September 12, 2015 - As part of the feast day celebrations in Lipa, Archbishop Raymond C Arguelles released an official statement of approval declaring "that the events and apparition of 1948 also known as the Marian phenomenon in Lipa and its aftermath even in recent times do exhibit supernatural character and is worthy of belief."
Ramon C. Arguelles, DD, STL
Archbishop of Lipa
DECREE
WHEREAS, THE TITLE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE HAS BEEN ASCRIBEDTO THE MOST HOLY MOTHER OF GOD ALREADY IN AGES PAST EVEN DURING THE PERIOD OF THE EARLIEST CHURCH FATHERS;
WHEREAS, THE FAITHFUL OF BELIGIUM UNDER THE SHEPHERD CARE OF THEN CARDINAL MERCIER FOSTERED THE DEVOTION TO THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE AND ENDORSED THE DOGMATIC DEFINITION OF MARY AS MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE;
WHEREAS, THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CHINA CONSECRATED IN 1942 THE CHURCH IN CHINA TO MARY MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE ASSURING THE FIDELITY OF CATHOLICS TO THE CHURCH EVEN IN THE MOST TRYING MOMENTS THUS RENDERING THE CHURCH IN CHINA STRONG AND FAITHFUL;
WHEREAS, THE BLESSED MOTHER APPEARED TO A CARMELITE POSTULANT NAMED TERESITA CASTILLO SEVERAL TIMES IN 1948 MAKING HERSELF KNOWN AS THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE;
WHEREAS, THE SAID POSTULANT AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPARITIONS ENDURED SEVERE SUFFERINGS GIVING PROFF OF THE REALIZATION Of THE WARNING GIVEN BY THE BLESSED MOTHER HERSELF: 'You will suffer, you will be ridiculed, but fear not, because your faith will bring you to Heaven';
WHEREAS, THE SECOND BISHOP OF LIPA, THE FIRST FILIPINO BISHOP OF THIS LOCAL CHURCH, WHO SPENT THIRTY FOUR YEARS (1916-1950) OF FAITHFUL MINISTRY IN THIS DIOCESE THAT THEN EXTENDS FROM THE PRESENT PROVINCE OF AURORA TO THE BOUNDARIES OF BICOLANDIA, SENT BACK
HUMILIATED TO HIS HOMETOWN, VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR, BECAUSE OF MISMANAGEMENT AND PROMOTION OF THE DEVOTION TO THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE, REVEALED UNTIL HIS UNTIMELY DEATH SANCTITY OF LIFE AND TOTAL SUBMISSION TO GOD'S HOLY WILL;
WHEREAS, THE FIRST BATANGUEñO BISHOP, THE FIRST AUXILIARY BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF LIPA, AFTER EXPRESSING CREDENCE IN THE MARIAN APPARITION IN LIPA, AND CONSEQUENTLYUNTIMELY MOVED TO SERVE ONLY AS ADMINSITRATOR OF THE THEN NEWLY ERECTED DIOCESE OF LUCENA UNTIL ALMOST THE MOMENT OF HIS DEMISE SHOWED, HOLINESS AND HUMBLY OBEYED THE VERDICT METED ON HIM;
WHEREAS, THE APRIL 10, 1951, DOCUMENT DECLARING THERE WAS NOTHING SUPERNATURAL IN THE ALLEGED APPARITIONS AND MIRACLES IN LIPA, WAS FROM THE VERY START SEEN WITH A SHADOW OF DOUBT BECAUSE OF NOTARIED TESTIMONIES THAT NEAR THE END OF THEIR LIFE THE BOSHOP SIGNATORIES EXPRESSED THEIR BELIEF IN THE SAID MARIAN APPARITION;
WHEREAS< THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DIOCESE OF LIPA AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF THE RESIDENT BISHOP IN THE APRIL 11, 1951, DOCUMENT FORBADE THE DEVOTION TO THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE BUT IN SEPTEMBER 26, 1963,
APPROVED AND ALLOWED THE SPREAD OF THE SAID DEVOTION;
WHEREAS, ON JULY 16, 1992, ARCHBISHOP MARIANO GAVIOLA LIFTED THE 1951 BAN ON THE DEVOTION TO THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE AFTER DUE PRAYER AND STUDY OPENLY EXPRESSING HIS BELEIF IN THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE 1948 MARIAN APPAITIONS IN LIPA;
WHEREAS, THE DEVOTION OF THE FAITHFUL, FROM NEAR AND FAR TO THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE HAS NEVER WANED DURING THE PROSCRIPTION PERIOD AND OPENLY DEVLOPED EVEN MORE AFTER THE DECLARATION OF ARCHBISHOP GAVIOLA;
WHEREAS, IN SPITE OF THE SUPPOSED BAN OF THE DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED MOTHER MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE, THE DIOCESE OF DIGOS AND THE DIOCESE OF KIDAPAWAN ARE PLACED UNDER THE TUTELAGE OF MARY, MEDIATRIX PF ALL GRACE, AND MANY PARISHES IN LUZON, VISAYAS AND MINDANAO HAVE BEEN DEDICATED IN HONOR OF THE BLESSED MOTHER UNDER THIS PREFERRED TITLE;
WHEREAS, THE UNDERSIGNED, INCUMBENT ARCHBISHOP OF LIPA< OPENLY EXPRESSING BELEIF IN THE LIPA PHENOMENON AND THE FIRM PRESENCE OF MARY IN LIPA OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED THE YEARLY MARIAN DAYS OF PRAYER AND PILGRIMAGE TO LIPA WHICH STARTED IN SPETEMBER 12, 2004, DRAWING EVER GROWING NUMBER OF PILGRIMS NOT ONLY FROM THE PHILIPPINES BUT ALSO FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD;
WHEREAS THIS PRAYERFUL GATHERING WITH MARY HAS BEEN REPLICAETD IN MANY NATIONS IN EUROPE, IN THE AMERICAS< EVEN IN AFRICA AND OCEANIA ALWAYS MANIFESTING THE OFFICIAL CHURCH'S ACCOMPANYING THE FAITHFUL IN THE HOLY PURSUIT OF MARY AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF GOD'S WILL AS DEMANDED BY THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE;
WHEREAS, THE SAMRE ARCHBISHOP, IN NOVEMBER 12, 2009, REINFORCED THE 1992 GAVIOLA DECLARATION IN ENCOURAGING THE DEVOTION TO THE MEDIATRIX PF ALL GRACE EVERYWHER BELEIVERS AND LOVERS OF THE MOST HOLY MOTHER ARE TO BE FOUND:
WHEREAS, BESIDES THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA OTHER LOCAL CHURCHES IN THE PHILIPPINES AND EVEN IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND CONTINENTS, THE DEVTION TO THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE CONTINUE TO SPREAD AND BRING UNITY AMONG PEOPLES AND COMMUNITIES AND SHOWER UNTOLD BLESSINGS;
WHEREAS, THE LOVE FOR THE HOLY MOTHER AND THE APPRECIATION OF THE URGENCY OF THE PLEAOF THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE CONTINUE TO INTENSIFY AS SEEN IN THE GREAT THRONGGATHERING IN LIPA AND IN THE EVER MORE BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATIONS OF THE TAAL LAKE MARIAN FLUVIAL PROCESSION (REGATTA).
WHEREAS, SEVERAL (ARCH)BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND LAY LEADERS JOIN IN CALLING MANY DEVOTEES TO GO ON PILGRIMAGE TO LIPA CARMEL LEADING TO THE JANUARY 2013 ACCEPTANCE OF THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE BY THE CBCP;
WHEREAS, THE BLESSED VIRGIN MOTHER UNDER HER TITLE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE LEADS CATHOLIC AND MARIAN PHILIPPINES IN STEADFAST STRUGGLE IN DEFNESE OF LIFE, THE SACREDNESS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE, THE INTEGRITY OF THE FAMILY, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL UNION OF MAN AND WIFE;
WHEREAS, THE HELP OF THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE IS MOST ESSENTIAL AS THE PHILIPPINES, THIS PUEBLO AMANTE DE MARIA, SHOWS AND LEADS THE WORLD IN THE EFFORT TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF CREATION, TO RENEW ITSELD ACCORDING TO THE STANDPOINT OF FAITH IN GOD, TO REJECT THIS PREVALENCE OF MATERIALISM, SECULARISM AND ATHEISM, TO UPHOLD THE CULTURE OF GOODNESS, LOVE, GENEROSITY, SELFLESSNESS, SHARING and SOLIDARITY AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND NATIONS.
WHEREAS, THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE IS MUCH SOUGHT FOR TO LIVE THE DEMANDS OF THE CHURCH OF THE POOR, FOR THE POOR AND WITH THE POOR, SO THAT THE YEAR FOR THE POOR WILL BE NO MERE SLOGAN BUT A REALITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST WHO IN HIS POVERTY ENRICHES ALL HUMANITY;
WHEREAS, THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE IS NEEDED VERY MUCH TO BRING ABOUT A TRUE AND LASTING TRANSFORMATION IN THIS NATION WHOSE CALL TO BE THE BEARER OF THE GOOD NEWS MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ITS TOTALITY; NAMELY, IN THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMICAL AND SPIRITUAL SPHERE;
WHEREAS, THE PHILIPPINES, CALLED TO BE THE HUMBLE INSTRUMENTS AND EAGER COMPANION OF THE STAR OF THIRD MILLENIUM EVANGELIZATION, MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE, NEED HER TO COMBAT ALL KINDS OF CORRUPTION, ERADICATE ALL KINDS OF ADDICTIONS, ERASE ALL FORMS OF SELF_CENTEREDNESS, OPPOSE THE CULTURE OF GREED;
SO THEREFORE I, BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE, THE SEVENTH BISHOP OF TIS LOCAL CHURCH OF LIPA, THE FIFTH ARCHBISHOP OF THIS METROPOLITAN SEE, THE MOST UNWORTHY SERVUS ANCILLAE FILIUS DECLARE WITH MORAL CERTAINTY AND WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS AND HOPES IN MIND, SEEKING THE COMPLIANCE OF THE NORMS OF THE HOLY SEE, ACTING FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF GOD AND ASCERTAINING ALWAYS GREATER LOVE FOR HOLY MOTHER THE CHURCH,
THAT THE EVENTS AND APPARITION OF 1948 ALSO
KNOWN AS THE MARIAN PHENOMENON IN LIPA AND
ITS AFTERMATH EVEN IN RECENT TIMES DO EXHIBIT
SUPERNATURAL CHARACTER AND IS WORTHY OF BELIEF.
THUS I ENCOURAGE THE DEVOTION TO THE MOST HOLY
MOTHER MARY UNDER HER REVERED AND WORTHY
TITLE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE.
GIVEN THIS 12th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME OF MARY, OBSERVED IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF LIPA AS FEAST OF MARY, MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACE, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, TWO THOUSAND AND FIFTEEN.
(signed) RAMON CABRERA ARGUELLES, DD
View the official statement of approvaL (PDF)>
|
