Wednesday, December 17, 2008
CHASING AFTER APPARITIONS
A reader sent in a link to a Catholic Culture webpage on which has been posted Fr. Peter Joseph's explanation of the orthodox Catholic position on apparitions. The reader thought this was the best description of the process of discernment that he had seen, and I tend to agree. It's simple to read and apply. There is no new doctrine presented. It's merely a concise explanation of the Church's position on discernment. Anyone who has an interest in apparitions, and especially anyone who seeks out new apparitions for the purpose of promoting them, would do well to contemplate what is contained in Fr. Peter Joseph's essay. Souls are at stake, and the risk of delusion is very great. There is much wisdom in this priest's words. We risk our hope of heaven by relying on our own private judgments about supernatural events.
