MEXICO – Just because a likeness of the Virgin Mary appeared on the wall of a Mexico house that burned on Sunday doesn’t mean the apparition would be examined any time soon.
Susan Bernard, spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, said Wednesday afternoon that such an authenticity investigation could take ages to begin and complete.
“Something like this doesn’t happen every day,” she said of such investigations.
“It’s really prudent that the church should be skeptical, and let the apparition prove itself through other signs, like miracles and conversions,” Bernard added.
The procedure begins with a bishop appointing a group of people whom he trusts to gather substantial evidence.
“To have a bishop set up something like this would develop over a long period of time. Bishops are reluctant to set up a team to check out every image, since illusions can be common. Remember the cheese sandwich that sold on eBay?” she asked.
In Nov. 2004, an Internet casino bought a 10-year-old cheese sandwich purported to have the image of the Virgin Mary on it, for $28,000 from Diane Duyser of Florida. Duyser used the online auction Web site to part with the bread, dubbed “Holy Toast.”
But Mexico fire Chief Gary Wentzell downplayed the local likeness, saying it was caused by smoke seeping around the frame. Others saw it as a miracle.
“In history, if something like this happens and a team is set up, they would collect evidence for years, and turn it over to a particular office in The Vatican,” Bernard said.
Rome officials there would then study the evidence and make a pronouncement, “but that could take decades, even centuries, so it’s not something the church jumps into quickly,” she added.
“I have heard of these sorts of things before, and they let it take its course, and, if it is indeed a sign from God, God will make it known,” she said.
But, in the meantime, if the Virgin Mary image at Dennis’ house “gives her hope, and brings her authentically closer to her faith, that’s a good thing,” Bernard added.
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