Marian apparition

When Marian apparitions are visions in which witnesses report that they Mary, the mother of Jesus had appeared. Alleged Apparitions are attested for the entire Christian era. Already James the Great, one of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, should be 40, the mother of Jesus appeared after Christ as so-called Madonna del Pilar on January 2 of the year. Out of the hundreds of reports of symptoms that should have taken place over the centuries, only a few are ecclesiastically recognized. To churches, monasteries and pilgrimage sites can develop at locations with Marian apparitions.

• 3.2.1 Authenticity confirmed by the Coptic Catholic Patriarch and the
• 3.2.2 Authenticity confirmed by the Coptic Patriarch

Phenomenon

By the end of the late Middle Ages, there were mostly men, and among them mostly clerics, which appeared to Mary. In the 11th century there were already in the literature, the motif of the simple woman, who was given a special treat in the form of a vision. In shaped by the Enlightenment 18th century the number of appearances of Mary went back. In the 19th century the number, however, against the background of a renewal of the Catholic Church and a greater emphasis on a feeling intense piety increased again. In the center of the new piety stood by the cult of the Virgin Mary. The historian David Blackbourn, who has studied, among other things Marpingen Marian apparitions in the second half of the 19th century, demonstrated by means of a number of approved church and not registered medical phenomena that the visionaries of the 19th century features such as a life of addiction, raw treatment, early separation from the family or loss of a parent, an outsider and oppressive in the majority of cases poverty are common. For many of the visionaries, the phenomenon was therefore means emotional support and comfort. Even the pious accounts of the apparitions of the 19th century have always emphasized that it was members of the poorest strata in the visionaries of the great church recognized Marian apparitions. On Mélanie and Maximin Giraud Calvat, the seers of La Salette, Lourdes and Bernadette Soubirous of this is true. The nun Catherine Labouré, who came from middle-class, and thus materially slightly better treated as such, is one of the few exceptions.

The visionary events that were given to the seers, or claimed to be, the lives of their fellow human beings partly touched on much. According to the Scryers often struck first against rejection and distrust. This was true in many cases for the priest, belonged to the municipality of the seers. On the part of their bishops clergymen were stopped to wait for the church investigation and decision on the appearance. A high degree of local acceptance found seer where the expected pilgrimages promised prospect of material gain. Often, however, the presence of many pilgrims also had undesirable side effects. In particular, the intervention of the authorities could lead to an impairment of local life. So French authorities threatened the inhabitants of Lourdes, round out a planned railway line to Lourdes, where the city does not come to his senses.

The phenomenon of Marian apparition occurs mostly in Catholic and Orthodox Christians; in isolated cases, even in supposedly non-believers, which then usually converted due to this phenomenon. The individual reports of Marian apparitions are varied. Part is reported by individual phenomena, which are not repeated or not further known. Better known are repeated apparitions that can attract with appropriate notice, a large audience ( Fatima ).

The sensory perception of individual phenomena is different: In most cases, at least the people who had the first Marian apparition, they both see and hear. Other senses, such as a common rose scent are known. Also, the messages conveyed can be of various types and include both prophecies and words of encouragement in individual life crises.

Reported are also cases in which Marian apparitions was allegedly predicted and witnessed the subsequent occurrence of several people. It is claimed that the absence of such predictions or repeated appearances by doubting the seer or doubt or definite prohibitions can be caused by church authorities.

Evaluation and assessment

Marian apparitions are seen by many believers as a miracle. Others reject these phenomena generally from, either as unimportant to the personal experience of faith, as quackery or occultism. Scientifically these phenomena are often rated as hallucination. Meanwhile, however, refer primarily political and social scientists repeatedly to the specific social functions of Marian apparitions in the context of a globalized modernity. Thus, these origins are mostly social movements that substantiate political and social resistance. In this sense phenomena have stabilizing effects on emotional bonding forces within societies.

Like all phenomena potentially wonderful origin are also checked Marian apparitions of the Roman Catholic Church to its authenticity. These three assessment formulas have been established:

• Constat de natura super lite - It is clear that this is Supernatural.
• Non constat de natura super lite - It is not clear whether it is supernatural or
• Constat de non supernaturalitate - It is clear that the apparitions are not supernatural.

These assessments are usually granted after a thorough examination by the diocesan bishop, but can also be other instances are transferred. Reports of Marian apparitions, including those that are recognized by the Church as supernatural, are not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church. Each Catholics therefore remains free to believe in the authenticity of an apparition or not.

Places of Marian apparitions

Apparitions of Mary in the Roman Catholic Church

On 24 February 1978, the Vatican's doctrinal congregation laid down standards for the church's assessment of the Virgin Mary and other phenomena as well as private revelations.

Granted supernatural

Supernaturalism is awarded by the Roman Catholic Church: " Constat de supernaturalitate " ( " it is clear that the apparitions are supernatural ").

• Gietrzwałd 1877
• Fátima
• Guadalupe, now part of Mexico City
• Lourdes
• Notre -Dame du Laus, France (1664-1718)

Disproved supernaturalism or doubtful

Supernaturalism is not granted by the Roman Catholic Church: " Constat de non supernaturalitate " ( " it is clear that the apparitions are not supernatural " Or. "Non constat de supernaturalitate " ( " it is not clear whether the phenomena supernatural are " ):

• Dechtice, Slovakia (alleged apparitions are still going on )
• Garabandal, Spain
• Heede (Emsland) (an examination of the Roman Catholic Church has not yet taken place and, according to the Diocese of Osnabrück not planned)
• Herold Bach - The Prayer, but not as apparition site of Bishop Charles Brown in 1998 recognized.
• Marienfried, market Oberpfaffenhofen in Roth in Bavaria
• Marpingen Apparitions 1876/1877
• Medjugorje in Herzegovina (alleged apparitions are still ongoing and will be tested)
• Niklashausen
• Sievernich
• Soufanieh in Syria ( Melkite Greek Catholic, Uniate Church with Rome )
• Wigratzbad (part of Opfenbach, district of Lindau )

Apparitions of Mary in the Orthodox and the Coptic Church

From Marian apparitions is also reported in the Orthodox Churches and the Coptic Church.

Konstantin Opel:

• After a Russian tradition had the Slavic ascetic Andrei, also known as " fool in God ", in the famous Blachernae Church in Constantinople Opel on a October 1 in the 10th century during the Midnight Mass a vision of the Virgin Mary, from the doors of the sanctuary stepped out, and tearfully prayed long. Even the servant Epiphanius claimed to have seen how she finally spread her shawl over the present people. The Russian Prince Andrei Bogolubsky ( 1174 ) took over the legend, built the " Madonna of Mercy " ( Pokrov ) has its own church and made 1 October throughout Russia to her feast day.

Russia:

• Kazan: On July 8, 1579 " Theotokos " is ( " Mother of God ", as Maria called in Orthodoxy ) be the nine- year-old girl Matrona appeared in Kazan on the Volga. The report zufolgte she revealed her hiding a hidden before the Muslim Tatars miraculous icon. Known as the " Kazanskaya " miraculous image became a symbol of Russia, in her honor were erected cathedrals in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Ukraine:

• Pochaiv: On April 17, 1198, the " Theotokos ", the founding legend of the Basilian of According Pochaiv, a group of monks who had fled into the caves near Ternopyl before the invasion of the Mongols from the famous cave monastery of Kiev ( Pecherskaya Lavra ) appeared, " in a pillar of fire ." They should have left their footprint in the rock. Water from a nearby spring have since been attributed to healing effects, a monastery at the apparition site became a popular place of pilgrimage.
• Hruschiw: On April 25, 1987 Mary is the 11 -year-old Marina Kisyn be published on the belfry of the village church closed for 40 years. This had been more than 100 years ago because of a miraculous icon of the Virgin and a fountain with allegedly healing waters ever a place of pilgrimage. As the phenomena repeated on the following days, came up to 40,000 pilgrims despite all the sabotages of the former communist regime. Almost all want to have also seen the vision in orange red and blue light.

Authenticity confirmed by the Coptic Catholic Patriarch and the

Egypt:

• Zeitoun: On April 2, 1968, weeks after it came to nightly appearances of a " woman in white light ," which were watched by hundreds of thousands of Coptic Christians and Muslims over the dome of the Coptic Church of St. Mary in Zeitoun. Zeitoun is according to legend, the place where the Virgin Mary rested in their flight to Egypt under a sycamore. Many miraculous healings and conversions were reported. On 4 May 1968, the Coptic Patriarch Kyrillos VI stated. the phenomena to be credible, the Catholic Patriarch Stephen I agreed.

Authenticity confirmed by the Coptic Patriarch

• Assiut: On August 17, 2000, a series of Marian apparitions began on the St. Mark's Church. Many witnesses claim to have seen mysterious lights, doves of light, or luminous figure of Our Lady, also photos and videos are available. The Coptic Patriarch Shenouda III. acknowledged the authenticity of the apparitions and described it as a "sign of comfort" for the Christian minority in Egypt. Bishop Mina Hanna, Chairman of the Council of Churches of Assiut, said: " This is a blessing for both Muslims and Christians. It is a blessing for Egypt. "