List of private revelations approved by the Catholic Church

Contents

Private revelations approved by the Catholic Church are private revelations which the Catholic Church has judged to be in all probability (not infallibly or with absolute certainty)[1] from God (constat de supernaturalitate),[2] and has legalized to be published and authorized devotion to them.[3] Shrines and feast days, when authorized by the church,[4][5] are typical signs of approval since they are part of devotion to private revelation.[6] This list is organized according to the episcopal level of approval, type of revelation, and chronology and includes a brief line about the revelation, its recipient, which church official approved of it, and an except from a church document about it being approved.

Episcopal Approval

Mary

Apparition

Laus, France (1664-1718)

The apparitions of Our Lady of Laus to Venerable Benedicta Rencurel were approved by Bishop Jean-Michel de Falco.

Green Bay, Wisconsin (1859)

The three apparitions of Our Lady of Champion to Adele Brise were approved by Bishop David Ricken.

Kibeho, Rwanda (1981-1989)

The apparitions of Our Lady of Kibeho to Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and Marie Claire Mukangango were approved by Bishop Augustin Misago.

Papal approved

Jesus

Apparition

Paray, France (1673-1675)

The apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque were approved by Pope Pius XI.

Krakow, Poland (1931-1938)

The apparitions of the Divine Mercy to Saint Faustina Kowalska were approved by Pope John Paul II.

Vision

Helfta, Thuringia (13th century)

The visions of Jesus to Saint Mechtilde of Hackeborn of the convent of Helfta were mentioned by Pope Benedict XVI in a General Audience of September 29, 2010. "However, the Lord reassured her, making her realize that all that had been written was for the glory of God and for the benefit of her neighbour".[7]

Eisleben, Thuringia (13th century)

The visions of Jesus to Saint Gertrude the Great were referred to by Benedict XVI in a General Audience of October 6, 2010.

Mary

Apparition

Guadalupe, Mexico (1531)

The five apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Extremadura to Saint Juan Diego were approved by Pope John Paul II.

Rue du Bac, France (1830)

The three apparitions of the Miraculous Medal to Saint Catherine Labouré were approved by Pope Pius XII.

Lourdes, France (1858)

The eighteen apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes to Saint Bernadette Soubirous were approved by Pope Pius XII.

Fatima, Portugal (1917)

The six apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima to Servant of God Lucia Santos and Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto were approved by Pope John Paul II.

Vision

Knock, Ireland (1879)

The vision of Our Lady of Knock to Dominick Byrne, Margaret Byrne, Mary Byrne, Patrick Byrne, Judith Campbell, John Curry, John Durkan, Hugh Flatley, Patrick Hill, Mary McLoughlin, Catherine Murray, Bridget Trench and Patrick Walsh was approved by Pope John Paul II.

References

  1. 1.EWTN: Judgment on the Apparitions of Kebeho "The recognition or negation of the authenticity of an apparition does not guarantee infallibility; it is based on proofs of probability more than on apodictic arguments". In the sphere of the apparitions there is then no absolute certainty for the witnesses, except perhaps for the visionary.
  2. 2.Norms regarding the manner of proceedings in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations, 2...to achieve with the required speed the judgments that in the past concluded the investigation of such matters (constat de supernaturalitate, non constat de supernaturalitate)...
  3. 3.Verbum Domini, 14 Ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation essentially means that its message contains nothing contrary to faith and morals; it is licit to make it public and the faithful are authorized to give to it their prudent adhesion.
  4. 4.Code of Canon Law, Can. 1230 By the term shrine is understood a church or other sacred place to which numerous members of the faithful make pilgrimage for a special reason of piety, with the approval of the local ordinary.
  5. 5.Code of Canon Law, Can. 1244 It is only for the supreme ecclesiastical authority to establish, transfer, and suppress feast days and days of penance common to the universal Church, without prejudice to the prescript of can. 1246, §2. Diocesan bishops can decree special feast days or days of penance for their dioceses or places, but only in individual instances.
  6. 6.Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, n. 90, 230, 263 Popular piety has always been interested in extraordinary happenings and events that are not infrequently connected with private revelations. While not confined to Marian piety alone, this phenomenon is particularly involved with "apparitions" and "messages"...Both the Liturgy and popular piety attach great importance to the feast days assigned to the Saints. The "Saint's day" is marked with numerous cultic displays, some liturgical, others deriving from popular piety...To the faithful, shrines represent a memorial to an original extraordinary event which has given rise to persistent devotion, or a witness to the piety and gratitude of a people that has received many benefits
  7. 7.Pope Benedict XVI, September 29, 2010 General Audience