Vatican cracks down on 'supernatural' occurrences in new apparition rules
SAFE HAVEN GROUP!!! PLEASE READ OUR GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!!!
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/vatican-cracks-down-supernatural-occurrences-new-apparition-rules
in a new crackdown aimed to prevent scams, hoaxes and heresies, the Vatican has updated its guidelines for reviewing apparitions, visions and alleged revelations, and reaffirmed that only a pope could formally deem something to be "supernatural."
The guidelines outline six potential conclusions that may be reached and that even the highest level of approval from the Vatican office — Nihil obstat ("nothing hinders"
— does not express certainty about the event itself, but grants permission for the bishop to promote its pastoral value.
The new rules, which have been in development since 2019, replace the Vatican's 1978 norms, which were kept secret until 2011. The Vatican has historically exercised great caution in giving its seal of approval to supposed supernatural occurrences; the revisions require increased scrutiny and mandate sign-off from Rome before a bishop can rule on a particular case.
The update comes at a time when social media has led to an explosion of new claims of supposed apparitions or visions — including Jesus appearing on food and weeping statues of the Virgin Mary — and at a moment when even traditional Catholic devotions, such as Our Lady of Fatima, have become increasingly politicized and the source of seemingly endless conspiracy theories.