(ZENIT News / Rome, 07.30.2025).- High in the hills of Molise, near the town of Agnone, a remote and wooded peak named Monte Sant’Onofrio has quietly drawn pilgrims and curiosity-seekers for over a decade. Since 2010, the mountain has been the backdrop for alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary, reported by a single seer and gradually embraced by small yet fervent circles of the faithful. But the spiritual resonance of the site has also stirred questions, concerns, and ecclesial scrutiny. Now, the Holy See has taken a formal stance—measured, cautious, but open.
In a letter addressed to Bishop Camillo Cibotti, of Trivento, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that the phenomenon has received the classification of «prae oculis habeatur», meaning “to be kept under observation.” The designation is part of a new Vatican framework for discerning alleged supernatural events and implies that while no definitive endorsement or condemnation has been made, the matter deserves ongoing pastoral attention.
The cardinal’s statement recognizes clear “positive signs,” including a recurring emphasis in the messages on core elements of Christian life: the Word of God, the Eucharist, confession, and charity. The Virgin is said to encourage concrete acts of mercy and solidarity, calling the faithful to align their lives with the suffering of others and to deepen their relationship with the Holy Spirit. Christ, not the seer or the phenomena, remains at the center—a point repeatedly noted by Fernández as essential.
Yet the Dicastery does not ignore what it terms “elements of confusion.” Two specific concerns are raised. The first relates to a disobedience regarding ecclesiastical guidelines. The previous bishop, Claudio Palumbo, had explicitly forbidden public or private liturgical celebrations connected to the apparitions. However, a number of clergy appear to have disregarded those instructions, in some cases fostering what the Vatican calls a “parallel magisterium,” a situation that threatens ecclesial unity.
The second concern touches on theological ambiguity—specifically, the relationship between the living Church and the souls of the departed. Some messages reportedly include references to deceased individuals communicating through the intercession of guardian angels. While the messages do not suggest anything explicitly contrary to Catholic doctrine, the Vatican sees in them a potential for misunderstanding or misinterpretation. The Church’s traditional teaching clearly distinguishes between legitimate prayers for the dead and spiritualist practices, the latter being strictly condemned.
The Vatican’s position, then, is both pastoral and prudential. Public cult is not permitted: no pilgrimages organized by parishes or diocesan bodies, no liturgical rites celebrated in the name of the Church, no dissemination of messages without approval. However, the faithful may visit privately—alone, in pairs, or in small groups—the cross on the mountain and pray along the Via Crucis path constructed before the alleged apparitions began. Such visits must remain discreet and humble, marked by obedience and a spirit of communion with the local bishop.
Cardinal Fernández’s letter also offers a brief catechesis on the Communion of Saints and the danger of confusing Catholic intercession with spiritualist evocation. Citing Scripture, he notes the mediating role of angels in divine communication, but urges caution when these themes risk blurring the boundaries of doctrine. He calls on Bishop Cibotti to verify that those involved with the phenomenon fully reject any contact with the afterlife that falls outside the Church’s teaching.
The door is not closed. The Vatican acknowledges the potential for spiritual fruit and even, eventually, for a «nihil obstat»—a formal declaration that nothing impedes recognition of the events. But such discernment requires time, theological clarity, and restored ecclesial harmony.
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