Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!sun-barr!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: jhpb@garage.att.com Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Catholic Teaching on Apparitions/Miracles Message-ID: Date: 5 Jun 90 04:24:12 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: AT&T Bell Labs (Liberty Corner) Lines: 25 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu There is a whole part of theology that is concerned with the discernment of spirits -- determining where visions etc. come from. Here are a few things that are considered by the authorities when judging apparitions: 1. Effect of the apparitions on the witnesses. It should cause an increase in sanctity. In the case of the Fatima children, this was quite noticeable. Part of this one is that the witnesses must obey their superiors. St. Theresa of Avila was told by our Lord to found convents without endowments. Her superiors ordered her to do otherwise. She obeyed her superiors -- and our Lord approved her behaviour. (She was quite terrified that the visions she had were diabolical in nature.) 2. The purpose of the apparition should deal with affairs related to salvation, not trivial and common things. 3. There must be nothing in them contrary to the theology of the Church, dogmatic, moral, or otherwise. 4. There must be nothing unseemly, unfitting. These are the ones that I can remember at the moment, anyway. Joe Buehler