The Pillar reports Vatican OKs only private devotion for alleged Mount St. Onofrio apparitions:

https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/vatican-oks-only-private-devotion

My commentary….

Very interestingly, the thematics here are rather on-par with those which put Medjugorje in the controversy spotlight for many years. And two major themes stand out here with respect to the Onofrio apparitions that also threw into question the authenticity of those apparitions at Medjugorje. For the seers at Medjugorje ran into conflict with their local bishop over the whole thing, and the place itself has a connection with a number of different types of experiences involving devotees’ encounters with messages from the Holy Souls in Purgatory, particularly those alleged encounters reported by Maria Simmer.

On another level, this kind of dilemma does not surprise me since it is usually the case that apparitions and accompanying or related supernatural phenomena tend to draw a somewhat awkwardly irksome nay-sayer-ish scepticism that is in reality, an instance of God permitting a time of testing if you like, a time of thorough immersion in an educative questioning which serves ironically, as does the role of a Devil’s Advocate in the canonization process, to bring everything regarding these supernatural encounters, to the table, for them all to be laid bare, in order for the Holy Spirit to gradually “work on hearts” for their own sanctification as well as that of many others besides. And while not every single instance of apparitions necessarily takes such a long-winded course prior to being officially declared by the Vatican on one level or another, to be worthy of some particular measure of private or popular devotion, most do go through the rigors of some kind of authoritative questioning. After all, we cannot just accept at face value anything and everything that we hear about or learn of somehow without delving into the inner mysteries of these things, each in our own unique way, with of course, a discerning dependance on conscientiously seeking the input of God’s wisdom to aide our discernment. We have to search the depths of our learning experiences for exactly that which is truly borne of God within them – otherwise we risk missing the whole point of these encounters in the first place. Hence the need for a healthy dose of precautionary questioning, so that we, over time, get the fullest picture possible of what has really unfolded in these contexts. Not every divine answer to our distinctly human questions is either immediate or black & white. Rather, it often involves us immersing ourselves in a substantial degree of reflexive contemplation and gestation time so that we can be absolutely well & truly certain – as certain as we can be this side of eternity – that we have indeed heard the voice of God correctly.

And this then is how faith – living and active – is also made clearly manifest: through such a process of divinely orchestrated growth-inspired learning. For as St Paul says, what is faith other than the substance of those things hoped for but which still as yet remain unseen. It must also be mentioned here that Bishop Robert Barron in his latest Sunday sermon¹ likens this whole process to the dynamic engagement of faith with its co-worker reason. He exemplifies that reason, far from being antithetical to faith, is a co-sharer in the mission of faith-building in our lives, for he makes it clear that this is so because Jesus is the Logos – or the divine logic, “the mind of God made flesh”.

If you have been a keen reader of this blog, you might recall that some time back, I posted an article quite seriously critiquing Robert Barron. It must be emphasized that that was then and this is now. My perspective on him has since, thankfully changed for the better, and this all began sometime in May this year after listening to a very encouraging talk of his on YouTube that beautifully intersected the themes of humility and the mercy of God. After listening to that, it became clear to me that something, albeit subtle as it was poignant, had indeed shifted in his heart. I was hearing an altogether new Bishop Barron, one who at that, exuded an air of humility that really washed over and helped to heal all the previous languid woundedness that was festering in my heart about him. And so, through that experience, my admiration for him was graciously restored. I am incredibly thankful to Almighty God for making that possible.

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For Additional Reference

¹ Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon for 10th August 2025 on What Is Faith? https://youtu.be/WTgcnV9qZuA?si=rJq5c3Uy5iwrHWp0