Historic First Church-Approved Apparition of the Virgin Mary in the Philippines within Reach

Feb. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- The Philippines, the largest Catholic country in Asia, moved closer to a possible historic first Church-approved apparition of the Virgin Mary.

The apparition in question refers to the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a young Carmelite postulant, Teresita Castillo.  The alleged apparitions happened in the Carmelite convent grounds in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines way back in 1948. Miraculous showers of rose petals were reported in the convent grounds, with thousands of witnesses claiming to have seen rose petals materialize out of thin air.  In the apparitions, the Virgin Mary revealed to Teresita Castillo that she was the "Mediatrix of All Grace."

The Virgin Mary has traditionally been referred to by numerous saints and popes as the "Mediatrix of All Grace", referring to her role as mediator between God and man, and dispenser of God's graces.  The title is of particular significance in current times, as there is currently a major movement led by bishops, cardinals, priests, and millions of faithful to petition the pope to declare a fifth Marian Dogma - that of Mary as Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate. If declared, the fifth Dogma will be among the articles of the Catholic Faith that all Catholics will be obliged to believe in. The four current Marian dogmas include: the perpetual Virginity of Mary, Mary as Mother of God, the bodily Assumption of Mary to heaven, and the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

The reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lipa triggered a nationwide euphoria, with thousands of Filipinos flocking to the convent grounds to try to catch one of the miraculous petals.  Many stories of cures and miracles were reportedly attributed to the petals and the apparitions.

The euphoria, however, was short-lived. In April 11, 1951, a Church verdict came out stating that there was no supernatural intervention in the extraordinary events at Lipa, Carmel. Consequently, the distribution of rose petals was stopped and the statue of Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace was kept from public veneration.

The devotion to Mary Mediatrix however did not fade with the years, despite the negative pronouncement of the Church. In 1991, after long years of silent agony and suppressed fervor, then Lipa Archbishop Mariano Gaviola allowed the image to be taken out and exposed to the public in the Carmelite chapel. Since then, pilgrims have thronged to Lipa and September 12, the date of the first apparition, became a National Day of Prayer, Reparation and Consecration.  

The appointment of Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, D.D., a well-known Marian advocate and devotee, as bishop of Lipa was a major development in the unfolding story of the Lipa apparitions. Before an International Mariological Congress in Lourdes, France on September 2008, Archbishop Arguelles stated bluntly: "Yes, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace, did appear in Lipa." Until recently, however, he has refrained from making any clear-cut pronouncement regarding the Lipa apparitions.

Last November 12, 2009, Archbishop Arguelles made his first, major official act concerning the alleged Lipa apparitions by issuing a landmark official decree.  In this decree concerning the Lipa apparitions of the Virgin Mary (http://www.all-about-the-virgin-mary.com/our-lady-of-lipa...), the Archbishop reinforced former Lipa Archbishop Mariano Gaviola's 1991 ruling that lifted the ban on the public veneration of the Lipa image in the Carmelite chapel. In the decree, the Archbishop ordered that "all bans written or unwritten to curtain or diminish the devotion to Mary Mediatrix of All Grace be lifted."

Equally important, he ordered the formation of an official theological commission that will conduct a thorough study and review of all documents on the alleged apparitions. The result of the commission's investigation will be shared with the Archbishop, who may then, depending on the outcome of the investigation, issue a new ruling regarding the apparitions. Catholic Church rules give the local bishop (in whose diocese the alleged apparitions take place) the sole authority to declare the authenticity of the apparitions in question.

In an interview that first appeared in Totus Tuus, Maria (http://www.all-about-the-virgin-mary.com/our-lady-of-lipa...),  Catholic website on the Virgin Mary, the Archbishop said:

I believe the Mediatrix phenomenon is the greatest thing that ever happened to the Church of Lipa in the last one hundred years and even from time immemorial. The lifting of the ban is intended to dispel any doubts that in 1991 Archbishop Mariano Gaviola already did so. The late Archbishop and I are deeply concerned about the faithful's great devotion to our Holy Mother. It must be encouraged and promoted, especially since it is Lipa's great privilege to be known as the place where the Mediatrix of All Grace, the possible fifth Marian dogma, has most prominently been declared by "sensus fidelium".

In the same interview, asked why he thought there was a need to issue a new decree, the Archbishop responded: "The faithful have the right to know whether the Lipa phenomenon was authentic or not. The attachment to Mary must be promoted in these times of trial for our country and the world."

The fact remains, though, that the Lipa apparitions has already been originally determined by a 1951 Church ruling to be not "supernatural in origin".  Is it possible for the Catholic Church to "change its mind" with regard to the Lipa apparitions, and essentially reverse a previous negative ruling? The Archbishop thinks this is possible: "The Church reconsidered the Galileo pronouncements. The Lipa case is so insignificant compared to that of Galileo... The Lipa 'revocation' will immensely benefit the multitude of true believers worldwide."

Many Filipino Catholics spend a fortune to visit Our Lady's famous pilgrimage and apparition sites all over the world, such as Fatima and Lourdes.  Will the time finally come when Filipinos no longer need to travel halfway across the world to visit a revered pilgrimage site where Our Lady has appeared?  While the theological commission researches and studies the apparitions in the coming months, Filipino Catholics can only wait and pray that Lipa will soon join the ranks of Fatima and Lourdes - Church-approved apparition sites that have become major pilgrimage sites visited by millions of Catholics every year.

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Totus Tuus, Maria Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit Catholic multimedia publisher. It is the owner and main proponent behind Totus Tuus, Maria, a Catholic website on the Virgin Mary (http://www.all-about-the-virgin-mary.com).