Vatican reverses ruling on Lipa Marian apparition

The Vatican has issued a decree stating that the Marian apparition in Lipa City Batangas that occurred more than 60 years ago has no “supernatural origin.” 

The move reverses the declaration made last year by Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles that the phenomenon is “worthy of belief.”

GMA's Chino Gaston reported for “Saksi” on Thursday that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Curia sent a communique to the Lipa Diocese reiterating that Pope Pius XII already ruled in 1951 that the apparition has no supernatural origin or that no miracle occurred.

The Vatican also advised that studies on the phenomenon should be stopped.

It was in 1948 that the Virgin Mary appeared to a Carmelite nun, Teresita Castillo or Teresing, at the Carmelite monastery in Lipa, Batangas. This was followed by a shower of rose petals that bore the images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Forty years after, thousands of devotees witnessed the dancing sun.

Then Lipa Bishop Mariano Gaviola declared that the Marian apparition was worthy of belief. This was reiterated in 2009 and 2015 by incumbent Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles.

Arguelles, in an interview, said he will abide by the decision of the Holy See.

“We will continue to obey the Church, the Church leaders, we will continue to love the Church but we will continue our devotion,” the prelate said.

“We should not stop our devotion. Nobody should stop that. Even the Pope would not stop that,” he added. — BAP, GMA News