The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith revealed a 1974 ruling surrounding alleged Marian apparitions that took place in Amsterdam in the mid-20th century, declaring they were found to not be supernatural following "persistent doubts" surrounding them.

A statue of Mary giving birth to Jesus was beheaded by an anonymous group of vandals, garnering support from traditionalist Catholics who have criticized the statue's depictions.

Whether in the Middle Ages or a modern Marian renaissance, how Mary looks can reflect and affirm the people she appears to.

Today’s text from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith makes clear that henceforth, as a rule, the Holy See will not declare any alleged spiritual phenomenon, such as an apparition, as authentic‚ that is, “of divine origin.”

For every Fátima, there are dozens of unverified reports of divine messages, “weeping” statues, healing relics and prophetic revelations that have vexed church authorities and challenged the Vatican’s ability to track and verify such events.

“You do not have to believe in Marian apparitions to be a good Catholic,” Father James Martin writes. “But I do. I’ve never had a problem believing in them.”