Exploring the Miraculous. Michael O'Neill

to be one of the most popular unapproved apparition claims of all time, the events at San Sebastián de Garabandal (commonly referred to simply as Garabandal), Spain, from 1961 to 1965 have left some faithful awaiting in hope the upgrade of the ecclesial judgment of the Church. During those years four young schoolgirls claimed to have received visions and messages from St. Michael the Archangel and the Virgin Mary. There were thousands of claimed visions of Mary with some activity witnessed by thousands and captured in photographs and on live film.

      Four successive bishops of Santander have viewed the supernatural character of Garabandal as having no proof of being authentic. In 1993, José Vilaplana, Bishop of Santander, provided a judgment of non constat — that is, not established as being supernatural in origin. Regarding these alleged events, he stated, “All the bishops of the diocese from 1961 through 1970 asserted that the supernatural character of the said apparitions, that took place around that time, could not be confirmed [no constaba].”

      In an official note of July 8, 1965, Bishop Eugenio Beitia of Santander wrote:

      We point out, however, that we have not found anything deserving of ecclesiastical censorship or condemnation either in the doctrine or in the spiritual recommendations that have been publicized as having been addressed to the faithful, for these contain an exhortation to prayer and sacrifice, to Eucharistic devotion, to veneration of Our Lady in traditional praiseworthy ways, and to holy fear of God offended by our sins. They simply repeat the common doctrine of the Church in these matters.

      The bishop of Santander, who had asked for a more explicit declaration from the Holy See on the matter, reaffirmed that he and his predecessors had never approved or encouraged the devotion or even given its promoters their blessing in a sign of approval. On March 10, 1996, the Sacred Congregation wrote in reply and insisted that the decision rests in the hands of the competent ecclesial authority, the local bishop.