ELEVENTH
DOCUMENT: DECREE OF
REHABILITATION OF THE SACRED PLACE OF HEROLDSBACH AND THE ANNULMENT OF THE
CONDEMNATORY DECREES.
We, Supreme
Pontiff, Vicar of Christ, Successor of Saint Peter, Servant of the
Servants of God., Patriarch of Palmar de Troya.
REHABILITATION
OF HEROLDSBACH
We, as
Supreme Pastor of the Church, have the obligation to bring light where
there is darkness. We make
known to the whole Church, that the 9th. of October, 1949, the Most Holy
Virgin Mother of God and Our Mother, appeared to eight little girls in the
place called Heroldsbach, a little village in Bavaria, near Nuremberg,
Germany; and She continued to appear thereafter.
We also have information worthy of belief, that the Most Holy
Virgin Mary appeared to other persons of adult age, numbering about one
hundred persons. We have trustworthy information, that in this Sacred Place,
there have occurred great celestial prodigies; among which, there has
taken place several times the dance of the sun, similar to the prodigy of
Fatima. We have solid
information, as well, that there have been great conversions of sinners,
miraculous cures of the sick, and many other prodigies.
We would
have you to know with certitude that the clearest sign distinguishing a
true from a false Apparition is found in the conversion of sinners. Certainly there were many other prodigies, but the one that
best verifies an Apparition is, without room for doubt, a true and
authentic conversion, because
conversion is a most manifest supernatural grace come from God. Not withstanding the facts given above, this Sacred Place of
Heroldsbach was not accepted by the Official Hierarchy; who made no
profound theological study. This
Hierarchy contented itself with an arbitrary condemnation.
We, as Vicar
of Christ on Earth, and with the Authority with which We are vested,
declare; We rehabilitate the Sacred Place of Apparition of Heroldsbach.
We annul all decrees of condemnation.
We free the Sacred Place of Heroldsbach from every excommunication
and interdict. We grant to
all pilgrim devotees of Heroldsbach, each year on the day of the first
Apparition, Plenary Indulgence under the usual conditions placed by Holy
Mother Church, and praying for Our intentions.
With much joy We hope that through the rehabilitation of this
Sacred Place, Germany will receive abundant graces and blessings of the
Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church.
We exhort
our Priests to celebrate the Holy Tridentine Latin Mass of St. Pio V, In
this Sacred Place. We exhort
paternally that knowledge of this Sacred Place be spread wide about, in
order that the Most Holy Virgin be known everywhere.
In this way we shall achieve the conversion of many sinners.
We confidently hope that the knowledge of this Sacred Place will
help to lessen the effects of the proximate World War III.
We make clear that the Sacred Place of Apparitions of Heroldsbach
in Germany, ought to have a filial attitude towards the Sacred Place of
Palmar do Troya in Spain, since the Lord and the Most Holy Virgin Mary
have explained many times that, Palmar de Troya, is the greatest ever
Place of Apparitions, that has been or that will be, if it co operates
with grace. Therefore, all
Places of Apparitions are filial to Palmar de Troya, most especially now
when the See of Peter is established in Palmar.
We teach the
faithful that Heavenly Apparitions form one of a thousand ways Christ uses
for permanent assistance to the Church.
There is no doubt, if the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy were more
faithful to Christ, so many Apparitions would not be necessary.
We recall for the faithful that the greater number of Religious
Orders were founded by means of Apparitions to particular persons.
As also, a good number of devotions and means of sanctity, have
come to us through Apparitions. We
remind you; the Holy Ghost breathes where He wills, to whom He wills and
when He wills. So let us be
docile to the true charisms which Christ gives to certain members of the
Church. One ought not to
forget that the charismatic life is the complement of the hierarchical.
These two do not contradict each other, rather they assist each
other.
We remind
the faithful, that the devotion to the Most Sacred and Divine Heart of
Jesus has abundant graces and blessings to the Church.
This devotion, spread throughout the whole Church, has come through
Apparitions to chosen souls. The
same can be said of the devotions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the
Holy Face, the Holy Rosary, the Holy Scapular, and many, very many other
means of perfection and sanctification in the life of the faithful. We
declare that God has continually spoken to particular persons during the
course of the centuries, that He continues to speak, and will continue to
do so until the consummation of the ages. Let no one, however high his
authority, presume impudently to tell God to be silent.
We teach that God speaks at times directly; at other times, He
sends as His Messenger His Most Holy Mother, the Virgin Mary; at other
times He sends as Messengers, certain Angels or Saints.
We remind you that, in the Old Testament, there is prophesied that
at the end of times, there will be many seers; some will dream mystical
dreams, others will prophesy, among
whom some will be old, some children, some men of ordinary years, some
women; and in short, all flesh.
We declare,
as Universal Doctor of the Church, that we are in the Last Days, in the
Apocalyptic Times, that the last trumpets are sounding; that the last of
the Seven Seals and the Last Vials are imminent.
Also close at hand is the universal reign of Antichrist.
Also close at hand is the return of Christ, Who with His Divine
Breath will destroy Antichrist. We are going to experience some terrible and dark times; but
let us not be afraid, for Christ has said that He will be with His Church
to help Her until the consummation of the ages.
We declare; considering the explanation above, we need not be
surprised by the blessed Apparitions of the Most Holy Virgin Mary.
As all know, the Virgin Mary is Mother of the Church.
Therefore, it is logical that when Her children need Her most, She
comes and reveals Her spiritual Motherhood over the Church.
We desire
paternally to impart to all the faithful this truth.
Saint John the Baptist was the Precursor of the first coming of
Christ. The Virgin Mary is
the Precursor of the Second Coming of Christ.
She, as Messenger of Jesus, is preparing the paths of the Lord; and
this She does with hands full of graces for the children Jesus gave Her on
Calvary. We desire to remind
all; the triumph of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary is at hand, _ by
means of the knowledge of the glories of the blessed Patriarch Saint
Joseph.
We, as
Representative of Christ on Earth, wish to make this quite clear; a clear
and obvious proof of the maternal love of the Virgin Mary for the Church,
has been to obtain from Our Lord Jesus Christ the election of a Pope who
is disposed to give his life in defence of True Doctrine.
We hopefully await the docility of all, obedience to the present
Document, rehabilitating the great work of the Apparitions of the Virgin
Mary in the Sacred Place of Heroldsbach in Germany.
Given in
Seville on the 12th. of September, Feast of the Sweet Name of Mary, the
sixth anniversary of the enthronement of our Crowned Mother of Palmar, the
year of Our Lord Jesus Christ MCMLXXVIII.
With Our
Apostolic Blessing.
Gregorious
XV11 P. P.
(The
original Document here carries the signature and seal of the Holy Father)
