Vatican Implements Stricter Evaluation Process for Mary Apparitions

The Vatican has changed how it looks at possible supernatural events, like visions of the Virgin Mary, to avoid tricks and deal with news spreading quickly. In the past, places where these events were seen became big pilgrimage spots, attracting many people each year. In Mexico, an Indigenous man named Juan Diego saw the Virgin Mary multiple times in 1531. People believe the image of the Virgin in the basilica is a miracle. It appeared when Diego carried flowers in his cloak after one vision, and when he opened it, he found a detailed, colorful image of the Virgin. In France, a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous reported seeing Mary in 1858. This led to the discovery of healing spring waters in southern France. In Portugal, three shepherd children said Mary appeared to them six times in 1917 and shared three secrets about the future. Some visions of Mary are debated, like in Bosnia-Herzegovina where children claimed to see Mary in 1981. The Vatican has been looking into this for years and may make a decision soon. In Amsterdam, there have been disagreements over whether Mary appeared there. In 2020, the current bishop, with Vatican support, confirmed a negative judgment from 1974 about the alleged apparitions. In Canada, the Vatican excommunicated members of the Army of Mary in 2007 after its founder said she had visions of Mary and was the mother of Christ reborn.