In a letter published on July 8, 2024, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has authorized the promotion of the Italian Marian apparitions known as the "Mystical Rose of Fontanelle" or "Madonna of Montechiari."
Whereas in 1984 his dicastery had judged this supernatural phenomenon to have little credibility, the latest statement speaks of its "positive aspects" in terms of faith and morals, but asks that certain messages be "clarified."
(Mystical Rose is a common title of Mary, present since ancient times, and one of her invocations in the Litany of Loreto, written in 1587).
A declaration in accordance with the new norms
Since the publication of the new norms for the study of supernatural phenomena in the Catholic Church on May 17, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has been able to speak publicly regarding these cases.
The aim of a Vatican statement, which may be requested by a local bishop or proposed of its own accord by the dicastery, is not to recognize the supernatural character of the case studied. Rather, it authorizes with as much clarity as possible the devotion linked to it, making theological corrections if necessary.
After its investigation, the dicastery can also decide to prohibit a devotion, or declare that a phenomenon is not supernatural. This was the case in the first letter published on June 27, in which Cardinal Fernández affirmed the "non-supernatural nature" of the so-called apparitions that have been said to take place in recent years in Trevignano, north of Rome.
The case of Pierina Gilli and the “Mystical Rose”
Now the dicastery has taken up the case of the Italian visionary Pierina Gilli (1911-1991). From Montichiari, Lombardy, she reported having been visited by the Virgin Mary on numerous occasions, during which Our Lady purportedly revealed herself to her as the "Mystic Rose." The publication of her Diary aroused great devotion and encouraged the creation of a shrine at Fontanelle.
The bishops of the local diocese, Brescia, repeatedly advised against the devotion in 1968, 1975, 1997 and 2008, without succeeding in putting an end to the devotion. In 1984, Bishop Bruno Foresti even announced that the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith had judged the apparitions to be non-credible and had disapproved of the devotion of the "Mystical Rose" related to them.
Now, the dicastery thus would seem to have reversed its earlier judgment. However, with the new norms, it no longer aims to recognize the supernatural nature of the phenomenon. It’s only stating its validity from the point of view of Christian doctrine and the pastoral relevance of maintaining the devotion linked to it.
Clarifications are needed
In his letter, Cardinal Fernández announces that the dicastery of which he is prefect "has not found in the messages spread by Pierina Gilli any element that directly contradicts the teaching of the Catholic Church in matters of faith and morals."
He explains that, on the contrary, the dicastery has detected positive elements. Therefore, he is giving his nihil obstat to the devotion, even though he insists that certain messages require "clarification to avoid misunderstanding."
According to the dicastery, the texts contain "expressions that are not always appropriate." For example, some of the visionary's writings suggest that the Virgin Mary is a "'lightning rod' mediator" who protects humanity from the wrath of an unmerciful God, or that she is a redeemer – whereas "Jesus Christ is our only Redeemer," the document stresses.
The Holy See also insists that, contrary to what certain formulations may imply, God's grace is transmitted to man through the Holy Spirit, and not through the mediation of the mother of Jesus. Nevertheless, the document says, Mary offers "maternal intercession" to the faithful. Finally, the dicastery warns against a "reductive" reading of Pierina Gilli's vision of the Virgin's "three roses" – three flowers representing prayer, sacrifice, and penance. It asks the faithful to avoid presenting this "as if it were the core, center, or synthesis of the Gospel," because, he notes, Scriptures tell us that the center is charity (citing Gal 5:14, 1 Jn 3:14, Jn 13:35).
