Introduction

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Daniel Maria Klimek
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Public Agencies ◽  
Mystical Experiences ◽  
Marian Apparitions

Medjugorje is a village in Bosnia-Herzegovina that has attracted millions of people after it was reported that the Virgin Mary began appearing there in 1981. Other supernatural phenomena have been connected with Medjugorje, such as the case of the statue of the Madonna of Civitavecchia, a statue of the Virgin Mary that began weeping tears of blood in 1995, a case that was investigated by the Italian press, state officials, public agencies, and a Church commission. Cases like the weeping statue are known as “concurrent phenomena,” alleged supernatural occurrences that happen around the primary phenomena, the Marian apparitions. Can such cases, both primary and concurrent, be taken seriously? The introduction tackles this question by outlining chapters that form the book, from debates on mystical experiences by scholars, to the scientific studies on the Medjugorje visionaries, explaining that the latter can make a significant contribution to our understanding of mystical experiences.

scholarly journals The Marian Apparition of Seuca/Szőkefalva in the Context of Religious and Ethnical Interferences

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lehel Peti
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Local Parish ◽  
History Of ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
The Village ◽  
The Church ◽  
Ways Of Life ◽  
The Way

Seuca became a known place for pilgrimage due to a blind Gypsy woman's public visions about the Virgin Mary in the first years of the new millennium. The author presents both the history of the ethnical and confessional co-existence in the village and the economic and social problems which affected the whole community. Then, the attitudes towards the apparition of the different denominations are highlighted by also presenting the way the seer attempts to question the different denominational opinions. The legitimating strategies of a Gypsy woman significantly influenced the aspects of the vision of the Virgin Mary from Seuca. In the history of Seuca, we find the practice of ethnic groups making well-defined boundaries between them, functioning as important parts of the communities. The artificial change of the ethnic structure during the Communist dictatorship changed the patterns of relations between the ethnic groups and made ethnic coexistence more problematic. The local parish that tried to expropriate the Marian apparitions has successfully integrated their messages into the ideology of ethnic reconciliation. The traditional onto- logical systems of religion in the communities still work and the frequent crossing of the ethnic and denominational boundaries have also promoted the strategies of the Church. In addition, the apparitions in Seuca earned the village a distinguished reputation in the region where enormous changes have taken place and where people have been forced to develop more complex strategies, or ways of life, without any pre-existing concrete models.

scholarly journals Traces of the Mary in Post-Communist Europe

2020 ◽  
pp. 16-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Zachar Podolinská
Keyword(s):  
Church And State ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
European Region ◽  
Marian Devotion ◽  
European Area ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Grass Root ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
Conservative Values ◽  
Modern Era

The Virgin Mary as such cannot be examined scientifically. We can, however, examine her ‘apparitions’ in the world, as well as the innumerable variants of Marian devotion and cult. This volume focuses on her manifestations in the post-Communist region with some geographical spillovers. It is either because post-Communist transformation concerned not only the former socialist countries, but also had an impact on the entire European region and was part of the overall post-modern and post-Communist reconfiguration of the European area. Another factor is that Marian worship is not controlled by political borders of present-day nation states. It has a wider transnational potential and impact. Nevertheless, we focused our viewfinder primarily on the post-Communist region, as we believe that thanks to its geographical and symbolic location and economic position in Europe, as well as its historical roots and traditions and common Communist history and heritage, it not only shows different traits of modernity compared to ‘Western Europe’, but we also face specific features and forms of worshipping of the Virgin Mary. We therefore decided to present in this volume the traces of the Virgin Mary by means of more in-depth analyses from selected countries of the post-socialist region. By means of this publication, we can observe how the Virgin Mary is manifested in the faces of seers and pilgrims and how audio-visual means are becoming a direct part of Marian apparitions in Germany in the modern era (H. Knoblauch and S. Petschke); how she speaks through the mouth of a blind Roma woman and pacifies the ethnic and religious tensions between various groups in Romania (L. Peti); how she attributes meaning to meaningless places on the map by reallocating her presence through the geo- graphical and time distribution of Marian dedications in Slovakia (J. Majo); how, after the fall of Communism, she revitalises the old places of her cult with new power, bringing together traditional and non-traditional forms of worship in the secular Czech Lands (M. Holubová); how her messages are spread on the websites of new non-traditional Marian movements and how their apocalyptical warnings are being updated and localised into the specific national environment in Czechia (V. Tutr); how she addresses the readers of Marian literature differently on the shelves of book- stores in Slovakia and Austria (R. Kečka); but also how the Virgin Mary absorbs ultra-modern millennial and spiritualistic concepts of Mother Earth and Mother of the Universe, becoming the speak- er of the great unified Hungarian nation (J. Kis-Halas); how she is becoming the re-discovered herald of Serbian national identity (A. Pavićević); how she absorbs the local forms of faith and folk Christianity in modern era and is thus the manifestation of grass- root Christianity and local religious culture in Bulgaria (V. Baeva and A. Georgieva); and how the path from a private to an officially recognised apparition depends not only on the Virgin Mary and the seer, but also on the overall constellation of the audience and the ability to offer a religious ready-made event (T. Zachar Podolinská and L. Peti). This publication observes the current diversity of the forms of Marian devotion in post-Communist countries through different national and geographically defined contours and, in particular, the ability of the Virgin Mary to satisfy the hunger for modern spirituality and authentic religiousness, give voice to unofficial and popular religions, revitalise and redefine old places of cult and add new ones, appease war conflicts, speak out on behalf of nations and marginalised ethnic groups, and guard national and conservative values. The post-modern and post-Communist Mary thus restores ruptured traditions with love and enchants the violently atheised European region with new miracles and apparitions, regardless of whether top Church and state representatives like it or not.

Symbol, Vision, Mother

2019 ◽  
pp. 545-558
Author(s):  
Catherine O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Marian Apparitions

Several papal documents have acknowledged the power (and attendant controversies) associated with the cinema since its invention in 1895. Filmic representations of the Virgin Mary increase the potential for contention by interconnecting with gender issues in addition to theology. Paying attention to these polemical dimensions, this chapter explores three cinematic approaches to Mariology: (i) the symbolic effect of the Marian image, which may provide a Catholic cultural context or a plot device; (ii) Marian apparitions and the attendant shrines; and (iii) filmic adaptations of the life of the mother of Jesus that touch upon dogmatic definitions (by accident or design). Despite different perspectives, the productions underline the ongoing significance of Mary as an inspiration for filmmakers, regardless of the religious affiliation (or none) of the directors.

Our Lady of Zeitoun (1968–1971)

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-99
Author(s):  
Donald A. Westbrook
Keyword(s):  
Public Transit ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Orthodox Church ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
Coptic Orthodox ◽  
Muslim Majority ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
The Church

This article situates the mass mariophanies reported at Zeitoun (Cairo), Egypt, from 1968 to 1971 in their historical, political, interfaith, and ecumenical contexts. The series of luminous apparitions above St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church were first observed by nearby Muslim public transit workers. Soon after, the site attracted tens of thousands of Christian and Muslim pilgrims, many of whom observed bright light in the form of the Virgin Mary in addition to other manifestations, such as dove-shaped lights hovering above or near the church. Miraculous healings were also reported. The Zeitoun apparitions serve as a unique instance within the broader study of Marian apparitions by providing a non-Catholic example that took place within a Muslim-majority nation over a span of nearly three years. Moreover, full contextualization of the events in Zeitoun requires interdisciplinary attention spanning Middle Eastern, Islamic, and ecumenical studies; as such, the apparitions invite further and fuller examination in the secondary literature.

Marian apparitions in cultural contexts: applying Jungian depth psychological principles to mass visions of the Virgin Mary at Zeitoun

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-196
Author(s):  
Valeria Céspedes Musso
Keyword(s):  
Depth Psychology ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Depth Psychological ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Historical Material ◽  
Psychological Analysis ◽  
Political Approach ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
Empirical Material

ABSTRACTThis paper provides a depth-psychological analysis of the mass visions of the Virgin Mary taking place at Zeitoun, Egypt, during the late 1960s. A review of the literature points to a prevailing socio-political approach to examining visions of the Virgin Mary, while I argue that a satisfactory psychoanalytical approach is generally lacking. The interpretation I propose draws on Jung’s theoretical model inFlying Saucerswith the aim of merging depth-psychology and historical material surrounding the Zeitoun phenomenon. Common themes and symbols are extracted and interpreted from the empirical material and analysed along with Egyptian social and political data. This study concludes with a discussion on how depth-psychological principles grounded in empirical and historical material could be applied in order to explicate cases of mass visions.

scholarly journals The awaited miracle: reflections of Marian apparitions in Garabandal, Spain

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 353-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklas Sjöström
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Vatican Ii ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
San Sebastian ◽  
Ecumenical Council ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
The Village ◽  
The Catholic Church

This article reflects upon Marian apparitions that occurred during the years 1961 to 1965 in the village of San Sebastián de Garabandal, or Garabandal, in northern Spain, giving rise to pilgrimages ever since. The events coincided with the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II. Garabandal is the only Marian apparition event to have prophesied and commented on Vatican II. Nevertheless, in Christendom, travelling to Garabandal is regarded as an alternative pilgrimage.The pilgrimage route is in several ways unique compared to journeys to other Marian pilgrimage shrines, since it has not yet been approved by the Catholic Church. Pilgrimages to Garabandal were even officially forbidden for several years. The Catholic Church authorities originally declared travelling to Garabandal as forbidden for church officials such as priests and others. This article gives an overview of the case of Garabandal through the years and reflect upon why this place is considered special in comparison to other pilgrimage sites. The study examines such aspects of pilgrimages to this village as location and motivation, the Virgin Mary and Marian apparitions and also the messages and miracles of Garabandal. 

Medjugorje and the Supernatural

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Maria Klimek
Keyword(s):  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Religious Experiences ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Teresa Of Avila ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Village ◽  
Unconscious Mind ◽  
Rare Opportunity

In June 1981, six young Croatians in the village of Medjugorje, in the former Yugoslavia, reported that the Virgin Mary had appeared to them. The Medjugorje visionaries say that the Virgin Mary has returned every day since then, bringing them important messages from heaven to convey to the world. Throughout history, people have reported encountering extraordinary religious experiences—apparitions of the Virgin Mary, visions of Jesus Christ, weeping statues and icons, the stigmata, physical healings and miracles, and experiences of the afterlife—and interpreted them as supernatural in origin. Scholars have often tried to reinterpret such experiences, including those described by the great mystics of history like Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, and Teresa of Avila, into natural or psychopathological categories, such as hysteria, hallucination, delusion, epileptic seizures, psychosis, the workings of the unconscious mind, or fraud. Are such reductionist explanations valid? Over the past three decades the Medjugorje visionaries have been subjected to extensive medical, psychological, and scientific examination, even while undergoing their visionary experiences. Daniel Maria Klimek argues that the case of Medjugorje affords a rare opportunity to understand a deeper dimension of extraordinary religious phenomena. Klimek concludes that the scientific studies in Medjugorje make a significant contribution in challenging a history of reductionism in scholarship on extraordinary religious experiences, the science pointing to something “more” in the experiences of the visionaries.

Medjugorje’s Uniqueness

2018 ◽  
pp. 194-217
Author(s):  
Daniel Maria Klimek
Keyword(s):  
Mystical Experience ◽  
Epileptic Seizures ◽  
Religious Experiences ◽  
Cognitive Sciences ◽  
Mystical Experiences ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
Universal Applicability ◽  
First Time ◽  
Andrew Newberg ◽  
Jean Martin Charcot

Cognitive sciences like neuroscience have been used to study more common, cultivated, or induced religious experiences like states of meditation or prayer; however, in Medjugorje, it is the first time that spontaneous and extraordinary mystical experiences, such as visionary experiences in the form of Marian apparitions, have been studied by neuroscience as they are transpiring: pointing to Medjugorje’s uniqueness and importance. The chapter systematically considers the prominent interpretations of scholars who have tried to re-diagnose and explain extraordinary religious experiences as cases of epileptic seizures, hysteria, or hallucination, observing the work of Jean-Martin Charcot, Michael P. Carroll, Richard Dawkins, Andrew Newberg, and concluding with an analysis of Sigmund Freud’s interpretation of the “oceanic feeling” (i.e., mystical experience) and of his understanding of religion as a neurosis. The chapter explains how the scientific studies in Medjugorje substantially challenge the universal applicability of such reductionist theories.

scholarly journals Postcolonial Betrayal? Mysticism and the Past in Nicole Brossard’s Hier and Diane Schoemperlen’s Our Lady of the Lost and Found

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Vautier
Keyword(s):  
New World ◽  
Virgin Mary ◽  
Religious Art ◽  
World Knowledge ◽  
Collective Memories ◽  
Old World ◽  
Contemporary World ◽  
Lost And Found ◽  
Marian Apparitions ◽  
Multiple References

Nicole Brossard’s Hier and Diane Schoemperlen’s Our Lady of the Lost and Found were published in 2001. Both novels explore contemporary “turns” in the humanities—turns that can be seen as a betrayal of the secular worldview and the focus on the New World that dominated our literary concerns of the late twentieth century. Brossard’s text “betrays” contemporary literary and cultural considerations in its foregrounding of accumulated Old World knowledge and religious art. In Hier, Brossard makes multiple references to two religious figures of Catholicism: Marie Guyart—Marie de l’Incarnation, the founder of the Ursuline order in Québec—and the Virgin Mary. In this novel, Brossard is beginning to explore the idea of looking to those women associated with the mystical world, knowledge of whom is buried in our collective memories, in order to turn to mysticism as a way of accessing that “high” provided by metaphysical experiences. Diane Schoemperlen’s novel, Our Lady of the Lost and Found (Our Lady), reveals a number of similar preoccupations to those found in Brossard’s Hier. In Our Lady, a narrator/writer, is “visited” by the Virgin Mary near the beginning of the novel, and the text then alternates between credible domestic scenes and stories of other Marian apparitions, most of which, as Schoemperlen assures us in an afterword, are “based on actual documented accounts” (Our Lady 339). Our Lady contains many reflective passages: comments on historiography; philosophy; and reflections on the nature of story, truth, science and history. The didactic impulse is very strong in both novels, and the urge to teach is centered on works of religious art from Old World civilizations. Faced with the turmoil of the contemporary world, the narrator of Our Lady explores that other world: the world of miracles, Marian apparitions and the thin place to which the act of writing takes one. In this article, Marie Vautier explores how these two 2001 novels highlight mystical women of the religious past, in their discussion of art, culture, the Old World versus the New World, and the limits of the contemporary worldview in a (re)turn to mysticism and summa plus ultra experiences. 

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