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Q.. Is Bayside
an approved apparition site?. I heard that the Catholic Church
disapproved of Bayside....
A. This is
probably the most frequently asked question regarding Our Lady
of the Roses Shrine at Bayside and requires some explanation.
In 1986, ( after a period of sixteen years), a one page memorandum
was issued by Bishop Mugavero of the Brookyln Archdiocese, which
conveyed a negative judgment on the Apparitions of Our Lady and
Our Lord to Veronica Lueken at Bayside.
The Archdiocese pronouncement is null and void
as far as the Shrine of Our Lady of the Roses is concerned for
the following reasons:
Veronica Lueken and the Shrine were never approached
and interviewed in the context of a proper church investigation,
not even by telephone. This statement was confirmed by Monsignor
King (who was serving in the Brooklyn Archdiocese at the time)
in a radio interview with a Canadian radio station. Therefore
there could have never been any investigation, as the principal
witness, the seer herself, was never given the opportunity to
be interviewed as part of what should have rightly been a major
aspect of the formal investigative process.
None of the Shrine workers, including her personal
secretary, Mrs. Ann Ferguson, has ever been questioned or interrogated.
No attempt was made by the Archdiocese to investigate
any of the thousands of miraculous cures and spiritual conversions
received by the faithful attending the vigils or through the intercession
of Our Lady of the Roses.
It is impossible to obtain from the Brooklyn
Archdiocese the names of the investigative committee, or even
the most rudimentary documentation which provides explicit dates
when and where the investigation was conducted.
The fact that the Bishop of Brooklyn had personally
affixed his name to the declaration on the Apparitions does not
bind Catholics under obedience or pain of sin to disbelieve in
or remain away from the prayer vigils or the apparition site.
Under Canon Law, Ecclesiastical permission is not required for
the publication of revelations, visions, miracles or with respect
to the frequenting of non-recognized places of apparitions. (See
the Canon Law decrees abrogated below)
We invite the faithful to personally contact
the Public Information Office of the Archdiocese of Brooklyn,
New York at (718) 399-5955 and formally request a copy of the
"full investigative report" regarding the Bayside Apparitions.
To this date, the report does not exist.
The Bishops negative judgment on Our Lady's
Shrine at Bayside has had no impact whatsoever on the mission
of Our Lady of the Roses Shrine: The dissemination of Our Lady's
and Our Lord's urgent messages throughout the world. Our Lady's
Shrine at Bayside has continued to enjoy an ever growing and worldwide
following for almost twenty-seven years.
Q. What is
the actual Church Law (Canon Law) regarding apparition sites?
A. Ecclesiastical permission is not required for publication of revelations, visions, miracles or for the frequenting of non-recognized places of apparitions.
A decree of the "Sacred Congregation for
the Doctrine and the Faith " was published in the "Official
Acts of the Holy See" (A.A.S.) 58/16, dated December 29,
1966.
Articles 1399 and 2318 of Canon Law are abrogated
by this decree.
This decree of abrogation was approved October
14, 1966 by His Holiness the Sovereign Pontiff Paul Vl, who ordered
at the same time its publication.
This approval by the Holy Father took place
during an audience accorded to His Eminence Cardinal Ottaviani,
Pro-Prefect for the "Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine
and the Faith."
The decree was made in Rome, November 15, 1966. It bears the signatures of:
A. Cardinal Ottaviani, Pro-Prefect
P. Parente, Secretary
The decree took effect three months after its
publication, hence on March 29, 1967.
The Canon 1399 forbade by right the publication
of certain books such as those that deal with revelations, visions,
prophecies and miracles.
This Canon has been repealed. This means that
as far as these publications are concerned, the prohibition is
lifted as to their being bound by ecclesiastical law.
This means that henceforth: Catholics
are permitted without need of Imprimatur, or of Nihil Obstat,
or any other permission, to publish accounts of revelations, visions,
prophecies and miracles. Of course these publications must not
put in danger the Faith or the Morals: this is the general rule
which every Catholic must follow in all his actions, even journalists,
especially journalists.
There is hence no longer any prohibition
concerning the narrative of seers, be they recognized or not by
Ecclesiastical Authority.
All the more reason is it permitted for
Catholics to frequent places of Apparitions, even those not recognized
by the Ordinaries of the diocese or by the Holy Father: Granted
that the Catholic visitors who frequent these places must respect
the Faith and the Morals. However, they are not subject to any
ecclesiastical discipline, not even for their pubic prayers.
Permission is required only for the celebration
of Holy Mass or any other religious service.
Canon 2318 carried penalties against those
who violated the laws of censure and prohibition.
This Canon is abrogated since 1966. None can
incur ecclesiastical censure for frequenting places of Apparitions
even those not recognized by the Ordinaries of dioceses or by
the Holy Father.
Also, "those who would have incurred the censures treated in Canon 2318 will be like absolved by the very fact of the abrogation of this Canon." (Cardinal Ottaviani)