Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31192/np.17.3.8
The Credibility of Marian Apparitions. The Gietrzwałd Context
Paweł Rabczyński
orcid.org/0000-0002-8732-7019
; Faculty of Theology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
Abstract
The year 2017 marks the 140th anniversary of Marian apparitions in Gietrzwałd, a small village situated in southern Warmia. On 11 September 1977, the revelations in Gietrzwałd received official approval of the Church. The message imparted to the seers by the Mother of God may be encapsulated in three sentences: I am the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculately Conceived; I wish you recite the rosary every day; Do not be sad for I will always be with you. Marian apparitions, classed as so-called private revelations, are aimed at bringing into actuality the Divine Revelation in a given historical period. The content of Marian apparitions usually boils down to a call for conversion, repentance or prayer. Thus, it provides an important impulse for Christian renewal, a return to Evangelical fervour and holiness. Upon consideration of the modern theological research, this article lists four main criteria for discerning the credibility of Marian epiphanies: a) Christological and ecclesiological reference; b) good fruits of the revelations; c) miracles and other supernatural phenomena; d) the credibility of people experiencing the revelations. Having analysed the invoked signs pointing to the authenticity of the revelations, the author concludes that Marian epiphanies in Gietrzwałd are fully credible.
Keywords
public revelations; private revelations; Marian apparitions; Marian epiphanies; credibility of Marian epiphanies; criteria for discerning the credibility of Marian epiphanies
Hrčak ID:
228407
URI
Publication date:
25.11.2019.
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