faith” (see figure 1 on page 59). The negative judgment category that asserts that the event is not worthy of belief is given by the Latin formulation constat de non supernaturalitate, that is, “It is established that there is nothing supernatural.” The negative criteria delineated in Normae Congregationis are:
1. Glaring errors in facts
2. Doctrinal errors attributed to God or Mary
3. Pursuit of financial gain
4. Gravely immoral acts committed by the visionary
5. Psychological disorders or tendencies in the visionary
Although Catholics are never obliged to believe in an apparition, even if it is declared to be authentic, they are required to submit themselves to the prudential judgment of the competent ecclesial authority when an apparition is declared false.
The positive judgment, which confirms that the event is worthy of belief, is given by the Latin formulation constat de supernaturalitate, that is, “It is established that there is something supernatural.” The positive criteria delineated in Normae Congregationis are:
1. Moral certainty/great probability of the miracle
2. Positive evaluation of the qualities of the visionary
3. Positive evaluation of the content of the revelations
4. Healthy devotion and spiritual fruits
According to the International Marian Research Institute,34 there are four criteria that determine whether a Marian apparition is to be approved:
1. There must be moral certainty, or at least great probability, that something miraculous has occurred. The commission may interview the visionaries, call other witnesses, and visit the site of the events.
2. The subjects who claim to have had the apparition must be mentally sound, honest, sincere, of upright conduct, obedient to ecclesiastical authorities, and able to return to the normal practices of the Faith (such as participation in communal worship and reception of the sacraments).
3. The content of the revelation or message must be theologically acceptable, morally sound, and free of error.
4. The apparition must result in positive spiritual assets that endure (prayer, conversion, and increase in virtue).
For an apparition to be declared authentic, it is not enough for the messages to be free from doctrinal error. There have been many cases of claimed apparitions involving messages that are sound and are not contrary to the Faith, but other factors, such as the pursuit of financial gain, lack of obedience, or psychological conditions, are present that rule out the possibility of a supernatural cause.
When an apparition is approved, the Blessed Virgin Mary can be venerated in a special way at the site, although neither this veneration nor even the acknowledgment of the supernatural event is required of Catholics.
The third apparition category is the one of uncertainty, calling for a “wait and see” stance. This judgment is given in the form of the Latin phrase non constat de supernaturalitate, that is, “It is not established that there is something supernatural.” The vast majority of investigated apparitions receive this assessment when the investigative committee cannot at that time make a definitive conclusion. An apparition with such a designation might or might not be of supernatural origin. While there is no proof of the phenomenon originating from anything but natural causes, none of the negative criteria are fulfilled and the supernatural cause is not ruled out.
The local bishop will assess pastorally the best path forward and sometimes will give encouragement to the cult that has arisen around the alleged phenomenon (not to be confused with approval of the supernatural character). The associated messages may be approved for publication, and pilgrimages may be allowed at this stage. In some cases, the local ordinary might deem it appropriate to consider the events worthy of faith expression. If the matter is still being investigated, the bishop could permit public worship while continuing to be vigilant in ensuring that the devotions do not wander in deviant directions. Many non constat cases result in the limiting rather than the encouraging of the devotion.
In what continues to be one of the most popular unapproved apparition claims of all time, the events at San Sebastián de Garabandal (commonly referred to simply as Garabandal), Spain, from 1961 to 1965 have left some faithful awaiting in hope the upgrade of the ecclesial judgment of the Church. During those years four young schoolgirls claimed to have received visions and messages from St. Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary. There were thousands of claimed visions of Mary with some activity witnessed by thousands and captured in photographs and on live film.
Four successive bishops of Santander have viewed the supernatural character of Garabandal as having no proof of being authentic. In 1993, José Vilaplana, Bishop of Santander, provided a judgment of non constat — that is, not established as being supernatural in origin. Regarding these alleged events, he stated, “All the bishops of the diocese from 1961 through 1970 asserted that the supernatural character of the said apparitions, that took place around that time, could not be confirmed [no constaba].”
In an official note of July 8, 1965, Bishop Eugenio Beitia of Santander wrote:
We point out, however, that we have not found anything deserving of ecclesiastical censorship or condemnation either in the doctrine or in the spiritual recommendations that have been publicized as having been addressed to the faithful, for these contain an exhortation to prayer and sacrifice, to Eucharistic devotion, to veneration of Our Lady in traditional praiseworthy ways, and to holy fear of God offended by our sins. They simply repeat the common doctrine of the Church in these matters.
The bishop of Santander, who had asked for a more explicit declaration from the Holy See on the matter, reaffirmed that he and his predecessors had never approved or encouraged the devotion or even given its promoters their blessing in a sign of approval. On March 10, 1996, the Sacred Congregation wrote in reply and insisted that the decision rests in the hands of the competent ecclesial authority, the local bishop.
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