On Friday, July 5, the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced the authorization of pilgrimages to the Marian shrine of Our Lady of the Rock, located in the Italian town of Santa Domenica di Placanica, in the Calabria region. This site is known for the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary that, according to tradition, occurred in 1968.
Context of the Decision
The measure falls within the new norms published on May 17 by the same Dicastery for evaluating supernatural phenomena. Since then, several sites linked to Marian experiences have been awaiting a favorable response from the Vatican. In a letter dated July 5, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery, authorized the pilgrimages and noted that the account of the apparition conforms to Catholic morality.
The Story of Cosimo
In 1968, Cosimo, an 18-year-old farmer from Santa Domenica, stated that he had heard and seen the Virgin Mary for several consecutive days on a rock in the village. According to his testimony, Mary conveyed a message inviting him to make Santa Domenica a center of Christian conversion, which would place it at the head of the towns in the region for its faith. After the experience, Cosimo spread the message and placed a statue of the Virgin at the foot of the rock.
The simplicity of Cosimo, a young man known in the community, lent credibility to his story and attracted the attention of numerous Italian pilgrims. For decades, from 1968 to 2024, no ecclesiastical authority officially recognized or denied the apparition, and pilgrimages were neither prohibited nor authorized.
Official Recognition
In 2016, the bishop of Locri-Gerace, Monsignor Francisco Oliva, elevated the rock to the status of Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Rock. However, on July 5, 2024, the shrine’s status changed with the issuance of the ‘nihil obstat’ by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. This ruling establishes that nothing in Cosimo’s account calls into question the honesty of his experience, although it does not pronounce on whether the Virgin Mary actually appeared to him. The letter clarifies that the faithful are not obliged to believe in the apparitions, but are authorized to do so ‘with prudence’.
Reactions and Significance
Monsignor Oliva expressed his joy at the recognition: ‘This recognition of devotion to Our Lady of the Rock is for us a source of great joy and satisfaction. All of us, even the most skeptical and hesitant, can now look to the Rock free from suspicion, with the awareness that we are before the place of a precious gift.’ The ‘nihil obstat’ allows bishops to encourage pilgrimages, officializing existing ones rather than creating new ones. Oliva invited the faithful to go to Our Lady of the Rock as ‘pilgrims of hope in search of love and truth, ready to convert their hearts to Christ.’
Original source: es.la-croix.com (published July 19, 2024)
Photo: Tommaso Cantelli on Unsplash
