CONCHITA’S DIARY- 13

DOCUMENTS

OFFICIAL BULLETIN

FROM THE BISHOP OF SANTANDER

OFFICIAL NOTE FROM THE BISHOPRIC OF SANTANDER ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS OF SAN SEBASTIÁN DE GARABANDAL (1965).
We write this NOTA as part of our Pastoral duty. The name of GARABANDAL and the news of the happenings produced during these years in this small mountain village in our Diocese has arrived to us through the means of social communication, as well as to the whole country and the European continent. International agents have divulged graphic information and special reports. They talk of apparitions of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary, and of spiritual messages communicating the Most Holy Virgin’s desires. At the same time they ask us to authorize these happenings so that they can be united with other venerable Marian devotions that are universally known.
The Bishop of Santander has gathered an ample amount of documents during these years about all that has occurred. He has not closed the “file” on this matter. He will always write politely on all elements of judgment that are sent to him. There have been THREE official NOTAS at this point, and all have tried to orient the judgment of the faithful. This NOTA will be the fourth. His conclusion to this point regarding the facts is that there is no reason to modify the judgment that has already been given. That is, his opinion is that the supernaturality of these phenomena is NOT EVIDENT; it has been carefully examined.
Consequently, it follows that this diocesan authority renews the measures taken so that the atmosphere of confusion will not increase because of the massive propaganda that exists outside of the spirit and letter of the sacred canons and is promoted through news, newspaper articles, magazines, graphic information, reviews in itineraries, and other similar methods.
We remember that according to Canon 1,309 Number 5: “By the same Law, books and pamphlets that refer to new apparitions, revelations, visions, prophecies, miracles, or that introduce new devotions are prohibited if they are published without observing the prescriptions of the canons.” We make known that at the present moment we have not granted “Imprimatur” any book, pamphlet, article, or review on this matter. We extend this prohibition as far as our diocesan authority reaches on the publication of articles or information that has not been submitted to the censor of the Diocese of Santander.
We ask all of the faithful Christians to abstain from worsening the atmosphere in San Sebastian de Garabandal with their presence. This atmosphere has been created by these apparitions and spiritual communications. We want to make clear that we have not found anything deserving of ecclesiastical censure with regard to condemning either the doctrines or the spiritual recommendations that have been promulgated because of the events of Garabandal in so far as they are directed to faithful Christians. On the contrary, they contain exhortations to prayer and sacrifice, to Eucharistic worship, to devotion to Our Lady under traditional praiseworthy forms, and to the holy fear of God offended by our sins. They simply repeat ordinary Church doctrine in these matters. We recognize the good faith and the religious fervor of the persons who go up to San Sebastian de Garabandal, and who merit the greatest respect. We want to support their religious fervor so that, trusting completely in the Church’s Hierarchy and its Magisterium, they might comply exactly with our publicly reiterated recommendations.

Regarding the priests, as a result of the special importance that their intervention can have in the active form of their participation and collaboration in the development of these facts, as well as in the form of simple presence as a spectator, we PROHIBIT in an explicit and formal matter their attendance without express license, to be obtained personally in each case, from the diocesan authority. We declare that the licenses are suspended “ipso facto” in the Diocese of Santander for those who violate our formal warning. The Supreme Holy Congregation of the Holy Office has had contact with the Diocese of Santander to obtain the proper information in this serious matter.

Santander, July 8, 1965

EUGENIO, Bishop A.A. of Santander