The Vatican’s doctrinal body has asked Filipino bishops to ‘dissuade’ any activities that run counter to the church’s official ruling on the alleged Marian apparitions in Lipa.
Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, particularly advised bishops against events to mark the 75th anniversary of the supposed apparition.
He said “it would not be advisable” for bishops to authorize such an event organized by “Confraternity of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace”.
“The dicastery asks you to dissuade any form of activity in view of the proposed celebration in Lipa,” Ladaria said in a letter to the bishops’ conference.
The cardinal reiterated the Vatican’s 1951 decision that the alleged Lipa apparitions have “no supernatural origin and character”.
The Vatican reaffirmed its decision with another decree in December 2015.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the episcopal conference, relayed the cardinal’s letter to the dioceses, which reiterates that the Vatican decision on the matter “remans definitive”.
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