1 hour ago
Last Updated:November 12, 2025, 19:19 IST
Catholics believe that figures such as Jesus and Mary can appear supernaturally, known as apparitions, to share religious messages, inspire devotion, or call for peace
A seagull flies above a statue of Jesus Christ at St Peter's square in The Vatican. (AFP file photo)
Jesus may respond to prayers, but he has not made any special appearances in the small Normandy town of Dozule, the Vatican said on Wednesday.
The Vatican’s top doctrinal office, with approval from Pope Leo, said that claims of Jesus appearing in Dozule should not be considered authentic by the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
During the 1970s, a local Catholic woman reported seeing Jesus 49 times. She claimed that he delivered messages to her and instructed her to construct a 7.38-metre (24.21-foot) cross on a hillside in the town.
“The phenomenon of the alleged apparitions … is to be regarded, definitively, as not supernatural in origin, with all the consequences that flow from this determination," the doctrinal office said in its statement.
Catholics believe that figures such as Jesus and Mary can appear supernaturally, known as apparitions, to share religious messages, inspire devotion, or call for peace. The Vatican maintains a formal procedure for evaluating such claims and cautions against exploiting them for financial gain.
This announcement follows a recent Vatican decree clarifying acceptable titles for Mary, confirming that she cannot be called the “co-redeemer" of the world, since Catholics believe humanity was redeemed solely through Jesus’ crucifixion and death.
Examples of Vatican-approved apparitions include Mary’s appearance as Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico in 1531 and Jesus’ appearance to Polish nun Faustina Kowalska in the 1930s.
Concerning Dozule, the Vatican said: “The Cross does not need 738 meters of steel or concrete to be recognized: it is raised every time a heart, moved by grace, opens itself to forgiveness." The office also noted that the reported prophecy predicting the end of the world before 2000 “was clearly not fulfilled."
(With inputs from Reuters)
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...
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First Published:
November 12, 2025, 19:19 IST
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