Burundi’s New “Mary” Apparition Restrictions
Fatima is the Probably The Most Famous Marian Apparition
About two weeks ago I reported that the Pope was taking steps to minimize publicity associated with people who claim to see apparitions that are supposed to be Mary, the Mother of Jesus (see The Pope and Marian Apparitions).
Now, both the secular government and a bishop in Burundi (Africa) have taken steps to reduce the popularity of worship associated with a claimed apparition there:
22:49 GMT, Thursday, 29 January 2009
No worship on ‘Virgin Mary’ hill
By Prime Ndikumagenge
BBC News, Bujumbura
Worship has been banned on a small rural hill in Burundi, where a woman claims to see the Virgin Mary on the same day of every month.
The 23-year-old’s claims of an apparition have become so widely known that thousands of people gather on the hill at the same time to pray.
But the governor of the northern province says the worshippers are troublemakers and they should stop.
The Catholic church in the area is also investigating the claims of a “vision”.
The woman in question is called Euzebie and comes from a rural village known as Masinde, in the province of Kayanza.
Sing and cry
She claims to see the Virgin Mary on the 11th day of each month.
Provincial governor Edouard Nduwimana says people come from all over the country, as well as nearby Rwanda and Uganda, to join Euzebie on the hill.
The archibishop of the northern diocese has formally advised worshippers to stop going to see Euzebie while the church investigates 
Provincial governor
And while I do believe that the Catholic Church is wise to attempt to verify the claims of apparitions (see also The Pope and Marian Apparitions), I also suspect that in the future that there will be widely accepted apparitions.
Yet, the Bible warns of a time when there will be “lying wonders”–and since Mary, the Mother of Jesus is dead awaiting the resurrection (What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrection?), there is no way that Mary, the Mother of Jesus is, or will be, actually appearing herself.
Although he did not mention Marian apparitions as his reason, notice what Pope Benedict XVI said:
Christians must show world that unity is possible, pope says
CNS – Jan 30, 2009
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — United in their baptism and their faith in Jesus, Christians have an obligation to show the world that differences in language and culture do not have to lead to division and violence, Pope Benedict XVI said.
“The world needs a visible sign” of unity, the pope told members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
The pope met Jan. 30 with the commission members, who represent the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church, Coptic Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Syrian Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0900456.htm
Could a Marian apparition be the “visible sign” that will cause many groups to unify with Rome?
Because of the widespread acceptance of Mary, not only in Europe, but also in Russia and the Moslem world, it would seem it is possible that widely accepted apparitions will help lead to the acceptance of the religion of the final Beast and false prophet of Revelation 13.
And while restricting access to a hill in Burundi might now be in the Vatican’s interest, ultimately I believe that it will publicly embrace one or more future apparitions claiming to be Mary.
Some articles of possibly related interest may include:
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What might they mean? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How might Mary view them?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
 |
Tweet |
|