Expert: Tom Schott - 5/19/2004

Question
Dear Tom,

Thanks for your reply. You mentioned Marian apparitions. There are many pilgrimage sites which were built upon Marian apparitions, such as Lourdes, Fatima etc. Are not these being officially recognized and endorsed by the Church?

Regards,
Danny

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Followup To
Question -
What is the Catholic position on the charismatic movement, i.e. speaking in tongues as a manifestation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, faith healing, modern-day prophesy and miracles etc.?
Answer -
Danny, the Church takes no official position on the Charismatic movement, just as it takes no official position on Marian apparitions, and a host of other pious practices that go under the rubric of "private devotions." The Church recognizes that it must be open to the working of God in the world, but that it's not required to sanction each and every purported occurence of those acts.

Deacon Tom

Answer
If you mean by that that the Church declares definitively that the Virgin has appeared at this particular place and time and said this or that to somebody or somebodies, the answer is "no." There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of such sites that the faithful revere. There are pilgrimage sites for hosts of saints, for reported apparitions of the Lord to certain people. The Church does not discourage the faithful from believing in Marian apparitions or other reported miraculous events, but it takes no official position. Individual Catholics, from the Pope to the lowliest peasant, are free to believe what they wish about these things.

Deacon Tom