Sainthood discrepancies? Constantine?

[mardukm]

That’s definitely how the Roman Church handles whether or not apparitions are worthy of belief. The bishop of the area has the final say in the matter and the Vatican can only elevate an approved apparition to the status of being worthy of veneration for the entire Church, not override him.

I know a lot of Roman Catholics who are surprised to find out that bishops have responsibilities the Vatican doesn’t or that each bishop is considered head of a local church in the west, too. I attended a Latin bishop’s installment and I remember the letter from the Vatican saying just that, but still people have this image of “pope is to bishop as bishop is to priest.” It isn’t so, not even in the Roman Church.

VERY WELL PUT, brother Woodstock.

I can just hear Latin controversialists cry out: “You Eastern and Oriental Catholics are just a step away from heresy and schism!”


It seems like any insistence on our part that bishops actually have prerogatives independant of the papacy garners such a reaction.

Blessings,
Marduk
.

 

[Aramis]

That’s definitely how the Roman Church handles whether or not apparitions are worthy of belief. The bishop of the area has the final say in the matter and the Vatican can only elevate an approved apparition to the status of being worthy of veneration for the entire Church, not override him.

I know a lot of Roman Catholics who are surprised to find out that bishops have responsibilities the Vatican doesn’t or that each bishop is considered head of a local church in the west, too. I attended a Latin bishop’s installment and I remember the letter from the Vatican saying just that, but still people have this image of “pope is to bishop as bishop is to priest.” It isn’t so, not even in the Roman Church.

Apparitions are not matters of beatification nor canonization.

Until the pope or a council approves them, however, they are never binding.