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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
false apparitions	Luis	Sunday, July 25, 2004
Question: Hello bro. ignatius, I'm enjoying the new forum, nice job. My question is regarding false or unapproved apparitions. In an earlier question I had I asked if the "enemy" could " intercept prayers to the Lord or Saints and answer them in a decieving way, to mislead. You answered in the negative. In the case of apparitions, alot of people seem to be getting bent out of shape regarding some of them. What is the danger of going to an unapproved (or false) appartion sites and praying, for as long as you stay within the boundaries of Church teachings regarding prayer and not falling into heresy? I know that we are to follow the ruling of the Bishops, and if the Bishop says "NO", we are falling into disobedience. In a case where there has been no official ruling by the Bishop, and the apparition site is false, where is the danger? If we pray to the Blessed Mother in a false site, does the prayer get intecepted as the site is false, or does it go to our lady as it was done in good faith within the boundaries set by the Church? Thanks and God Bless. P.S. When are you getting your programs on deliverance going?
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Luis: Thanks for the comment about the new forum design. I like it too. The devil can appear as an angel of light and thus it is possible for apparitions to be demons instead of the Blessed Mother or whoever. That is why the visionaries who experience these things need to "test the spirits" to be sure what they are seeing and experiencing is truly of God. But there are other ways in which an apparition can be false. The apparition can be a product of the visionaries imagination, or even a delusion caused from a mental illness. The many and varied explanations for apparitions is one of the reasons that all apparitions, locutions, and other private revelations must come under the scrutiny of the Church. Under ANY circumstances one should ALWAYS take an private revelation with a grain of salt if the Church has not official approved it, or at least if the local Bishop has not approved it. The danger is developing devotions stemming from private revelations is several-fold. For example, here a few that come to mind at the moment: Once a person invests his energies and his soul into devotion to a private revelation, it can be difficult for that person to walk away should the Church eventually disapprove it. The results can be tragic. This happened at Bayside, NY. The Church officially condemned the apparition at Bayside but the visionary involved and many of the follower refused to give up. The visionary even had the nerve to suggest that our Blessed Mother was calling the bishop names for refusing to accept this private revelation. That is such nonsense and prima facie proof that the apparitions were not real. One can be mislead into thinking things about theology that are not true or that could be even subtle heresies. "Poem of the Man-God" is an example of that. Private revelations, which are utterly unneeded or required even for belief of even approved apparitions, that come into controversy can lead one into divisiveness which is a sin and damages the person's soul. Appearances of "good works" at an apparition site or due to devotion to that apparition can and does easily fool people into thinking the apparition is real. Sorry folks but "good fruit CAN come from a bad tree". People misinterpret what Jesus said about good and bad fruit. God can take a lemon and make lemonade. In terms of a person going to an apparition site that has not been approved, but has not been condemned either (or cautioned by the local bishop), such a person is going in good faith and not in rebellion. God honors a person of good faith. Thus the prayers offered to our Blessed Mother are heard by the real Blessed Mother even it the apparition turns out to be false. Prayer can be answered and people can be blessed. These answers and blessings are given because of the persons good faith in being at the apparition site and in their faith in devotion to God and to our Blessed Mother. While God will bless and honor those who, in good faith, follow a devotion from a private revelation or attend an apparition site that has not as yet been judged one way or the other by the Church or the local bishop, it is still a better part of valor to be very cautious and to withhold enthusiasm until the Church has made its judgement. In matters such as this, it is better to be safe than sorry. On your P.S. we have already re-opened the St. Padre Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling and are taking new clients right now. We have also open our training school for potential deliverance counselors. We are finishing our first Trimester this week. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

false apparitions

Luis

Sunday, July 25, 2004

Question:

Hello bro. ignatius, I'm enjoying the new forum, nice job.

My question is regarding false or unapproved apparitions. In an earlier question I had I asked if the "enemy" could " intercept prayers to the Lord or Saints and answer them in a decieving way, to mislead. You answered in the negative.

In the case of apparitions, alot of people seem to be getting bent out of shape regarding some of them. What is the danger of going to an unapproved (or false) appartion sites and praying, for as long as you stay within the boundaries of Church teachings regarding prayer and not falling into heresy?

I know that we are to follow the ruling of the Bishops, and if the Bishop says "NO", we are falling into disobedience. In a case where there has been no official ruling by the Bishop, and the apparition site is false, where is the danger? If we pray to the Blessed Mother in a false site, does the prayer get intecepted as the site is false, or does it go to our lady as it was done in good faith within the boundaries set by the Church? Thanks and God Bless.

P.S. When are you getting your programs on deliverance going?

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Luis:

Thanks for the comment about the new forum design. I like it too.

The devil can appear as an angel of light and thus it is possible for apparitions to be demons instead of the Blessed Mother or whoever. That is why the visionaries who experience these things need to "test the spirits" to be sure what they are seeing and experiencing is truly of God.

But there are other ways in which an apparition can be false. The apparition can be a product of the visionaries imagination, or even a delusion caused from a mental illness.

The many and varied explanations for apparitions is one of the reasons that all apparitions, locutions, and other private revelations must come under the scrutiny of the Church.

Under ANY circumstances one should ALWAYS take an private revelation with a grain of salt if the Church has not official approved it, or at least if the local Bishop has not approved it.

The danger is developing devotions stemming from private revelations is several-fold. For example, here a few that come to mind at the moment:

Once a person invests his energies and his soul into devotion to a private revelation, it can be difficult for that person to walk away should the Church eventually disapprove it. The results can be tragic. This happened at Bayside, NY. The Church officially condemned the apparition at Bayside but the visionary involved and many of the follower refused to give up. The visionary even had the nerve to suggest that our Blessed Mother was calling the bishop names for refusing to accept this private revelation. That is such nonsense and prima facie proof that the apparitions were not real.
One can be mislead into thinking things about theology that are not true or that could be even subtle heresies. "Poem of the Man-God" is an example of that.
Private revelations, which are utterly unneeded or required even for belief of even approved apparitions, that come into controversy can lead one into divisiveness which is a sin and damages the person's soul.
Appearances of "good works" at an apparition site or due to devotion to that apparition can and does easily fool people into thinking the apparition is real. Sorry folks but "good fruit CAN come from a bad tree". People misinterpret what Jesus said about good and bad fruit. God can take a lemon and make lemonade.

In terms of a person going to an apparition site that has not been approved, but has not been condemned either (or cautioned by the local bishop), such a person is going in good faith and not in rebellion. God honors a person of good faith.

Thus the prayers offered to our Blessed Mother are heard by the real Blessed Mother even it the apparition turns out to be false. Prayer can be answered and people can be blessed. These answers and blessings are given because of the persons good faith in being at the apparition site and in their faith in devotion to God and to our Blessed Mother.

While God will bless and honor those who, in good faith, follow a devotion from a private revelation or attend an apparition site that has not as yet been judged one way or the other by the Church or the local bishop, it is still a better part of valor to be very cautious and to withhold enthusiasm until the Church has made its judgement.

In matters such as this, it is better to be safe than sorry.

On your P.S. we have already re-opened the St. Padre Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling and are taking new clients right now. We have also open our training school for potential deliverance counselors. We are finishing our first Trimester this week.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.