Cardinal Ratzinger on The Increase in Marian Apparitions

In 1984 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, the head of the Roman Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), declared that, "one of the signs of our times is that the announcements of 'Marian Apparitions' are multiplying all over the world. For example, reports are arriving from Africa and from other continents at the section of the Congregation that is competent to deal with such reports." He made this observation as a comment on the many reports of the appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary to individuals located in a wide variety of countries, cultures and political systems.


Apparitions, visions and prophetic messages are an integral part of Christianity. They are gifts of the Holy Spirit - charisms - which are provided by God to assist His faithful as they attempt to deal with an increasingly hostile cultural and political environment.

The reason that there have been so many reported Marian apparitions in the last twenty years would appear to be in preparation for the many Eucharistic Miracles which were being reported in the 1990's. Taken together, these two mystical occurrences should serve to strengthen the faith of all Christians during a time of great trial - a time in which there will be an all-out attack on the Church and on Christianity, potentially culminating with the murder of the Pope.

Thus, the many reports of Marian apparitions and the messages accompanying them to pray, convert and practice self-denial appears to be a necessary preparation for a time of difficulty followed by a time of joy and hope, since just as those past prophecies told of a time of great difficulty for the world, they also described a time of global peace and plenty. Just such a time was guaranteed by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 when she said,

"...in the end my Immaculate Heart shall triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me which will be converted, and some time of peace will be given to the world."

So, despite the apparently pessimistic expectations about our near-term future, the events, phenomena and prophecies described are signs of great hope - our children and our children's children will live in a world at peace...with the loving God who created and redeemed us as well as with one another. This is a world worth sacrificing for, a world worth praying for...shouldn't we, each of us, start praying and pracing self-denial today?

Our Lady of America asked this very thing of all of us and our American priests and Bishops in 1956 when She asked us to "lead the world by the purity of our lives". Will we respond to Our Lady's request, and accept this plea, as a sign of great hope, and place Her image in The National Shrine To The Immaculate Conception?