| Summary: | The centenary of the Fatima apparitions that has been recently celebrated and the doubts about Medjugorje prove that the issue of private revelations is still present in the Catholic Church. The study indicates the terminological difficulties in defining these phenomena (discovery, vision, inspiration, mystical experience). It also refers – per analogiam – to a biblical revelation and forms of its existence. The abundance of new private revelations tells us about their influence on the Church life: its prayer, the sphere of faith and the moral attitudes of the faithful. Electronic communication (the Internet) instantly spreads extraordinary events (signs, visions), and consequently prevents the Magisterium of the Church from recognizing and verifying their credibility. To recognize the truth of God’s signs, theologians pay attention to the important function of popular piety and sensus fidelium. The third part of the article refers to the criteria used in the Church to recognize the so-called private revelations: examining the circumstances and the addressee of the apparitions, the witnesses, and finally the signs of its credibility. The case of Medjugorje, where alleged maryfans have lasted from 1981, shows that the process of discerning the authenticity of God’s signs can be very difficult. On the one hand – as to the credibility of the apparitions – there are negative statements of the place bish ops, on the other – millions of pilgrims who make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. The decision of the Holy See, which defines Medjugorje as a “place of prayer” and not revelation, is an token of “patience” that the Church approaches such phenomena.
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