Q. Are Catholics bound to believe in private revelations such as Fatima or Lourdes?
A. No. Catholics are allowed to believe in private revelations but are not bound to give assent to them.
Catholic tradition believes that from time to time the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary or one of the saints intervened supernaturally in Christian history to convey a timely message of importance usually related to faith or morals. The Church teaches that official revelation ended with the death of the last apostle, that is, John.
When the Church approves private revelations, she declares only that there is nothing in them contrary to faith or good morals, and that they may be believed in without danger. Again, there is no obligation imposed on the faithful to believe them. Actually, we cannot believe in them with the gift of faith necessary to believe in official Church teaching.
Speaking of such revelations such as those of St. Hildegard (approved in part by Eugenius III), St. Bridget (by Boniface IX), and St. Catherine of Siena (by Gregory XI) Pope Benedict XIV says: “It is not obligatory nor even possible to give them the assent of Catholic faith, but only of human faith, in conformity with the dictates of prudence, which presents them to us as probable and worthy of pious belief.”
Great question. Thanks for asking it.
This question was answered by a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
