Pope Leo XIV received in audience the participants in a Congress on mystical phenomena and holiness of life, organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints:
Mystical Phenomena and Holiness Explained by Pope Leo XIV | ZENIT – English
Eminences, Excellencies, Dear Priests, Men and Women Religious, Dear Brothers and Sisters: I am pleased to welcome you at the conclusion of the Congress promoted by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, dedicated to the relationship between mystical phenomena and holiness of life.
This is one of the most beautiful dimensions of the experience of faith, and I thank you for contributing to its appreciation through this study, as well as by shedding light on some aspects that require discernment.
Through theological reflection, preaching, and catechesis, the Church has recognized for centuries that at the heart of the mystical life lies the awareness of the intimate union of love with God. This event of grace is manifested in the fruits it produces, according to the word of the Lord: «No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from brambles» (Luke 6:43-44).
Mysticism is thus characterized as an experience that transcends mere rational knowledge, not through the merit of the one who experiences it, but through a spiritual gift, which can manifest itself in diverse ways, even with opposing phenomena, such as luminous visions or dense darkness, afflictions or ecstasies.
However, these exceptional events are secondary and not essential to mysticism and spirituality itself: they can be signs of it, as singular charisms, but the true goal is and remains communion with God, who is «interior to my innermost self and higher than my highest» (Saint Augustine, Confessions, III, 6, 11). Therefore, the extraordinary phenomena that may characterize mystical experience are not indispensable conditions for recognizing the holiness of a faithful person: if they are present, they strengthen their virtues not as individual privileges, but as ordered to the edification of the whole Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.
What matters most and what must be emphasized most in the examination of candidates for sainthood is their full and constant conformity with the will of God, revealed in Scripture and in the living Apostolic Tradition. Therefore, it is important to maintain balance: just as Causes for Canonization should not be promoted solely in the presence of exceptional phenomena, neither should they be penalized if these same phenomena characterize the life of the Servants of God.
With unwavering commitment, the Magisterium, theology, and spiritual writers have provided criteria for distinguishing authentic spiritual phenomena, which can occur in an atmosphere of prayer and sincere seeking of God, from manifestations that may be deceptive. To avoid falling into superstitious illusion, it is necessary to evaluate such events prudently, through humble discernment and in accordance with the teachings of the Church.
Summarizing the practice, Saint Teresa of Avila states: «It is evident that the highest perfection is not found in interior sweetness, in great ecstasies, in visions and in the spirit of prophecy, but in the perfect conformity of our will with that of God, so that we will, and firmly, what we know to be His Will, accepting with the same joy both the sweet and the bitter, according to His Will.» [1] These words correspond to the experience of Saint John of the Cross, according to whom the exercise of the virtues is the seed of passionate availability to God, so that His Will and ours become «one single will in a prompt and free consent,» [2] until the transformation of the lover into the Beloved. [3] At the heart of discerning a member of the faithful is listening to their reputation for holiness and examining their perfect virtue, as expressions of ecclesial communion and intimate union with God.
In carrying out this valuable service, especially those of you who work in the field of Causes of Canonization, you are called to imitate the holy and to cultivate the vocation that unites us all as baptized, living members of the one People of God. As I encourage you to continue with confidence and wisdom on this path, I wholeheartedly impart to you all the Apostolic Blessing. Thank you! Notes: [1] Saint Teresa of Jesus, Foundations 5, 10; cf. Id., Interior Castle, I, 2, 7; II, 1, 8. [2] Saint John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 3, 24. [3] Cf. Id., Spiritual Canticle, 22, 3.
Mystical Phenomena and Holiness Explained by Pope Leo XIV | ZENIT – English