Through the ages, not only in Biblical Times, God has tangibly communicated with the human race, for he created us and loves us.God communicates in various ways, such as in apparitions,
visions or locutions.
To judge the authenticity of these divine communications,
the Catholic Church has issued criteria which must be followed.
The Ecumenical Council of Trent, in 1563, required the establishment of a diocesan commission to study alleged apparitions. Recently, on Feb. 25, 1978, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith prescribed norms for the proceedings of a diocesan commission.
The commission is instructed to study four major areas:
a. the moral certainty of the miraculous and exceptional occurrence beyond human explanation;
b. the honesty, sincerity, mental soundness and moral conduct of the seers;
c. the content of the messages received by the visionaries;
d. the fruit generated by the claimed apparition.
Apparitions to Gianna Sullivan
Gianna Talone-Sullivan, Pharm. D., has been experiencing unusual phenomena which began in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1987. She goes into ecstasy when she sees and converses with our Blessed Mother, who remains invisible to others present. These experiences continue, now in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Gianna has received numerous messages from heaven which have been printed in several volumes of books entitled, I Am Your Jesus of Mercy, published by the Riehle Foundation and Queenship Publishing Company.
Gianna's story has been told in three books, as far as I know: Our Lady Comes to Scottsdale and Return to God." Both were written by Robert Faricy, S.J. and Lucy Rooney, S.N.D. de N. The third book, Our Lady of Emmitsburg, was written by Dom Forker. A film, "Unbridled Mercy", gives valuable information about the messages of our Blessed Mother and Jesus in addition to the work of Drs. Michael and Gianna Sullivan.
Commission of Investigation
A commission to study Gianna's mystical experiences was established by Cardinal William H. Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore, under whose jurisdiction falls the Catholic parish in Emmitsburg. The commission, consisting of three priests: Frs. Morrissey, Gill and Maruca, has concluded its work and made recommendations to Cardinal Keeler.
The commission's report has not been made public. To date, the only information available, regarding this matter, is a letter written by his Eminence Cardinal Keeler to Fr. William O'Brien, CM, pastor of St. Joseph parish, Emmitsburg, dated Sept. 27, 2002, and a brief communication sent by Msgr. Jeremiah F. Kenney, Cardinal Keeler's Delegate for Canonical Affairs, to Dr. Gianna Talone-Sullivan on Sept. 24, 2002.
From these letters, it appears that the Morrissey-Gill- Maruca Commission has experienced some difficulties and misgivings in Gianna's case. I shall indicate the main objections raised by the commission and present a few, very brief, replies.
Clarification of Difficulties
1. The Church teaches that upon one's death the deceased will clearly see his/her life story, in the Light of the Lord, and accept the consequences. This is the "private judgment," one of the theological "Novissima," the last things of life. Now, the Commission finds it difficult to believe God would grant a "universal revelation of everyone's state of soul and subsequent conversion before death." This, of course, is something really extraordinary, to say the least. Here, we are describing the so called "aviso" or "Warning," communicated by our Blessed Mother to the children at Garabandal, Spain, in the early 1960's, or the "Mini judgment," recorded in several messages received by Fr. Stefano Gobbi, in his book, To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons. This great event has also been called "The Illumination of Conscience," or "The Illumination of Souls." Nobody can prove or disprove the actual occurrence of this extraordinary happening, this veritably stupendous and miraculous phenomenon. Only time will tell. We do know, however, that our Merciful Father can, and would, use any means to bring us to conversion to save our souls. Should this revelation happen, it would, indeed, be a supreme act of God's Love and Mercy. Frequently, we hear testimonies of near-death experiences, in which people have been shown their sinful lives, convert and, through the mercy of God, are then sent back to live a new life in the Lord.
2. The prediction of forthcoming catastrophic events, chastisement, persecution and purging the world from its crimes is another area of uneasiness for the Commission. Personally, I have no difficulty, whatsoever, accepting these predictions. In salvation history, we have already experienced God's loving touch of purification as He has drawn His people back to Himself. Consider the flood in Noah's time, the warning given to Nineveh by the prophet Jonah and the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah. The present world situation needs God's special intervention. Our Good Lord can purify us through heavy-handed ways. It would, indeed, be a rude wake-up call. Again, such fatherly chastisements would be acts of Divine Love and Mercy. These predictions are consistent with the content of the Church-approved messages received in apparitions in Fatima, Akita and Amsterdam.
3. The third objection of the Commission involves "Jesus' return as a child." At the end of the world, as recorded in the Gospels, our Lord Jesus Christ will return as Judge accompanied by angels. Certainly, He will return in His glory as an adult. I would like to offer some thoughts on "Jesus' return as a child" and invite people to ponder them. In apparitions, Jesus, Mary, angels or saints can appear in any way they choose, according to the specific purpose of the visit. Our Blessed Mother often appears wearing a crown of twelve stars to denote Her queenship; sometimes, with only a veil to emphasize Her motherhood; attired in white or gold to show her purity or happiness, in red to inspire love or in black as the Sorrowful Mother. Angels have no material form. They can assume the body of a child, as in the apparition to St. Catherine Laboure, in Rue du Bac, or take the form of a young man, as recorded in the Diaries of St. Faustina Kowalska. Our Lord Jesus can appear as the Risen Lord, as the Crucified Victim, or as a Child, as depicted in St. Anthony of Padua's arm. I believe, when the Blessed Mother tells us about Jesus coming as a Child, she is NOT referring to the Last Coming of Jesus as Judge at the end of time. She is referring to the "Second Pentecost," the "Coming of the Kingdom of God," the "Inauguration of the Eucharistic Reign," the "Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary," or the "New Spiritual Springtime." In this promised Era of Glory and Peace, we, the humans, would be blessed with child-like characteristics and virtues, such as innocence, candor, guilelessness, love, meekness, purity and honesty, with absolute trust and confidence in God, as little children trust their parents. This is the spirit our Lord will come to bring to the world. A restoration of creation to pristine beauty? To the way God created humans in the first place? A kind of paradise restored? Ojala. A mere utopia? I think not.
Concluding Remarks
No proofs were given to demonstrate any heretical content of the messages received. The moral certainty of the miraculous and exceptional occurrence beyond human explanation cannot be denied. (Keep in mind the vigorous scientific tests administered to Gianna.) Finally, the spiritual fruit of the prayerful gathering of the faithful in the parish church was acknowledged. Cardinal Keeler only forbade the Thursday evening meetings at St. Joseph Parish church in Emmitsburg and the use of the church properties as a platform for activities associated with the apparitions.
Catholics and non-Catholics can still read and meditate on the messages received by Gianna. (These publications have not been placed on the index of forbidden books!) You can view the film or videotape, "Unbridled Mercy," communicate with Gianna, invite her to speak at conferences, love and pray for her.
I personally believe that Gianna is a chosen soul of our Lord. She is a designated tool to convey God's Mercy and Love. Please continue to support the Sullivans' wonderful labor of Mission of Mercy.
To conclude, I would like to express my sincere wish that, in the near future, his Eminence Cardinal Keeler, the Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, would appoint another investigative commission to make a serious, in-depth study of Gianna's mystical experiences. The new commission should consist of experts in Mariology and Mystical Theology and endowed with the Holy Spirit.
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