Norms for proceeding in the Discernment of alleged Supernatural Phenomena (17 May 2024)

[DE - EN - ES - FR - IT - PL - PT] DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH 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. What life and beauty the Lord sows beyond our human understanding and procedures! For this reason, the St. John of the Cross recognized “the lowliness, deficiency, and inadequacy of all the terms and words …