According to the new regulations, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith makes public its positive opinion on Our Lady of Montichiari (Brescia) through a letter to Bishop Tremolada with the approval of the Pope.
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith “did not find elements in the messages disclosed by Pierina Gilli that directly contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church on faith and morals.” This is what the letter published this Monday states, signed by prefect Victor Manuel Fernandez with the written approval of the Pope and sent to the Bishop of Brescia Pierantonio Tremolada. It refers to the devotion to Maria Rosa Mystica and the messages that the visionary Pierina Gilli claims to have received from Our Lady in 1947 and 1966. “In the events related to this spiritual experience,” the letter says, “no negative moral aspects or other critical aspects are found. Instead, several positive aspects stand out in the messages as a whole and others that, in turn, deserve clarification to avoid misunderstandings.” The “green light” for the spiritual experience of Our Lady of Fontanelle is based on the new Norms for the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena, published last May 17, according to which the main objective of discernment is no longer to establish the possible supernatural nature of the phenomenon but rather to evaluate, from a doctrinal and pastoral point of view, what has resulted from its spread.
A celebration at the Shrine of Rosa Mystica in Montichiari, Brescia, northern Italy (Vatican Media)
The humility of the visionary
In the letter articulated on the Rosa Mystica and the messages received by Pierina Gilli, the Congregation highlights, first of all, the positive aspects, the most important of which is the fact that the writings of the visionary “express a humble and complete trust in the maternal action of Mary and that is why we do not find in her attitudes of vainglory, self-sufficiency, or vanity, but rather the awareness of having been gratuitously blessed by the proximity of the beautiful Lady, the mystical Rose”. Thus, several texts from Gilli’s diaries that exalt Mary, the Rose, highlighting her beauty, linked to goodness, and at the same time the effects experienced by those who encounter her: a feeling of inadequacy united with an experience of love and great joy are cited. The Congregation notes that “while exalting this beauty of Mary with all her affection and admiration, Pierina clearly recognizes that everything Mary does in us always directs us to Jesus Christ.” Among the manifestations mentioned in the letter is one from Christ himself, which inspired in the visionary a deep trust in Him: “Looking at him, I felt strongly drawn to Him, to love him: how good, beautiful, merciful He was! I cannot find words to express what made my soul soar in Him…! [The Lord said:] “Always keep your gaze fixed on Me to examine and guess what I want from you, that is, I desire to take total possession of your faculties, so that you can always perform actions inspired by My Love” (February 27, 1952). Among Pierina’s messages, there are some that “express a strong sense of ecclesial communion”:
“Listen to My Lady, since the Council made the new Liturgy so beautiful, because together we pray…”. [Mary continued explaining the symbols that appeared in the apparition: “These balls [referring to spheres of light] that I have in my hands are to manifest to the whole world the symbol of the Ecumenical Council and how pleasing it was to the Lord” (April 27, 1965).
A night procession at the Shrine of Rosa Mystica in Montichiari, Brescia, northern Italy (Vatican Media)
The correct image of God
In the visionary’s diaries, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explains, there are also “expressions that are not always appropriate and require interpretation.” Expressions that must always be read together with the positive messages that have just been emphasized. These are the texts in which Our Lady is presented as a mediatrix, exercising a moderating role in divine justice and “terrible punishments.” The context represented by the messages as a whole, writes the Congregation, makes it clear, however, that “the intention is certainly not to convey an image of God or of Christ that is distant or lacking in mercy, which should be “contained” by the “mediation” of Mary.” This is confirmed by other messages, such as this one: “[Mary said:] “My Divine Son is always ready to bestow upon the world the grace of His mercy”” (April 5, 1960).
The meaning of the three roses
The prefect’s letter to the Bishop of Brescia states that the image of Mary “as a ‘lightning rod’ mediator, often used in other times and also inherited by Pierina, should be avoided.” And it recalls that the new norms for the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena mention the possibility that the true fruits of the Holy Spirit may sometimes appear linked to confusing human experiences and theologically imprecise expressions. Furthermore, the Congregation emphasizes that the three roses with the meaning of “prayer – sacrifice – penance,” appropriate and central to the visionary and her particular spiritual experience, should not “necessarily be thought of as directed to all believers” and therefore it is better to avoid presenting them as “the core, the center, or the synthesis of the Gospel, which can only be charity, as the New Testament recalls in various passages.”
Jesus, the only Redeemer
Finally, the letter refers to expressions that Pierina does not explain:
“Mary Redemption,” “Mary of Grace,” “Mary Mediatrix,” and similar ones. “It must be remembered,” says the Congregation, “that only Jesus Christ is our only Redeemer…. At the same time, it must be maintained that only the Lord can act in the hearts of people, granting the sanctifying grace that elevates and transforms.” Mary’s cooperation “must always be understood in the sense of her maternal intercession and in the context of her help to create dispositions for us to open ourselves to the action of sanctifying grace.” Interpreted in this light,” the letter concludes, “we can sustain that the spiritual proposal that springs from the experiences narrated by Pierina Gilli in relation to Our Lady Rosa Mystica does not contain theological or moral elements contrary to the Church’s doctrine.”
The history of the apparitions
The apparitions of Our Lady “Rosa Mystica” and “Mother of the Church” are linked to a locality, Fontanelle, located south of Montichiari, in the province of Brescia, northern Italy. The visionary is Pierina Gilli, born into a peasant family, who worked as a perpetual and as a nurse in a hospital and led a very simple life until her death in 1991, at the age of 80. The mystical phenomena surrounding her cover two periods of time: the first dates back to 1947, when Our Lady would have appeared to Pierina, presenting herself with the titles of “Rosa Mystica” and “Mother of the Church.” On Mary’s white cloak, Gilli says she also saw three roses – one white, one red, and one yellow – symbolizing prayer, penance, and suffering. The second cycle of apparitions took place in 1966, precisely in Fontanelle. There, on May 13, a significantly Marian date, Our Lady indicated a specific spring to Pierina as a place of purification and a source of graces. Already in 1966, a sanctuary began to be built on the site, not as a church, but as an open amphitheater. On one side, there is a chapel for the celebration of the Eucharist and on the other, a second smaller chapel to protect the spring indicated by the apparition.
The bishops’ opinion
In the 1960s, the then Bishop of Brescia Giacinto Tredici did not believe that the apparitions had a supernatural origin, and the same attitude was maintained by his successors. In April 2001, on the tenth anniversary of Pierina Gilli’s death, Bishop Giulio Sanguineti appointed a priest to accompany the worship in Fontanelle. Subsequently, on December 17, 2019, the Marian site was proclaimed “Diocesan Sanctuary Rosa Mystica – Mother of the Church.” The proclamation took place during a Eucharistic celebration presided by the current Bishop of Brescia, the recipient of the Congregation’s letter.
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