'Apparitions' of Guazapa not approved by Church in El Salvador San Salvador, Jun 11, 2008 (CNA) -- Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle of San Salvador has said the Catholic Church has not approved the alleged apparitions of Mary at the hill of Guazapa, despite claims made by the supposed visionary to a local newspaper. During a press conference, the archbishop lamented “the abuse by a group of people in Guazapa who sent false documents to the press, making them believe the apparitions had been approved by the Archdiocese.” The newspaper El Mundo recently published a series of reports on the events in Guazapa, which is located several miles north of San Salvador. The alleged seer, identified as Bessy Rodriguez, gave false documents to the newspaper supposedly showing the apparitions had been approved. Archbishop Saenz pointed out that “no official of the archdiocese has signed, sealed or sent documents to anyone.” “There has been a lot of, shall we say, commercialization of these legends, but the visions of Guazapa have never been approved,” he said. Tags: Guazapa

75th Anniversary of Banneux Apparitions MAY 24, 2008 (VaticanRadio) -- On May 31 2008 the Church in Belgium will mark the 75 anniversary of the apparitions of the “Virgin of the Poor” at the Marian Shrine in Banneux. Today the Vatican released Pope Benedict XVI’s message appointing Cardinal Godfried Daneels, Archbishop of Malines-Brussels, as his special representative at the celebrations. In his letter, the pope emphasized that the Chair of Peter always rejoices in promoting proper devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary among the faithful. The pope wrote that the anniversary of the apparitions gives the Church in Belgium the chance to ponder anew the teaching of the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church which speaks of the of Mary as “she who stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him.” The pope remarked that the happy coincidence of the anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin of the Poor with the annual Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an opportunity to help the faithful with the example and prayers of Our Lady to continue on the path of spiritual renewal and to appreciate that the “precept of charity” spurs us on in a diligent service to others in daily life. Pope Benedict XVI concluded the letter by entrusting Cardinal Daneels with the charge to impart his apostolic blessing upon the faithful who gather at the shrine for the celebrations. Tags: Banneux

Church Approves Laus Apparitions (1664) LAUS, France, MAY 15, 2008 (Zenit) -- As pilgrims celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Marian shrine at Lourdes, the Church has officially recognized a new pilgrimage site in France. On May 4th, Bishop Jean-Michel di Falco of the Diocese of Gap, officially recognized the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Benoite Rencurel at the sanctuary of Laus in the area of Hautes-Alpes, France. The pronouncement was made during a Mass in the Basilica of Notre Dame in Laus. Among those present were the apostolic nuncio to France, Bishop Fortunato Baldelli, and 30 cardinals and bishops from around the world. Rencurel, a poor shepherdess, was born in 1647. The Virgin Mary started appearing to her in 1664 and continued visiting her throughout the rest of her life. Rencurel died in 1718. > Read the entire Zenit article. Tags: Laus

French Newspaper Says Pope is Planning September Trip to France ROME (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI is planning a September trip to France, traveling to Paris and the Sanctuaries of Our Lady of Lourdes, a French newspaper reported. The pope's Sept. 12-15 trip will begin in Paris, according to the newspaper Le Figaro. He will meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy shortly after his arrival, it said. On Sept. 13, the pope is expected to celebrate Mass in Paris in the morning and have an evening encounter with cultural leaders. He will fly to Lourdes later in the day. In Lourdes, the pope will take part in jubilee year celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions there. The commemorative year ends Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The pope is expected to celebrate an open-air Mass Sept. 14 at the Marian shrine and later meet with French bishops, the newspaper said. The Vatican had no immediate comment on the report, but Vatican trip planners were said to be traveling to France in mid-March to prepare the details of the visit. Tags: Lourdes, Benedict XVI

Confessions Increase at Fatima Shrine FATIMA, Portugal MARCH 5, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The shrine of Fatima is becoming more and more a place to find the mercy of God, says the chaplain of the Marian pilgrimage site. Father Clemente Dotti said this to the Portuguese news agency Ecclesia on Monday when reporting that in 2007, almost 10,000 more confessions were heard compared to the previous year. The chaplain explained that the pastoral program of the shrine focused on the merciful love of God in 2007, and with that "we had the opportunity to show how the Mother knew to guide her children to find the mercy of God in the sacrament of reconciliation." According to the shrine, 199,333 people confessed there in 2007 -- 9,016 more than in 2006. Of these, 34,653 confessed in a language other than Portuguese - 1,049 more than the previous year. Father Dotti said 190 priests heard confessions at the shrine in 2007. Tags: Fatima

Time Magazine Writes about Sr. Lucia FEBRUARY 29, 2008 (Time Magazine)- "It is a Vatican rule: candidates for sainthood wait five years beyond their deaths before the Catholic Church begins its investigation of their "heroic virtue," the first step toward canonization. Only two figures in recent history have received a fast-track exemption: Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II, both of them superstars in the Catholic and wider popular firmament. So, when the Vatican recently added Sister Lucia dos Santos, who died in 2005 at age 97, to this list, many wondered why she had been put in that esteemed company. " Read entire Time Magazine article Tags: Fatima, Sr. Lucia dos Santos

Padre Pio Exhumed after 40 Years ROME, March 3, 2008 (Reuters) - The body of the mystic monk Padre Pio, one of the Roman Catholic world's most revered saints who died 40 years ago, has been exhumed to be prepared for display to his many devotees. The body of the Capuchin friar, who was said to have had the stigmata -- the wounds of Christ's crucifixion -- on his hands and feet -- is to be conserved and put in a part-glass coffin for at least several months from April 24. Read entire Reuters article Tags: Padre Pio, Incorruptibles

Vatican Accused of Tampering with Pio's Body ROME, MARCH 4, 2008 (Telegraph UK) The Vatican has been accused of "tampering with the dead" after the body of Italy's favourite saint was exhumed from its tomb. Padre Pio, who exhibited stigmata on his hands and feet throughout his life, died in 1968 and was laid to rest in the Santa Maria delle Grazie church in Puglia. The Vatican said the charismatic monk's corpse was taken from the church crypt on Sunday to conserve it "for generations of future worshippers" as it was under threat from humidity. However, the Pro Padre Pio Association has accused the Vatican of digging up the saint's body in order to put it in a larger church that could more easily handle its annual seven million visitors. It said putting the corpse on show and moving it to the new church would "offend the sentiments of many believers". A court appeal will begin on Thursday. After a series of holy readings, eight monks lifted the casket, made from three layers of metal, wood and zinc, out of the crypt just before midnight. "Right from the start we could see his beard," said Domenico D'Ambrosio, the archbishop of Manfredonia. "You could see his knees very well, his hands, his fingernails. If Padre Pio will allow me, I would say it was like he had been manicured." He added, however, that it was not possible to see Padre Pio's stigmata, which were said to have disappeared just before he died without leaving any scars. Tags: Padre Pio, Incorruptibles

Korean archbishop declares alleged Marian visionary excommunicated SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -- A South Korean archbishop said an alleged Marian visionary and her followers have been excommunicated automatically. Archbishop Andreas Choi Chang-mou of Kwangju issued the decree Jan. 21, saying "for Christians' healthy faith life and the unity and communion of the church, I declare as such, though my heart grieves." The decree was released to all dioceses and media Jan. 23, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Click here to read entire article Tags: Naju