Bringing you the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's magisterium
Home About
AskACatholic.com		 What's New? Resources The Church Family Life Mass and
Adoration		 Ask A Catholic
Knowledge base
AskACatholic Disclaimer
Search the
AskACatholic Database
Donate and
Support our work
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Questions
Cool Catholic Videos
About Saints
Disciplines and Practices for distinct Church seasons
Purgatory and Indulgences
About the Holy Mass
About Mary
back
Searching and Confused
Contemplating becoming a Catholic or Coming home
Homosexual and Gender Issues
Life, Dating, and Family
No Salvation Outside the Church
Sacred Scripture
non-Catholic Cults
Justification and Salvation
The Pope and Papacy
The Sacraments
Relationships and Marriage situations
Specific people, organizations and events
Doctrine and Teachings
Specific Practices
Church Internals
Church History

Thomas Moriarty wrote:

Hi, guys —

With all of the sightings of Our Lady written up in the papers these days, I asked our pastor if the Church (condoned|approved) or discouraged the worship of Mary under these various guises.

He told me that the Church neither officially approves or disapproves these reports of the visitations of Mary but rather they reaffirm the portions of these visitations that are helpful to the faithful, on their journey of faith, as OK. The pastor has visited Lourdes and Fatima on several occasions.

This assumes, of course, that it is not an out-and-out fraud easily disapproved by any rational person.

  • Is this your group's understanding of this issue?

Tom

  { Does the Church condone the worship of Mary and how does the Church view Marian apparitions? }

John replied:

Dear Tom,

The Church never, ever, ever, has or will condone the worship of Mary!!

The Church venerates and encourages devotion to Jesus' Mother (Our Lady), but never worship.

I believe this is what your pastor implied in his response. The Church may approve a particular apparition, like Fatima or Lourdes, however it does not bind us to accept it.

This is because Marian apparitions are private revelations and Catholics don't have to believe private revelations.

We are only bound to believe public revelation which ceased around the year 100 A.D.

John C. DiMascio

Mike replied:

Hi, Tom —

I just wanted to add a bit to John's excellent answer.

You said:

  • Is this your group's understanding of this issue?

Our group's understanding, of any issue, is not important at all.

What is important is the Church's official teaching on this or any other issue and John has addressed the Church's view in his reply.

Hope this helps,

Mike Humphrey, Web Admin for:
AskACatholic.com and HelpersOfTheHolySouls.com
Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
Suggestions for this web page and the web site can be sent to Mike Humphrey
© 2012 Panoramic Sites
The Early Church Fathers Church Fathers on the Primacy of Peter. The Early Church Fathers on the Catholic Church and the term Catholic. The Early Church Fathers on the importance of the Roman Catholic Church centered in Rome.