Apparitions in Argentina are not authentic, declares archbishop

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Apr 15, 2011 / 15:54 pm

Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa de la Vera Cruz, Argentina declared that the reported Marian apparitions in the town of Centeno will not be approved by the Church.

A diocesan commission concluded that “there are no signs that guarantee this is a supernatural apparition of the Most Holy Virgin Mary,” the archbishop explained.

Since April 4, 2010, hundreds have gathered in the town of Centeno after a woman claimed that Mary led her to a miraculous fount of healing water.

The 32-year-old woman added that the Blessed Mother also asked for a chapel to be built there.

The commission's study of the messages shows that while some elements “are consistent with the Christian life,” other statements “do not conform to the spirit of the Gospel or to the manner in which the Most Holy Virgin expresses herself in the tradition of the Church,” the archbishop continued.

He noted the alleged visionary’s “lack of compliance” with the Church’s handling of the case, as well as her pressuring of Church leaders for a speedy approval.

The archbishop also expressed disapproval of the woman’s practice of blessing the faithful.

Archbishop Arancedo said the Church values “the recitation of the Holy Rosary, whenever done with a true Catholic spirit and due reverence to Jesus Christ and the Church.”

“As we approach Holy Week, we encourage the faithful to receive the sacraments of Confession and the Eucharist, which bestow on us true spiritual strength and the fullness of life that Jesus Christ has given us,” the archbishop said.