Papal Recognition for Rosa Mystica Devotion

Vatican, July 11, 2024: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued a formal letter to the Bishop of Brescia, Italy, approving the devotion to Our Lady Mystical Rose on July 5, 2024, recognizing the messages received by visionary Pierina Gilli in 1947 and 1966. The DDF Prefect Victor Manuel Fernandez, with the approval of Pope Francis, signed the letter, which affirms that Gilli's experiences do not contain elements contrary to Church doctrine.

The apparitions of Mary, under the titles "Mystical Rose" and "Mother of the Church," are associated with Fontanelle, a town south of Montichiari in northern Italy's Brescia province. Pierina Gilli, a peasant woman and housekeeper, claimed to have received visions of the Virgin Mary first in 1947 and then again in 1966. During these visions, Mary appeared to Gilli with the titles "Rosa Mystica" and "Mother of the Church."

The DDF letter emphasizes the positive aspects of Gilli's messages, particularly her humble and complete trust in Mary's maternal action. It acknowledges that her messages consistently direct believers towards Jesus Christ and are free from vanity, self-sufficiency, or pride. Although some expressions in her writings require interpretation, the Dicastery found no theological or moral elements that contradict Catholic teaching.

This approval aligns with the Vatican's new norms for discerning alleged supernatural phenomena, focusing on the doctrinal and pastoral impacts rather than conclusively determining the supernatural nature of the events. In 2019, the Marian site at Fontanelle was declared the "Diocesan Sanctuary of Rosa Mystica-Mother of the Church" by the Bishop of Brescia.

By Fr. Merton D'silva