The Vatican has announced it’s going to introduce new rules to authenticate miracles as social media promotes unverified claims. For the pope – modern technology has created plenty of new heretics. And if there’s only thing the Roman Catholic church enjoys doing – and that’s rooting out a heresy!
You might have imagined a few years ago that social media would lead to miracles being shot down within seconds by sceptics. But the contrary has proven to be true. Miracles are booming with statues weeping and people claiming to bear the ‘stigmata’ on their bodies – the marks borne by Jesus at the crucifixion. It appears that Pope Francis has had enough. And in true Vatican style, is introducing new standards that miracles must meet in order to be accepted as true.
The church has a long problem with heretics. What to do with people who claim to be talking to God or the Virgin Mary? Does one accept claims by pious Catholics to have experienced visions? Is there a risk that by rejecting alleged miracles, the church dampens the fervour of the faithful? As a liberal minded and Jesuit trained pope – Francis tends towards the need for verification. But he may be fighting a losing battle.
FIND OUT MORE: Were the Knights Templar heretics?
Army of Mary – heretics in Quebec!
In recent decades, the Roman Catholic church has tackled a few modern heretics. It can no longer deploy the inquisition and have them burned at the stake, but excommunication is still acceptable. Take for example, the Canadian movement: The Community of the Lady of All Nations. Founded in 1971 by a French-Canadian, Marie-Paule Giguère, it seemed like just another prayer group. The Vatican was happy to authorise it.
Until…Giguère declared herself to be the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. Cue consternation in Rome! The pope instructed The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (previously known as the Inquisition) to take a closer look.
It turned out that Giguère had met a Dutch woman – Ida Peerdeman – who claimed to have talked to the Virgin Mary over fifty times. The first encounter was during World War Two. The mother of Jesus gave Peerdeman various instructions to pass on to the pope and made a series of predictions including the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958. Giguère took this a stage further, stating not that she had met Mary – but that she was Mary.
The Vatican’s inquisitor was the future Pope Benedict XVI – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. A deeply conservative theologian – he was in no mood to tolerate a prayer group now calling itself the Army of Mary. There was no way, in Ratzinger’s view, that Giguère was the Virgin Mary. However, the Army of Mary carried on regardless and even ordained six priests. In 2007, they were excommunicated – cast out of the Roman Catholic church.
FIND OUT MORE: The Knights Templar – magicians or heretics?
Heretics on TikTok and YouTube
You only have pop the word ‘stigmata’ into the search function on TikTok or YouTube to be served up a slew of stories from people claiming that every Easter the marks of the wounds on Christ’s body during the crucifixion also appear on their body. Just go and take a look!
I just watched one young guy – replete with long hair and Jesus-like beard of course – asserting that he has experienced the stigmata. He is following the example of the 20th century Italian priest Padre Pio who bore wounds on his hands, feet and side of his torso. In recent years, he has been accused of using carbolic acid. Yet, his cult shows no signs of diminishing. Go back further in history and the following saints claimed to carry the stigmata: Saint Francis of Assisi; Saint Rita of Cascia; Saint Veronica Giuliani; Saint Catherine of Siena; and Saint Gemma Galgani.
This video I found on TikTok below shows a congregation going into sheer ecstasy at what they believe is an appearance by the Virgin Mary during mass. I’ve got to say – it looks like a sunny reflection of the window no the crucifix. Sorry to be a party pooper. But this is the kind of thing sending the Vatican into a tizzy. And Pope Francis determined to distinguish between heretics and genuine faith.
