AUSTRALIA ARCHBISHOP NIXES IRISH LOCUTIONIST

We're often asked about apparitions and locutions. We are not a center of discernment. We can best report on such. We do have our inclinations. We respect the inclinations of others. On the locution "beat" comes e-mail informing us that an archbishop in Australia -- in fact, one of the most powerful ones, Archbishop Denis J. Hart of Melbourne -- has issued the following statement about an alleged European one. It was sent to the parishes. The letter, confirmed by one of his assistants, states:

"MARIA DIVINE MERCY

"Maria Divine Mercy is an Irish woman who claims to be a prophetess who asserts she receives messages and visions from Jesus and Mary, especially about the end times and the end of the world. She claimed that she had predicted that Pope Benedict would be forced to resign, and that Pope Francis is an impostor.

"We are informed that some people are circulating these alleged messages, together with holy pictures. Please inform your people that these matters do not have the approval of the Church, and their dissemination is to be discontinued, and any message or leaflets are to be disposed of. The Archbishop believes that he must give authoritative guidance in this matter. [signed]--Alina Tsakonas, Personal Assistant, Office of the Vicar General."

It is not clear what influence such a statement has outside the archbishop's own diocese. (The Slovakian Bishops Conference also has warned against the revelation.) We make no statements of discernment ourselves.

Now we also receive, in speaking lately of weeping statues, an e-mail reminding us that such phenomena are sometimes accompanied by outright alleged apparitions. This has occurred in Syria, Canada, Ireland, and other places (for your discernment) and also -- it seems, according to a chronicler named Basil Najar -- in the home of a woman from Iraq.

Writes Najar (quoting, it seems, a website):

"In the year of our Lord 2008, on the 28th of August, an eight-by-ten picture of Our Lady of the Cape in the house of a married Iraqi Chaldean woman with two children began to exude an oil-like substance. Subsequently, the Blessed Virgin Mary began to appear to her and started to give her messages.

"The Virgin Mary speaks and delivers her messages to this woman using the 'Sureth' language, which is the modern version of the Aramaic language which Our Lord Jesus spoke when He walked the earth two thousand years ago, and which is currently used by the Chaldean people .

"The place where the icon of the Virgin Mary was placed was edified by many holy pictures and statues which also began to ooze oil. (These include two olive wood Crucifixes, a wooden comfort cross, a picture of the suffering Christ, a picture of the Virgin Mary weeping tears of blood, a picture of the Virgin Mary giving the rosary to St. Dominic, a statue of the Virgin Mary made from olive wood, a ceramic statue of the Virgin Mary carrying the Baby Jesus, a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary carrying the Baby Jesus, a statue of the Holy Family, a statue of St. Joseph carrying the Baby Jesus, a statue of baby Jesus, a rosary that changed color, and others.)

"Each and every single one is oozing oil. Up to date approximately 1,300 pounds of oil have oozed from these sacramentals with most of the oil coming from the icon of Our Lady of the Cape. The oil was analyzed by a professional lab to determine the nature of this substance, and it was found that it is similar to olive oil but it is not an olive oil!

"The oil exudes a beautiful smell and evaporates after a short while without leaving a trace. It's gathered in jars and is stored. Thousands of small vials have been filled with this oil and given to the thousands of people who have come to witness this miracle.

"Many physical and spiritual healings have taken place when using the oil since the start of this miracle. The site was visited by two Chaldean archbishops, six other bishops, and about thirty priests.

"The Virgin Mary Has appeared eighteen times to this visionary and has given her a total of 136 messages since the beginning of this miracle. The visionary has accepted the offer to suffer for the salvation of souls. This was after the Virgin Mary asked her if she is willing to carry one of the wounds of her Son Jesus Christ. The visionary agreed and the Virgin Mary promised to help her to endure her sufferings. Since then she has been suffering and is accepting it happily.

"The messages of the Virgin Mary have a sense of urgency.

"She is calling upon the world to return to her Son because the days of salvation have arrived. She urges us to pray and especially the holy Rosary. She calls upon us to return to her Son before it is 'too late.' She also talks about the deceits of the devil and about hell and damnation.

"She urges us not to reject her Son and reminds us of His love and His desire to save us and calls upon us to embrace Him, since eternal life is at stake.

"The Virgin Mary exhibits the heart of a mother who sees the house is burning and wants to save as many of her children as possible before it is too late.

"The Chaldean Diocese has yet not issued a verdict regarding these happenings. The miracle is continuing up to the present day."

For our discernment.