The Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena
Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández
ISBN 9781784698249
CTS Booklet DO976
I discovered the books and booklets of the Catholic Truth Society in 2018. Since that time I have read over 450 different titles, and many of them more than once. I have had this volume for over a year before getting around to reading it. With a dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks, that being said I do love the CTS Editions of Vatican Documents, often scanning them and making my own eBooks.
The descriptions of this volume is:
“The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith presents new norms for the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena, including apparitions, visions, locations, writings or messages, phenomena related to religious images, and psychophysical phenomena.
“Occasionally phenomena occur that seem to exceed the bounds of ordinary experiences and present themselves as having a supernatural origin (such as alleged apparitions, visions, interior or exterior locutions, writings or messages, phenomena related to religious images, and psychophysical phenomena).… Since news of these events can spread very quickly, the pastors of the Church are responsible for handling these phenomena with care by recognising their fruits, purifying them of negative elements, or warning the faithful about potential dangers arising from them (cf. 1 Jn 4:1).” (6).”
This booklet is an interesting read, even if it is very academic.. The chapters in the booklet are:
Listening to the Spirit Who Works in the Faithful People of God
Introduction
I. General Guidelines
II. Procedures to Follow
I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume some of them are:
“God is present and active in our history. The Holy Spirit, who flows from the heart of the risen Christ, works in the Church with divine freedom and offers us many valuable gifts that aid us on the path of life and encourage our spiritual growth in fidelity to the Gospel. This action of the Holy Spirit can also reach our hearts through certain supernatural occurrences, such as apparitions or visions of Christ or the Blessed Virgin, and other phenomena.”
“Many times, these events have led to a great richness of spiritual fruits, growth in faith, devotion, fraternity, and service. In some cases, they have given rise to shrines throughout the world that are at the heart of many people’s popular piety today.”
“When considering such events, one should not overlook, for example, the possibility of doctrinal errors, an oversimplification of the Gospel message, or the spread of a sectarian mentality. Finally, there is the possibility of believers being misled by an event that is attributed to a divine initiative but is merely the product of someone’s imagination, desire for novelty, tendency to fabricate falsehoods (mythomania), or inclination toward lying.”
“Therefore, in its discernment in this area, the Church needs clear procedures. The Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations, in use until now, were approved by Pope St. Paul VI in 1978, more than four decades ago. They remained confidential until they were officially published in 2011, thirty-three years later.”
“The revision of the 1978 Norms began in 2019 and involved various consultations envisioned by the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Congresso, Consulta, Feria IV, and Plenaria).”
“The expectation of receiving a declaration about the supernatural nature of the event resulted in very few cases ever reaching a clear determination. In fact, since 1950, no more than six cases have been officially resolved, even though such phenomena have often increased without clear guidance and with the involvement of people from many Dioceses. Therefore, one can assume that many other cases were either handled differently or just not handled at all.”
“The procedures outlined in the new Norms, which offer six possible final prudential decisions, make it possible to reach a decision in a more reasonable period, helping the Bishop to manage a situation involving events of alleged supernatural origin before such occurrences—without a necessary ecclesial discernment—acquire very problematic dimensions.”
“While previously the Dicastery had intervened but the Bishop was asked not to mention it, today, the Dicastery openly manifests its involvement and accompanies the Bishop in reaching a final determination. Now, when the Bishop makes his decision public, it will be stated as “in agreement with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.””
“When spiritual experiences are accompanied by physical and psychological phenomena that cannot be immediately explained by reason alone, the Church has the delicate responsibility of studying and discerning these occurrences carefully.”
“By following the Norms below, the Church will be able to fulfill its duty of discerning: (a) whether signs of a divine action can be ascertained in phenomena that are alleged to be of supernatural origin; (b) whether there is that anything conflicts with faith and morals in the writings or messages of those involved in the alleged phenomena in question; (c) whether it is permissible to appreciate their spiritual fruits, whether they need to be purified from problematic elements, or whether the faithful should be warned about potential risks; (d) whether it is advisable for the competent ecclesiastical authority to realize their pastoral value.”
“Dicastery a final judgment that normally follows one of the following formulas:
1. Nihil obstat
2. Prae oculis habeatur
3. Curatur
4. Sub mandato
5. Prohibetur et obstruatur
6. Declaratio de non supernaturalitate”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. It is an interesting read. It splits time looking at the 1978 Norms, and these new ones published. It outlines why the change. The main point is the 6 possible judgements highlighted above. Overall it was an interesting read. And I am thankful I picked up the CTS edition to work through.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.
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