Since his appointment in July and his arrival in September at the helm of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the former Holy Office has gained dynamism under the leadership of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.
Following the publication of "Fiducia supplicans" and "Dignitas infinita," the dicastery is currently preparing a document on miracles and apparitions, according to Katholisch.
This would be a text "providing precise guidelines and norms for differentiating apparitions from other phenomena," serving as a complement to the work of the Special Observatory for Marian Apparitions, established at the Vatican just over a year ago. This text could be published soon, given that Cardinal Fernández had a private audience with Pope Francis, an event that often heralds the release of a document, as observed in previous cases.
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In April 2023, the Vatican established a special observatory dedicated to Marian apparitions, tasked with analyzing and interpreting phenomena associated with possible manifestations of the Mother of God. This committee is responsible for statues of Mary that weep, spiritual inspirations, stigmata, and other mystical phenomena. Experts must gather data on these events, conduct investigations based on scientific criteria, and coordinate their efforts internationally.
Alleged apparitions and miracles always cause a sensation among the public. The proliferation of phenomena attributed to Marian apparitions, which resonate strongly with the faithful, has made it necessary to establish norms for their evaluation, often resolved by a scientific explanation. This was the case with the so-called "miracle of the blood" in the Diocese of Dresden-Meißen, where it was proven that the "bloody sweat" appearing on the head of the Virgin and Child Jesus in a rural chapel was actually a natural phenomenon caused by a red substance emanating from mites.