The Vatican has created a new observatory of Marian apparitions. As reported by the Vatican news portal (Thursday), the site aims to analyze and interpret phenomena related to the possible apparitions of the Blessed Mother. Statutes crying for Mary, intuition, stigmas and other mystical phenomena are the responsibility of the new body. Experts conduct investigations of these events according to scientific standards and coordinate them around the world.
Responsibility rests with the Pontifical Marian Academy. The Observatory of Apparitions and Mysterious Phenomena Related to the Image of the Virgin Mary is scheduled to officially begin its work on Saturday (April 15). The goal of setting up the observatory is to clarify Marian apparitions and miracles, “because the alleged messages often cause confusion, spreading alarming apocalyptic scenarios or even accusations against the Pope and the Church,” the president of the Marian Academy, Stefano Chaiquin, told Vatican News Portal.
The Catholic Church considers Marian apparitions possible in principle, but subjects such events to close scrutiny that could take decades. There are a number of places of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary in Germany, but so far there is no such place recognized by the Church for apparitions as Lourdes in France or Fatima in Portugal. (bin/ap)