Private Revelations: Is La Salette Approved?
Editor writes…
From time to time, the question of the authenticity of the La Salette apparitions is raised in our discussions. Personally, I’ve never been attracted to La Salette. I cannot take to the statue of Our Lady in an attitude of almost despair, and her dress and head-dress differ markedly from just about every other approved apparition, and again, I find them unattractive. Goodness, if I ever manage to get into Heaven and find that this is how Our Lady was dressed, I’m going to have quite a time trying to talk my way out of that gaffe 😀 Apart from the dress issue, though, there’s always been controversy around this apparition claim. While Father Michael Rodríguez mentions the controversy, acknowledging the question marks over the characters of the two seers, he doesn’t actually specify the “character problems”, so it’s all a bit strange, in my opinion.
Of course, the Church does not require us to believe private apparitions, even those which are approved by the local bishop. It will be interesting, therefore, to read the thoughts of bloggers on this apparently approved apparition of La Salette. I say “apparently” because although Father read from an official Decree in his talk above, there has been some confusion because, at one point, the bishop seemed to withdraw the previous approval. Anyway, Father Rodríguez doesn’t mention that either, so if I’ve got it wrong, please correct me in the comments below. And share your own thoughts about La Salette, which features regularly in articles and videos about the Faith these days. It seems most people do believe that these are authentic visions/messages/secrets – what about you? I remain to be convinced. Can you convince me?
Comments (35)
The important and encouraging statement below has just come into my inbox, so I’m sharing it here – true or false, La Salette is about the crisis/apostasy in the Church, so it’s really not off topic 😀
Email reads…
Please see here an important statement by Cardinal Walter Brandmueller, in which he decries the recent decisions of the German Synodal Path and describes them as “mass apostasy”. He also compares our current situation with that of the Arian crisis…
Another link which arrived in my inbox this evening is this one from Lifesitenews where (some time ago – I’d forgotten all about it) I was asked to sign a statement… Read all about it here
I’ve always been wary of La Salette. TBH, I was surprised when Father read that decree. I didn’t think it was approved at all, but it’s just as well we’re not obliged to believe even approved private revelations because I really do struggle with La Salette. There’s something about it, just doesn’t sit right. Maybe when I read other people’s views, I’ll change my mind, but I doubt it, TBH.
I’m also wary of La Salette but I did some digging to see what I could find out now that I’ve heard Father Rodriguez being so convinced about it. I found this from Catholic Answers, although I am surprised at how they interpret the claim that “Rome will lose the faith” as meaning just the city of Rome, the ordinary people, where I’ve always assumed it meant the Vatican.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/la-salette-sorting-fact-from-fiction
They give a quote from Melanie’s “secret” and it seems obvious that it’s nothing to do with these times but refer to the 19th century.
So far, I’m not changing my mind at all – I’m disappointed that the Fatima Center is throwing its weight behind this apparition.
I wouldn’t touch La Salette with a bargepole and I can’t understand why the Fatima Centre have made this video. They’re always asking for money, and people give it because they think it is to promote the full Fatima message – they ought to keep to that. For me, at La Salette, there were too many contradictions and loose ends and of course, the strange lives of the alleged seers after the apparitions. What really did it for me was the Cure D’Ars affair – there is a precis on Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_La_Salette
Life of Maximin Giraud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximin_Giraud (this article misrepresents / downplays the Cure D’Ars incident, but the full story can be read in Abbé Alfred Monnin’s book, Vie du Curé d’Ars, t. 2, Paris, 1861, p. 281-283.)
Life of Melanie Calvat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mélanie_Calvat – some very strange goings-on there.
Neither of the Causes of the alleged seers for beatification / canonisation are underway.
westminsterfly,
I went straight to your link to the Cure D’Ars affair and that is sufficient to convince me that La Salette is false. Right away, with the disobedience to the bishop, just by insisting on going to visit the saint, our Catholic sense should be sending huge warning signals. What happened after that, is as clear as it could possibly be. I’m very disappointed that the Fatima Center are pushing this. They’re leading souls astray, how awful is that.
westminsterfly,
I’ve never educated myself on this apparition, so thank you for posting that Wikipedia article about the Cure of Ars confession, etc. But even before I read that, I noticed that the opening lines of Our Lady’s alleged message are quite absurd:
“I’m here to tell you great news. If my people won’t submit, I’m forced to let go the hand of my son.” (NB: “son” not capitalized…)
Pray tell, Father Rodriguez et. al., how the chastising hand of God’s justice falling upon humanity is “great news”?! And since when does Our Lady speak as though she just entered the coffee shop and sat down with a group of her friends to share the latest gossip?
As for Maximin’s Confession with the Cure of Ars, he appears to have been one sly, manipulative little sneak, who could not continue his charade under the piercing discernment of the Cure of Ars. I have to wonder if this person was a sociopath.
Thanks for the comments so far. I’ve now sent the link to this thread to the Fatima Center, asking for it to be passed on to Father Rodriguez.
La Salette is a bit problematic. Some of the message in particular re cos it mentions apostasy. I find quite credible cos it’s quite relevant nowadays.
If I recall correctly, last seer of La Salette died in Italy as she lived with a Saint. That Saint name was Saint Annibale Maria di Franci, a spiritual director to a certain Luisa Piccarreta.
Thus a little bit more of a credibility than Garbandal. I take no notice of dress, just the content and import of the messages itself.
My rule of thumb was 99% of all apparitions are all false, leaving just 1% for true apparitions.
FDS,
“A bit problematic” – understatement of the century, LOL! The story of La Salette has more holes in it than my colander!
LOLOL, Laura.
There was one message which I thought mmm, did our lady said that but no proof?
I would write them off as false.
Let me end all doubts with regard to Melanie’s recollection of the message given to her by Our Lady published in 1879. Few know heaven itself approved it.
Thirty-three years after the apparition, on 20th August 1879, a basilica at La Salette was consecrated, and the following day, August 21st, the cardinal Archbishop of Paris in France (representing the Melchisedech Priesthood and Melchisedech Kingship) performed a canonical coronation of the statue of the Virgin of La Salette according to the prescription of the sacred Congregation of Rites.
On the very same day as this coronation, 21st August 1879, as only heaven can co-ordinate, there occurred an active but silent apparition at Knock, a small town (red dot) in west Connaught, Ireland, a place ‘ruggedly inhospitable and not conducive for agriculture.’
On that miserable wet evening, in a meadow field outside the gable-end of the Knock church of St John the Baptist, a small chapel ‘dedicated to all the nations of the world,’ there occurred an active but silent apparition (i.e., the figures were speaking but could not be heard). The vision, which lit the immediate area with a brilliant light, included images of a praying St Joseph, a crowned Virgin Mary, St John the Evangelist, and against the wall, the Lamb on a bare altar with a cross behind and above it in the traditional manner found in churches of the time, it of course representing Christ and the Sacrifice of the Catholic Latin Mass said inside the church of St John the Baptist, the Mass codified at the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Never before in history did such an altar and lamb appear in any such vision. Surrounding the altar were spots of brighter light, representing angels, as in Genesis I, ‘and God said, be light made.’ This vision, mounted on an invisible platform over the tall grass, showed St Joseph with hands joined, face bowed looking towards Mary and the altar; and the Blessed Virgin, with her arms held apart as the priest does at the sacrifice of the Mass, praying to heaven. Add to this was a vested and mitred St John, superimposed between Mary and the altar, holding a book (his Apocalypse?) in one hand while gesturing in a preaching stance with the other. St Joseph, with his head bowed and glancing sideways, was isolated, separated by a mysterious black line, noticed only by a few of the observers and seldom mentioned in books on the apparition.
No doubt the allegory of the place of the vision was about the Latin Mass.
James,
There isn’t anything in your comment which proves that “heaven itself approved La Salette”.
Building a basilica and holding a ceremony of consecration of a statue isn’t proof that it’s true, and neither is the fact that another private revelation took place at that time, that’s not proof, either. TBH, I’ve never been that keen on Knock either, but that’s just my opinion. At least there is no question around its approval. There is a lot of doubt about La Salette.
Josephine
Exactly. What on earth has La Salette to do with Knock? The ‘co-ordination’ (33 years later?) of one event with another can hardly be seen as Heaven approving something. Sounds more like superstition to me. But you will always get those who whether it’s La Salette, or Medjugorje, or ‘Our Lady of All Nations’ – Amsterdam (the latter has now been formally condemned by the Vatican, after being approved by the local Ordinary), you will always get those who seek coincidences and ‘signs and wonders’ to attempt to validate their pet fake apparition.
westminsterfly,
I think you’ve put your finger on something very important there, that there is a lot of superstition around and it shows in things like these apparitions. As is often said on this blog, who needs any other apparition than Fatima at this time, when its prophecies are obviously unfolding, Communism spreading under the guise of the Great Reset, and yet we even see the Fatima Center priest promoting another alleged apparition. He admits himself it’s controversial so why do that? Why cause us to be even more confused than we already are. It’s really unbelievable.
Well, it’s soon going to be even MORE difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff within the Church – the Vatican is redefining what it means to be a saint, so as long as the La Salette seers were as environmentally friendly as possible in their time, they’ll soon be candidates for canonisation, no matter the truth or otherwise of their alleged visions.
https://ecclesiastical-freemasonry.com/2022/09/20/sanctity-is-different-now-because-of-pollution/
Truly, you could not make this stuff up.
LOL! Next thing, we’ll hear that Charles it not just being crowned but canonised!
It can’t be any more ridiculous.
Laura,
Don’t kid yourself. I’ve been saying that for yonks, but there’s always something even more ridiculous down the line. Trust me. Well, don’t trust me, not really, not if there’s chocolate lying around… just believe me 😀
Editor
I read that article. As soon as I saw the name ‘Semeraro’ I knew we were in trouble.
WF,
“We”? You mean there’s a “we”? An “us”? Goodness I wish you’d said when I was 24 😀
Och, I would only have been a minor then. https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/1f600.svg
WF.
A job’s a job. I would have been happy with your career as a miner. I tell you what, if we had coal fires now, we wouldn’t be facing these monumental heating bills. Don’t get me started! We, us, we ALL know that won’t end up well 😀
There is also another issue I’d like to bring up about this – ‘Ask Father’ – it just smacks of clericalism. In my experience – and I have had plenty of experience of priests, having worked with them in the past – I’ve frequently found lay people to be far better informed on all sorts of issues, such as this one.
WF,
Er… are you thinking of any lay
womanpeople in particular? 😀LOL! Umm, now let me see . . .
This is very interesting to hear the thoughts on La Salette.
Some other notes on the “message” that seem to expose it as a fake:
1. Referring to humanity as “my people.”
2. “I gave you six days to work, I’ve reserved the seventh for myself and they don’t want to give it to me.” – Our Lady acting as though she is Our Lord?? Who exactly is “I” and “me”? Certainly not the Mother of God pretending to be the creator of the universe!
3. Why all those ridiculous details about crops?
4. “you will never be able to compensate for the trouble I have taken for you.” – once again, Our Lady does not, nor could she ever speak like that. This is clearly a display of sour grapes and even self-pity.
RCA Victor,
Your # 4 example – showing “Our Lady” as prideful, arrogant – reminds me of the Lourdes apparition when Our Lady asked Bernadette if she would do her (the Queen of Heaven and earth) the “honour” of coming here for the next fifteen days (sometimes translated as the “kindness”). Incredible.
Slightly off topic but after seeing this news today, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11233965/Ukraine-war-Putin-announces-partial-military-mobilisation-Russia.html it brought back a memory that the World Apostolate of Fatima alleged that Sister Lucia said about the 1984 consecration of the world – video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fHmtZlbVbc Start at 17:05, when the commentor translates Sister Lucia’s alleged words as “The week of Fatima was not yet concluded and that we were still living out the third day. The peace reaped from the Triumph is peace from the militant spread of atheism by communist Russia, but rest assured it does mean that in the future no world war will take place although local conflicts will always occur due to the nature of man . . .”. This ‘prophecy’ – probably concocted by Carlos Evaristo, the WAF interpreter and commentor, is looking more and more flimsy by the day.
I don’t think BVM appeared there given her messages. It’s after re reading the message I can’t understand how that Bishop had approved it. Let it go and gather their dust on the shelfs
There’s nothing on this thread that’s changed my mind about La Salette. The opposite has happened, I’m more convinced than ever that it’s a false apparition.
Josephine,
I didn’t have an opinion about it before this thread, but now I certainly do, and it’s the same as yours. However, if I remember correctly, Fr. Rodriguez isn’t the only trad who mistakenly endorses this fraud: the SSPX is fully on board with it. In fact, they name one of their USA schools “La Salette.”
RCA Victor,
I didn’t know that! I’m running for cover, even as I type this 😀
It’s that distinction of knowing that even if a local Ordinary approves an alleged apparition, that approval isn’t infallible (which has been shown in the past, most recently with Our Lady of All Nations, Amsterdam, and Our Lady of Lipa, Philippines). So whoever names any of their institutions after an alleged apparition, have no cause for complaint if the alleged apparition is questioned or eventually condemned by the Holy See. La Salette has certainly not been officially condemned, but it has been questioned – by many. And not just by those types who are opposed to Marian apparitions in general.
Listening to Father’s video in more detail brings up two questions:
1. What are these miraculous events (“abundance of marvels”) that took place after the alleged apparition? (Just after 4:00)
2. I’m not sure I’m asking this correctly, but if Rome loses the faith and becomes the seat of the antichrist, does that not imply that Our Lord’s promise regarding the indestructibility of the Church has failed? Or should we interpret “Rome” as more the ecclesiastical leadership of the Church?
RCA Victor,
I have to say that at the time of the March Consecration of Ukraine & Russia, Father Rodriguez was one of the very few (almost the only) priest I heard speaking cautiously about it and expressing the view that since Our Lady had asked only for Russia to be consecrated, he wasn’t so sure this was going to be valid (I paraphrase). He came across (and did in the above video, to be fair) as a humble, pious (in the best sense) priest, so I want to be clear that the criticisms on this thread are not intended to be personal to Fr Rodriguez, whom (although I’ve never met him) I do hold in high regards.
As for your point #2, I never like this phrase “Rome will lose the faith…” for the reason you give. It implies that Our Lord has not or will not keep His promise to be with His Church until the end of time. Our Lady is very precise when she speaks so since “Rome” can be interpreted in various ways, I just don’t buy it.
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