Why do Catholics believe in apparitions of the virgin Mary?

Question

With all due respect, supernatural phonemona, supposing it to exist, doesn't necessarily make it holy.

Answer 1

because of lack of knowledge of the word of God.

Answer 2

because they are brain washed.

Answer 3

Why do you care? We believe that from time to time Mary comes to us as a spiritual Mother and urges us to return to God and her Son.  

Answer 4

I love the "they" responses ... all wrong, of course, but welcome to R&S where an assumption, a wild guess or even a much-cherished personal prejudice can be passed off as accurate information (or at least the "best answer").

The Church views these apparitions as private revelations, and the faithful are not required to accept them. They are thoroughly investigated, certainly because (as you have said) supernatural phenomena cannot automatically be assumed to be of God, and also to be certain that the persons who claim the apparition are neither charlatans nor suffering from mental illness.  The most the Church will formally state about a particular apparition, even Lourdes or Fatima, is that it's "worthy of belief" and leaves to the individual Catholic whether to believe or not; to find it inspirational or ignore it.

In other words, one can be a devout practicing Catholic and never once make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, pray the Fatima prayer, wear a Miraculous Medal, or indeed accept any apparition into their devotional life.  (Medjugorje remains under investigation and the Church has not yet rendered a formal decision on it.)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the authoritative source on Catholic doctrine and practice, states:

"...even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries ... Throughout the ages, there have been so-called "private" revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history ... Christian faith cannot accept 'revelations' that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment."

Answer 5

With all due respect, do the research. Read the accounts from scientists and non-believers, as well as believers, about Fatima and Lourdes.

What I don't understand is people limiting God...  

Answer 6

Because they can, STFU.

Answer 7

God can use his angels or his saints to deliver messages. However, Satan can appear as an angel of light. If the apparition was really Mary and a person fell down to worship her, she would insist that they do not do it. Mary is a saint, but so are millions of others (like me). She was not sinless; only Jesus was without sin. Otherwise, Mary could have gone to the cross for our sins. Worship of Mary is pagan and similar to other female goddesses from Rome, Greece, and Egypt. "You shall have no other gods (or goddesses) before me."

Answer 8

a complete illusion because God is imaginary

Answer 9

I had a Lutheran ask me that to. We were at the beach and there is a seashell that looked like her to me. Also had tiles in my shower that looked like Jesus, except for the ones that were up side down. I'm not sure, good question though.

Oh that piece of toast reminded me more of a 1920's movie starlett.

Answer 10

because if you believe anything hard enough.......

Answer 11

The apparitions have been well documented, authenticated and thoroughly investigated to dismiss as fantasy or misguided spiritual fervour, and the works that flowed from them were God. Many people believe Mary is appearing at Medjugorje.From 1981 she has been giving six "seers" ten secrets each. As soon as all six visionaries have received all their secrets, then the events of those secrets will begin to take place.

Answer 12

Because for some reason they think that mary didnt sin. Dont take my word on this though i could be wrong. But they warship her as if she was sinless whe the bible states clearly that she need a savior. Catholics are lost i will pray for them.  

Answer 13

As Jesus told us, we are to test the fruits to discern the spirit. If the fruits of these Marian apparitions are good and holy, this is something that can be authentically from God. If it is from God, it is a gift for us. In accepting these apparitions we accept these gifts from God.

Now I should point out that the Roman Catholic Church does not tell us we need to accept, believe or follow anything that comes from these apparitions when they have been approved as authentic. All we have been given through the Apostles needs to be accepted as public revelation for all. These private revelations are devotional, not requirement. These apparitions do not add to the faith, they help to deepen it, they help us to apply the faith we hold through the deposit of faith in a more profound way.

Personally, I have no problem with apparitions. I accept them, and apply them to my spiritual life which helps to enrich my faith.

Answer 14

Do you have a better explanation for this image in my tortilla?

I didn't think so.

Answer 15

Because it happened, it's documented, and it's true. For those who believe no explanation is necessary, for those who do not believe no explanation will suffice. God bless you.

Answer 16

Oh my god you are her!!! I didn't expect you to be so hot!

Answer 17

Because they have happened time and again down thru the ages. They have been verified by eye witness accounts, and they have been judged holy by the church. At Fatima in 1914, 70,000 people witnessed the miracle of the sun,and a huge percentage of that crowd saw Her too. Her apparition in Mexico in the 16th. cent.was also confirmed and caused the conversion of 9,000,000 Aztecs within 10 years. The Church still has the miraculous cloak of Juan Diego. The question is, why don't other people believe?

Answer 18

Because there is incontravertable evidence for some of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary.

To give one example, the predicted miracle of the sun at Fatima, which you can read about in newpapers from that time (1917), this was winessed by thousands of people including many skeptics and atheists who turned up to ridicule, but were astounded and shocked to see the event happen before their eyes.    

Answer 19

I think so , I have a friend that is a fanatic catholic.  

I mean its all she talks about and she mentioned this to me b4.  

Answer 20

because theyre a fact. i encourage you to read about the appearances at fatima. blessed mary appeared to 4 small children there. she revealed some future events to them like wwii, the fact that russia would "spread her errors" (ie. communism) throughout the world( this was long before russia was a super power). there was also a miracle that was witnessed by 70,000 people, the miracle of the sun. Mary told the children to tell the people to gather at a certain spot at a certain time. when everyone was gathered, the sun appeared to descend toward the earth and change colors. people started to panic because they thought the world was about to end. many people, including many atheists who were only there to debunk the appearances, fell to their knees and started praying.

there is also a group of people in a town called  medgagore( i think somewhere in the former yugoslavia) who have been receiving apperitions form Mary for several years. there was a scientific study done on these people while they were having these visions. the study included measuring brain waves while shining bright lights in their eyes and exposing them to loud noises. the study showed that the light and the noise had absolutely no effect on them. theres much more to it than that. you should read up on it for yourself. it very interesting.

Answer 21

Weird, isn't it?

Only Catholics 'see' her.

It's almost as if Catholics are delusional.

~

Answer 22

When people see them or take photographs it is easy to believe.  When people convert to Christianity because of them it shows whatever it is it had a good effect (from a Catholic point of view)

Answer 23

+ Deus caritas est +

Regrettable to see so many ill-disposed, misinformed or commonly, under-informed about the apparitions of our Lady and the Church's stance on this issue. But also fortunate that this question has come to my attention before its closure. I promise to answer only what I remember from the Catechism which I recall, I learnt few years ago but It is also advisable to consult yours. Now, onto the meaty bit...

Catholics do not "Believe" in those apparitions of our Lady, it is important to employ the right language when Catholic Theology is being discussed. After all, Catholic Theology is not about noble simplicity which we commonly observe in today's liturgy but it is about rigorous reasoning and reflection with the help of Divine Inspiration. Voila, the Tomaic understanding of Theology. Hands off Mr. Luther.

Especially not to take what your "Precious Mr Pastor" says on your Sunday gatherings, verbatim.

When we say "believe" it is primarily what is written and recited in the Creeds, namely the Nicene Creed and that of the Apostles.

Also there are bits that we say "we believe" "As a catholic" such as the Assumption of our Lady and the absence of Original Sin and any other sins of our Lady, which many people find difficult to understand. Another glimpse into the today's noble simplicity of minds, may I boldy add?

Now, the apparitions of our Lady, are technically not the ones that your are "required", as it were, to believe to remain a catholic. All the Apostolic and Christological revelations have ceased to manifest themselves with the decease of Saint John. All the others after those are called Personal revelations which we do not necessarily "have" to believe.

As much as they are regular with the Apostolic teachings (which in turn, are the teachings of the Church), individual faithful can choose to follow them for special causes or ways of devotion, or not if one finds it difficult to devote oneself in the spirituality or the messages of individual apparitions; he/she can decide to or not to based on their Rigorous Reasoning. It is nevertheless very helpful to follow the messages of the apparitions that are proclaimed Authentic by the Church. There are ones of which the Authenticity is questioned, namely that of Bayside, America, of which everybody in that bandwagon had been excommunicated as I recall. Best to double check it though. But the ones called Authentic are to be taken to be Authentically of our Lady and one cannot dispute its Authenticity which has taken long time to be proven so by the Church.

The word "Holy" is also quite a vague term. Usually for catholics when we say "Holy" it is when we say the Holy Trinity or "Holy Holy Holy, God the Father Almighty" in the mass or "Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabbaoth". We also say "Holy Mary, mother of God" most notably when we recite the Holy rosary but I personally do not use the term outside the cases where the Church already uses the term as I am not yet quite sure when to employ such vocabulary. As said in the Holy Bible, our Blessed Redeemer said <<And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.>> Douay-Rheims translation, Mt 16:19. Dangerous it is to uproot a saying in the Bible on its own without what has been said immediately before itself. Best to google "Douay -Rheims" and find the page of scripture on your own to meditate the full meaning of this part of the scripture. Why did I just quote that? Well, I think what I can call holy can be called holy because the Church recognises it as holy. It is almost as though I take it as reserved by the Church. I suppose one can say "Holy Mary" but not "Holy Apparitions". It seems as though is quite often that we say a personage namely the Trinity or our Lady is holy, not certain action is. I do apologise for my lack of understanding here. As I said, best to consult your catechism.

All these are difficult to understand if one does not believe in the Apostolic and Supreme authority of the Church on individual salvation and the road that leads to it. That is why I devoted my precious first paragraph on sighing at the fact that people without the correct information and disposition had already covered up the first scroll of this question.

Not so nobly simple, but remarkably rigorous, eh?

Answer 24

Catholics believe that the Pope is God's representative on earth and should he declare anything to be true or if he alters old Catholic beliefs (Like eating meat on Fridays you will go to h**l) it is LAW.

So when he says an apparition has occurred, they beliece it.

They believe more what the Pope says than what is recorded in the Bible by Jesus Christ himself.

Answer 25

First, they were brainwashed by their church to believe so.

Second, Satan wants to deceive them to stay inthe wrong path so he shows himself to them in a woman's form, to appear as Mary to the Catholics.

Answer 26

They're ripe with imagination.