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The Marian apparitions are far from the Word of God: here's why

| 6 December 2015

I am publishing this article on the occasion of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception established by the Catholic Church over the centuries.

Since the Middle Ages the Catholic Church has received a very large number of testimonies of alleged supernatural manifestations. Although many of these demonstrations have been discredited or rejected in recent times, apparitions remain a particularly attractive element for Catholics. Several people in the past have reported seeing apparitions of various saints (such as in the case, recent, of Padre Pio). But the most frequent apparition of all is that of the Virgin Mary.

The most important Marian apparitions in history:

  • that of Guadalupe, Mexico (1531), where the devotion of “Our Lady of Guadalupe”;
  • that of Lourdes, France (1858), where 14-year-old Bernardette Soubirous claimed to have received 18 apparitions of the virgin Mary, who would have confided to her 3 “secrets” that she shouldn't have disclosed (recently there has also been talk of new revelations from Lourdes);
  • that of Fatima, Portugal (1917), dove 3 children would have been witnesses of 6 several appearances, receiving prophecies and visions; the message of Fatima is very similar to that of Lourdes, in regards to prayer and repentance, but it also explains how this is to happen: through the recitation of rosario e “the devotion of the whole world to the immaculate heart of Mary” (therefore not through faith in Christ, but through the Marian cult combined with the custom of reciting numerous prayers, that Jesus condemned in the gospel); the apparition declared, finally, to be “the Lady of the Rosary”;
  • what di Beauraing e Banneux, Belgium (1933), where they counted 33 apparitions of the one who called herself “the Immaculate Virgin”, “the Mother of God”, and the “Queen of Heaven”;
  • that of Bayside, New York (1970), where a housewife claimed to receive regular visits from “blessed virgin Mary”; the apparition was defined “Our Lord of the Roses, Mary help of mothers”, and he wanted a temple and a basilica to be built;
  • the most recent, that of Medjugorje, Yugoslavia (1981), dove 6 young Croatians claimed to communicate almost every day with an apparition who identified themselves as the “blessed virgin Mary”, and he encouraged the young people to say various Catholic prayers; Furthermore, Jesus would also appear to the young people, the devil, of angels, of dead relatives (a girl would also kiss the spirit of her dead mother, which the word of God condemns as necromancy), and they would have visions and received gods “secrets” and messages to be revealed in due course; until today, the number of such apparitions would come to 2500 circa;
  • and also those of: Bac street, Paris (1830); La Salette, France (1846); Pontmain, France (1871); e Knock, Ireland (1879).

A few comments on the question

From the study of these phenomena, it is evident that the only way in which the creed of the Marian apparitions can be justified is by accepting distinctly Catholic creeds, not biblical, his Maria. What is more serious, is the way the Mariology challenges the uniqueness of the person of Jesus Christ, and it belittles the complete sufficiency of His perfect redemptive work on the cross. Those who doubt this consider the way in which Mariology relates to Christology:

1) Jesus was born without sin — Mary would have been conceived without sin

2) Jesus was and is without sin — Mary would have lived a sinless life

3) After risen, Jesus ascended to heaven — Mary would be physically assumed into heaven

4) Jesus is the only Mediator — Maria would be the mediator

5) Jesus is the only Redeemer — Maria would be co-redemptrix

6) Jesus is the new Adam — Mary would be the new Eve

7) Jesus is the spotless Lamb — Mary would be the spotless lamb

8) Jesus is the King — Mary would be the Queen.

We can easily see how this parallel unfortunately aims to undermine the pre-eminence of Christ and His exclusive role as the only Redeemer and the only Mediator.. By virtue of his exalted state, Mary is represented as a semi-divine being and venerated as such.

Analyzing the miraculous events that accompany the Marian apparitions, it is clear how they turn out to be of a very different mold from those seen in the word of God. This is true of all biblical miracles and those of Jesus himself. When ever, eg, Jesus made the sun pulsate or rotate a cross on itself (two of the wonders of Medjugorje)? All of Jesus' miracles were done in the context of His ministry. And biblical miracles have a strong practical side. Many of the miracles associated with the Marian apparitions are, in contrast, dramatic and sensational; faces, practically, to attract attention – just the kind of miracles that Jesus categorically refused to do! (see Matteo 12:38-39). This is a good reason to be suspicious of the source of these miracles. We must also remember that the word of God severely condemns speaking with the dead. Any contact or revelation from them, whether it is Mary or another person, it is a communication with demons. The apostle Paul warns us that the devil “he knows how to disguise himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), is capable of performing “powerful works, lying signs and wonders” (2 Tess. 2:9-10), and in the last times he will raise up false Christs and false prophets who “they will do great signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect” (Matteo 24:24). He is also able to predict the future (sometimes even with accuracy) and to declare a way to salvation other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its goal is always to distance man from Jesus Christ, precisely through religion, deviating from faith in Him as the one Savior and the only Mediator.

How does all this apply to Medjugorje and other popular Marian apparitions? The purpose of the Adversary behind this phenomenon is perhaps that of decentralize the faith of Catholics from Christ and from the biblical elements of Catholicism by placing the emphasis on the less biblical and more sectarian aspects of Catholicism (Mariology in general, penances, purgatory, the veneration of deceased saints). As long as the emphasis remains on these things, Satan can afford to sweeten his deceptions with a little’ of Christian theology – eg, telling the followers of the apparitions to pray, to work for peace, and so on.”Don't believe every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:” (1 Giovanni 4:1). The fact that the entities that appeared in Lourdes and Fatima initially refused to reveal their identity raises not a few suspicions about who they really were.. And sprinkle holy water mixed with salt, as was done in the case of Medjudorje, it doesn't mean at all “try the spirits”, but it is only a useless tradition created by men. Whatever the cause, the effect of this phenomenon is to lead people away from the truth of , if we want to defend it from this kind of spiritual aberrations, the Word of the Lord must be our point of reference.The popularity of the apparitions shows us that millions of Catholics are genuinely hungry for spiritual truth. But the Truth, that which makes men free, it is found only in that Christ Jesus of which the apostolic writings speak, in our Lord Jesus. therefore, it is precisely out of respect for Christ and his Word – and out of true honor to his mother – that we reject the cult and the Marian apparitions.

Personal considerations

Believing in miracles and apparitions goes against God's Word, so be very careful not to fall into this grave sin, which surely is the work of the devil who wants to distract us from the true faith: God doesn't need to show himself, he does not show himself, we just have to believe in it and those who believe from the bottom of their hearts will be saved (regardless of the good works and the sacraments received, who established the Catholic Church and are therefore a tradition that have nothing to do with the Bible) And it must be remembered that the only and great mediator we have known and shown himself is Jesus Christ, just him and no one else, the others are impostors (demons). To pray to Mary is to make her a goddess capable of performing miracles and saving us, and the same goes for the saints, it is a grave affront to God, and what His commandment says???

Dall’Exodus 20 (i 10 commandments):

2 «I am the LORD, your God, that I brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

3 Have no other gods besides me.

4 Don't make yourself sculpture, nor any image of the things that are in heaven above or on earth below or in the waters under the earth.

5 Do not bow down to them and do not serve them, why me, the Sir, your God, I am a jealous God; I punish the iniquity of fathers over their children up to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

6 and use goodness, up to the thousandth generation, towards those who love me and keep my commandments.