Vatican Updates Protocols For Acknowledging 'Supernatural Phenomena'

The Vatican on Friday revised its procedure for assessing purported visions of the Virgin Mary, statues shedding tears, and other seemingly supernatural occurrences prevalent in church history.

The new protocol emphasises refraining from definitive declarations unless the event is evidently fabricated.

The updated guidelines, replacing regulations established in 1978, now stipulate that bishops are to refrain from autonomous decisions regarding such phenomena and instead seek guidance from the Vatican.

These alterations, implemented by the Vatican’s doctrinal office (DDF), contend that the previous norms were no longer effective or applicable in the internet age.

The Vatican explained that in today’s digital age, information about apparitions or weeping Madonnas spreads rapidly, which can harm the faithful if hoaxers attempt to exploit people’s beliefs for financial gain or manipulate them, Associated Press reported.

The new norms state that the exploitation of people’s faith in this manner can be subject to canonical punishment. They emphasised, “The use of purported supernatural experiences or recognized mystical elements as a means of or a pretext for exerting control over people or carrying out abuses is to be considered of particular moral gravity.”

The Catholic Church has a lengthy and controversial history of believers claiming to have experienced visions of the Virgin Mary, statues allegedly shedding tears of blood, and individuals exhibiting stigmata resembling the wounds of Christ on their hands and feet.

Under the new Vatican guidelines, “as a rule,” bishops and church officials will not make declarations regarding the supernatural nature of alleged phenomena. Instead, this decision will be entrusted to the Pope.

The Vatican clarified that under the previous guidelines, a local bishop could declare a phenomenon’s supernatural nature, “only for the Holy Office to express a different decision later.”

Additionally, there were cases where a bishop might determine whether an occurrence was supernatural, only for his successor to reach a contrary conclusion, the statement elaborated.

The document also cautions against actions that could lead to “damage to the unity of the Church” and highlights the potential for serious errors that might “cause scandals and undermine the credibility of the Church.”