Vatican recognizes Marian apparitions in France
Rome, May 05 (CNA) – On Sunday during a Mass celebrated in the town of Laus in the French Alps, Bishop Jean-Michel de Falco of Gap, accompanied by numerous cardinals and archbishops from around the world, announced the official approval of the Church of the Marian apparitions to Benôite (Benedicta) Rencurel between 1664 and 1718.
During the Mass, attended by Roman Curia officials including Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, Bishop de Falco noted these are the first Marian apparitions to be approved in the 21st century by the Vatican and the Church in France. He called it the most singular event to take place in France since the apparitions of Lourdes in 1862.
“I recognize the supernatural origin of the apparitions and the events and words experienced and narrated by Benedicta Rencurel. I encourage all of the faithful to come and pray and seek spiritual renewal at this shrine,” the bishop said.
“Nobody is obliged to believe in apparitions,” he continued, “even in those officially recognized, but if they help us in our faith and our daily lives, why should we reject them?” he asked. Bishop de Falco’s comment was apparently aimed at the French Communist Party, which last week described the announcement of the ceremony as “a marketing ploy of the Church” and denounced the presence of French government officials at the ceremony as a “violation of the separation of church and state.”
The shrine of Our Lady of Laus attracts some 120,000 pilgrims each year. The Catholic philosopher Jean Guitton called it “one of the most hidden and powerful shrines of Europe.”
Our Lady’s message
Benedicta Rencurel was born on September 16, 1647 in Saint-Étienne d’Avançon (in the southern French Alps), and suffered the death of her father when she was 7 years-old. She never learned to read or write and her only education came from the homilies at Sunday Mass.
One day in May of 1664, Benedicta was caring for the animals of some neighbors and praying the rosary when she saw a dazzling lady standing on a rock, holding a beautiful child in her arms. “Beautiful Lady!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing up there? Do you want to eat with me? I have some good bread which we can soften up at the fountain.” The girl’s simplicity brought a smile to the Lady’s face, but she said nothing. “Beautiful Lady! Could you give us that child? He would make us so happy.” The Lady smiled again without responding. After remaining a few minutes with Benedicta, she took the child in her arms and disappeared into a cave.
For four months, the Lady appeared to Benedicta every day, talking to her and preparing her for her future mission. Benedicta told the woman who owned the flock that she cared for about the visions, but she did not believe her. One day, however, the woman secretly followed her to the Fours valley. She didn’t see the vision, but she did hear Mary’s voice, who told Benedicta to warn her that her soul was in danger. “She has something on her conscience,” Mary said. “Tell her to do penance.” The woman was deeply moved by the message, returned to the sacraments and lived piously for the rest of her days.
On August 29, Benedicta asked the Lady what her name was. She replied, “My name is Mary.”
During the winter of 1664-1665, Benedicta went up to Laus frequently, each time receiving a vision of the Blessed Mother, who told her to “pray continuously for sinners.” News of the apparitions spread throughout the entire region.
On September 18, 1665, when Benedicta was 18 years old, the apparitions were officially recognized by the diocese and that fall, construction began on a small church to receive the hundreds of pilgrims coming to visit.
Mary revealed herself in Laus as the reconciler and refuge of sinners, and therefore she offered signs to convince them of the need to repent. She told Benedicta that the oil from the sanctuary lamp would work miracles with the infirm if they received the anointing with faith in her intercession.
Benedicta took the mission she received from Mary seriously and dedicated herself to preparing sinners to receive the sacrament of Penance. She encouraged the two priests at the shrine to receive penitents with charity and kindness in order to help them convert.
Mary asked Benedicta to admonish women and girls about living lives of scandal, especially those who commit abortion, the unjust wealthy and the perverse. She also encouraged priests and religious to be faithful to their vows.
Between 1669 and 1679, Benedicta received five visions of the suffering Christ. On a Friday in July of 1673, the suffering Jesus told her: “My daughter, I show myself in this state so that you can participate in my Passion.” After more than two decades of suffering and continual apparitions of the Blessed Mother, Benedicta received Communion on Christmas Day 1718. Three days later she made a confession, received the last rites and around 8p.m. said goodbye to those around her. Benedicts then kissed a crucifix and passed away peacefully.
Today the shrine is run by diocesan clergy with the assistance of a community of the Brothers of St. John who are dedicated to promoting the sacrament of Reconciliation.
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SOURCE: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/avantgo/new.php?n=12546
Wow, so the devotees of Međugorje will only have to wait til the apparitions cease +300 years, give or take !!
Ahhh Međugorje. I take a very dim view of its authenticity, but note that I don’t hear about it half as much as I used to.
I am thankful and grateful for the conversions of persons who have gone on pilgramage… I am also thankful and grateful that I hear about it less and less these days.
Medjugorie is what brought back Jim Caviezel. We all know what he did, right?
(I’m not in any way a Medjugorie devotee.) :roll:
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Supposedly, in this apparition it is said that it would be suppressed and would only be approved during the Last Days. 8O :o
Mary revealed herself in Laus as the reconciler and refuge of sinners…
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. [Rom 5:10]
…God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. [Psalm 46:1]
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. [Gal 1:8,9]
Russ we all agree with the Bible… 123 comments from you later I was hoping against hope that where we perhaps agreed to disagree was in just how self-evident your personal interpretations are.
Short of making a cohesive argument out of the scriptures you reference – instead being satisfied to just leave quotes like graffiti, all I can say in response is:
“Yup”
1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God ,to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Matthew 11:25Jesus said:My Father,Lord of heaven and earth,I am grateful that you hid all this from wise and educated people and showed it to ordinary people.
1 Corinthians 3:19The things that look wise to the people of this world look foolish to God. The holy writings say, `He catches the wise people in their own tricks.’20It also says, `The Lord knows that the wise men’s thoughts are good for nothing.’21So do not be proud of p.op.e. Everything belongs to you.
1 Corinthians 4: 5So do not judge me before it is time. Wait until the Lord comes. The things which have been kept hidden in the dark he will bring out into the light. He will show what is in people’s hearts. At that time God will tell each man how good his work is 6My brothers, I have said these things about Apollos and myself so that you will learn from us to live the way the holy writings say. Then you will not be proud and say, `This teacher is better than that one; 7If you are better, who made you that way? Everything you have was given to you. So then, why are you proud of it? Was it not given to you?
John 16:13The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen.
2 John 1:9Don’t keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you. 10If people won’t agree to this teaching, don’t welcome them into your home or even greet them.
John 17:17Use the truth to make them holy. Your word is truth.
Romans 3:4let God be true but every man a liar.
2 Timothy 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends? 15 How can Christ and Satan agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 How can the temple of the true God and the statues of idols
agree?We are the temple of the living God.
Jeremiah 14:14The LORD answered:They claim to speak for me, but they’re lying! I didn’t even speak to them, much less choose them to be my p.ope.s. Their messages come from worthless dreams, useless fortunetelling, and their own imaginations.
Mark 7:13You make the word of God useless by putting your own teachings in its place. And you do many things like that.”
Matthew 6:33″But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all of those things will also be given to you.
Romans 1:25 They chose a lie instead of God’s truth. They worshiped and served created things. They didn’t worship the Creator.
Isaiah 38:18People in the grave can’t praise you.Dead people can’t sing praise to you.Those who go down to the grave
can’t hope for you to be faithful to them.
Psalm 88:11 Do those who are dead speak about your love?Do those who are in the grave tell how faithful you are?
12 Are your miracles known in that dark place?Are your holy acts known in that land where the dead are forgotten?
1 Corinthians 3:11 No one can lay any other foundation than the one that has already been laid. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord; that is my name!I will not give my glory to anyone else,nor share my praise with carved idols.
Deuteronomy 5:8 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 9 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any idols.
1 Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 1:20when God raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven. 21There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23The church is Christ’s body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.
Luke 8:21Jesus answered, “My mother and my brothers are those people who hear and obey God’s message.”
John 3:13 “No one has ever gone into heaven except the One who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man.
John 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Galatians 1:6 I am amazed. You are so quickly deserting the One who chose you because of the grace that Christ has provided. You are turning to a different “good news.” 7 What you are accepting is really not the good news at all.It seems that p.op.e have gotten you all mixed up. They are trying to twist the good news about Christ.8 But suppose even we should preach a different “good news.” Suppose even an angel from heaven should preach it. I’m talking about a different one than the good news we gave you. Let anyone who does that be judged by God forever. 9 I have already said it. Now I will say it again. Anyone who preaches a “good news” that is different from the one you accepted should be judged by God forever.
Revelation 19:9 Here is what the angel told me to write. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Then he added, “These are the true words of God.”10 When I heard this, I fell at his feet to worship him.But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God’s servant, just like other believers who hold firmly to what Jesus has taught. Worship God! What Jesus taught is the very heart of prophecy.”
Acts 10:25 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him. As a sign of respect, he fell at Peter’s feet. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said. “I am only a man myself.”
Deuteronomy 13:Moses said to Israel:1-2Someday a prophet may come along who is able to perform miracles or tell what will happen in the future. Then the prophet may say, ” Let’s start worshiping some new gods–some gods that we know nothing about.” 3If the prophet says this, don’t listen! The LORD your God will be watching to find out whether or not you love him with all your heart and soul. 4You must be completely faithful to the LORD. Worship and obey only the LORD and do this with fear and trembling,
Mark 8:33Jesus turned and looked at his disciples. He scolded Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You are not thinking about the things of God. Instead, you are thinking about p.op.e things.”
Jeremiah 17:5The Lord says,”Those who trust in man are under my curse.They depend on human strength.Their hearts turn away from me.
Philippians 2:21All the other people think only of themselves and not of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:7`And when you talk to God, do not say words that mean nothing, over and over again. People who do not believe in God do that. They think their god will hear them because they say many words.
2 Corinthians 11:14I am not surprised. Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light.
15So it is not strange if his workers also try to make themselves look like God’s workers who do right.
Ephesians 5:17So then, be wise and understand what the Lord wants.
John 12:43But they wanted the praise of p.op.e more than the praise of God.
AMEN Mikiniki
Scripture is great?
Wonderful display of manipulating God’s words for personal purposes! Can we discuss those verses 1 by 1 and see if each verse is actually related to the next in matters of context?