Supernatural or Natural?

Introduction
The course is very relevant. Just last week, a Dominican priest who is also an exorcist was
arrested and detained in a jail. A former judge who was also a former high government official
accused him of offending her religious feelings. Many people talked about this in the Philippines.
This came about because the accuser was a devotee of the so called Lipa Phenomenon which
happened in 1948. According to some nuns, the Blessed Mother appeared and asked them to
make an image and also shared some messages. Many people came to the monastery.
The Church authorities investigated the phenomenon and after a thorough process concluded in
1951 that it was not supernatural. It was announced by the Church in the Philippines but it seems
that many people still believed it. They said that the decree was not yet definitive.
The accuser belongs to a group of fanatical devotees who insist on the authenticity of the
apparitions. They attack the bishops even after the episcopal conference already responded and
told them about the decision of the Church. They also target the exorcists because they tell the
people about the Vatican decree. This sad event has caused controversy in the Catholic Church in
the Philippines.
Humility and Obedience
There had many apparitions like that in Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima. They faced initial
skepticism from Church authorities. They were not accepted. What is different is that the persons
involved did not file complaints against the clergy. They turned to prayer, made sacrifices and
submitted themselves to Church authorities. Many of them also became saints like San Juan
Diego, St. Bernadette and the children in Fatima. Sr. Lucia is now undergoing the process and is
now called Servant of God. One way of knowing is by looking at their fruits.
1. Authentic apparitions nourish faith, hope and love. The apparitions must make us more
faithful, hopeful and loving. In the case here in the Philippines. I doubt if there was an increase.
It seems that there is a decrease of faith, hope and love.
2. By following the way being traced before us, will it lead to salvation or not? God acts in order
to save us. If holding on and stubbornly insisting on what we believe in spite of the declaration
of the Church, it will lead us away from God and the Church.
3. In Marian apparitions, the persons involved became more humble and more obedient. These
are among the qualities of the Blessed Mother. She remained humble all throughout her life. She
was a woman of total faith who obeyed God even if she did not fully understand God’s plan. The
person who accused the priest was proud and disobedient. The character of her person is
questionable.
Conclusion
In remaining faithful to the Catholic Church, we may be persecuted by people who think that
they are doing good. It is very necessary to always be mindful of what the Church declares. We
are not above the teaching authority of the Church. We also have the saints who can guide us.
They are infinitely more knowledgeable and experienced than us. In the case in the Philippines,
the Dominican priest stands on solid ground because he is one with the Catholic Church.