MANILA (RVA News): The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines [CBCP] announced on July 28 that the Vatican ordered the cessation of any celebration related to the 75th anniversary of the alleged apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lipa, Batangas, on August 18.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, the CBCP head, said he received a formal letter from Luis Cardinal Ladaria, SJ, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, instructing the Philippine bishops to “dissuade any form of activity in the view of the proposed celebration in Lipa.”
“It would not be advisable for you to authorise the aforementioned celebration under any form,” wrote the cardinal in a letter dated May 8.
Cardinal Ladaria was responding to a document from Archbishop Gilbert Garcera of Lipa on preparations by the Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace [whi ch includes some clergy] for the anniversary of the supposed apparitions.
The then Congregation [now Dicastery] for the Doctrine of the Faith already declared in 1951 after investigations that the apparition was not of “supernatural character or origin.”
Confusion was stirred up in 1990 when then Archbishop Mariano G. Gaviola, permitted devotion four decades after it was banned. Then in 2005, Bishop Cabrera Argüelles he found no objection to the devotion and allowed it as long as it did not violate doctrine. He was overruled in 2015.
Bishop David, said the doctrinal dicastery called on everyone to abide by the 2015 decree from Rome that reiterated the 1951 decision.
“I hope you can communicate this to the faithful in your own ecclesiastical jurisdictions, especially those who are involved in the said Confraternity,” Bishop David said to his fellow bishops.
In his letter Cardinal Ladaria reminded the faithful that since this decision has direct approval from Pope Pius XII, the stand of the Catholic Church on the apparitions is definitive.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
However, Jovelyn San Jose, a member of the confraternity, insisted that “celebrating the anniversary is part of religious freedom,” claiming that they “would not be defying” the Church leaders if they celebrated the anniversary, UCAN reported on July 31.
“We believe the apparition is authentic and even the Philippine government could not prevent us from gathering to commemorate the event, which for us, is an act of faith. This is not criminal, and it is protected by religious freedom,” San Jose insisted.
On May 29, Bishop David admitted that the Philippine bishops failed to address contradictory views about the alleged Marian apparition [Sunday Examiner, June 11]. He said the bishops should have facilitated dialogue to clarify ongoing confusion.
“It may also be indicative of our own shortcomings as Church leaders in facilitating dialogue and fostering communion, especially when brothers and sisters in the same Catholic Church are in conflict with each other over matters of faith,” the bishop said.
