevolent beings.
“When spiritual experiences are accompanied by physical and psychological phenomena that cannot be readily explained by reason alone, the Church has a delicate responsibility to carefully study and discern these events,” the Vatican document states. It is being
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During a press conference at the Vatican, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández of Argentina (left), head of the Vatican’s Doctrine Secretariat, is flanked by Sister Daniela del Gaudio, director of the Observatory for Marian Apparitions and Mystical Phenomena. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
This document sets out four considerations for the Church to take into account when dealing with alleged supernatural events: “(a) The nature of the phenomenon that is said to be of supernatural origin. (b) whether there are any contradictions; (c) the beliefs and morals of the people involved in the phenomenon in question; ) whether it is permissible to appreciate their spiritual fruits, whether they need to be cleansed from problematic elements, or whether believers should be warned of potential possibilities. Risk; (d) Whether it is advisable for competent church authorities to realize pastoral values.
According to the new guidelines, the church will no longer seek to authoritatively affirm the supernatural origins of events, but instead to approve or reject popular devotion and popular piety based on available evidence. become.
Multiple reasons have been cited for this change: the time required to confidently govern paranormal phenomena and the increasing influence of rapid global mass communication.
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Pope Francis attends the General Assembly of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during an audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. (Vatican Pool via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the DDF, announced at a Vatican press conference on Friday that the decision was due to these factors, which increase the risk of misinformation and manipulation.
The DDF states that incidents claimed to be of supernatural origin can be fabricated by people seeking “profit, power, prestige, social recognition, or other personal gain” and are “doctrinal errors.” , oversimplification of the gospel message, or spreading the gospel. It’s a sectarian way of thinking. ”
The Catholic Church states that miracles and manifestations of divine origin cannot teach or propagate ideas that are contrary to the Bible or sacred tradition, that is, supernatural events are contrary to or inconsistent with established Christian doctrine. I don’t believe you can prove it.
DDF believes that such contradictory incidents are “nothing more than the product of someone’s imagination, desire for novelty, tendency to fabricate falsehoods or a tendency to lie.”
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The Vatican has issued guidelines to reform the process of evaluating alleged supernatural events, long suspended in church history, and to make a final declaration unless the event is clearly fabricated. applied the brakes. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
It may take years, even decades, to fully investigate the origin and explanation of DDF’s alleged paranormal phenomena. The slow turnaround time of this research means that findings are often published too late to influence local communities’ interpretations of events, leading to theological confusion.
Since 1950, the Vatican has ultimately closed only six paranormal cases, Fernandez said.
DDF further noted the impact that the globalization of technology has had on the Catholic Church, stating that, “With the development of modern means of communication and the increase in pilgrimages, these phenomena are becoming national and even global in scope. , which means that decisions made in one diocese can have an impact.” Even in other places. ”
Local bishops have now been instructed to document their own investigations into suspected supernatural phenomena in their dioceses before sending them to Rome.
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DDF has investigated the allegations and plans to investigate further before making a ruling on how clergy and laity should proceed.
Possible rulings are: Nihil Obstat (“Nothing stands in the way)”, to p.Lohibettur and Obstratur(“Prohibition and Interference”) until the most decisive result. non-supernatural declaration (“Declaration of Non-Supernaturalism”)
Read the documentation (written in 7 languages) — Mobile users click here
The DDF could also instruct bishops not to publicize purported supernatural events due to concerns about authenticity or exploitation by self-interested parties.
“As a general rule, neither diocesan bishops nor episcopal synods nor episcopal conferences declare that such phenomena have a supernatural origin, even if they do so. Nihil Obstat is allowed,” DDF said. “However, it remains true that the Pope can authorize special procedures in this regard.”
Friday’s document completely replaces guidelines previously established under Pope Paul VI in 1978.
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Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican’s Doctrine Secretariat, poses for photographers at the end of a press conference at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The Catholic Church has urged “extreme caution” before attributing phenomena to supernatural forces, warning that hastily attributing explainable events to divine origins can undermine and distort the faith. I’m warning you that there is.
Members of the Catholic Church who intentionally falsify evidence of miraculous events are subject to severe canon law penalties.
