In a sharp reversal, the bishop of Bergamo, Italy, in February, 2019 set aside a longstanding prohibition against devotions at an alleged and particularly spectacular, if largely unknown apparition site in Ghiaie di Bonate, a hamlet northeast of Milan, Italy.
The bishop, Monsignor Francesco Beschi, announced “a decision at the end of a Holy See procedure… to authorize, value, and accompany the cult of ‘Mary Queen of the Family’ at the parish chapel.” This announcement erased a ban on such devotion first set in place in 1948. The apparitions, phenomena, and messages however, are still considered unproven.
The order, at the behest of the Vatican, acknowledges that pilgrimages and devotions inspired by thirteen apparitions that took place over a period of twenty-one days from May 13 to May 31, 1944, have continued non-stop, bearing obvious fruit, in what the bishop described on February 11 (the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes), as a “true, concrete, and humble” way.
The 1948 ban had been harsh. “Every form of devotion to Our Lady, worshipped at Ghiaie di Bonate, in compliance with the canonical laws, remains hereunder forbidden.” Moreover, it was caused by the actions of a priest that even Pope John XXIII held as suspect. The new declaration notes that the majority of the faithful, especially the seer, Adelaide Roncalli, have “always trusted the wisdom of the Church by living a real and fruitful Marian devotion.”
Adelaide was a girl of just seven years of age, when Mary appeared with the Holy Family to her at Ghiaie di Bonate. The apparitions, sometimes including eight angels, continued for nine consecutive days, first with several girlfriends accompanying her, then dozens and then hundreds of townsfolk and swelling to crowds estimated at 200,000. After a short respite, the apparitions began again on May 28, and continued until the end of the month, when 350,000 were said to have jammed the area, many of them reporting extraordinary solar and other miracles — more in number than witnessed the great sun miracle at Fatima.
Just as Fatima came toward the end of World War I, so Ghiaie di Bonate — known now as the “Fatima Epilogue” — come at the end of World War II. The war had had a particularly grueling effect on this part of Italy.
The celestial phenomena included striking rays of sun that fell upon Adelaide. Noted one observer, Dr. Eliana Maggi, in a deposition to the initial episcopal committee, “At the outset of the apparition a sun ray shone on the child’s head. I raised my eyes to the sky and saw a cross-shaped rift in the sky and a shower of golden and silvery spots, for a minute or two, and everybody hailed it as a miracle.”
Others described the sun as taking on the shape of a cross, or the solar disc whirling dizzily and forming a ring. Like Dr. Maggi, many witnessed gold stars along with small yellow clouds in the sky. Various phosphorescent colours seemed iridescent on the hands of those praying.
More spectacularly, the alleged sun miracles were seen not just at Ghiaie di Bonate, but in nearby towns such as Tavernola. Some estimate that in total more than one million people witnessed solar displays during the course of the 13 days of apparitions.
Trouble came when, soon after the apparitions, Adelaide was coerced into renouncing what she had seen — though she retracted that renunciation less than a year later. Pope John XXIII, in a July 8, 1960, letter, himself said her testimony had been withdrawn “on account of the threats and fears of hell exerted by somebody” and lamented that “the terror for those threats” persisted.
That “somebody” was Don Luigi Cortesi, young philosopher and teacher at Bergamo’s Seminary, who played “devil’s advocate” — perhaps too literally — forcing the young child to cast grave doubt on what she had claimed.
As Adelaide reported in her diary: “In a room of the Ursuline convent in Bergamo, after closing all the doors, Don Cortesi dictated the words to be written on the wretched note. I remember perfectly that, on account of the state of moral violence I was being submitted to, I stained it and he split the sheet of paper and made me write it again, with great patience, in order to reach his aim. That’s how the betrayal was carried out.”
Adelaide also met with great suffering when, after her initial entrance into a convent, she was forced out for no clear reason. Afterwards, she maintained a strict devotion but married and began a family. One boy who was present at the initial apparitions and later became a priest, Father Candido Maffeis, noted that instead of fading away, the persistence of devotees has “shown a thread, let’s call it underground or celestial if you want, that has kept alive the confidence that Mary will get things straight herself, because men have blundered and confounded people, ideas, messages, and personal passions, both ideological and scientific, using too human and sectarian a standard, and have stifled the luminous historic event of Ghiaie di Bonate.”
It is said that when Padre Pio met a group from Bonate, he had said, “What are you doing down here, you who have Our Lady of Bonate in your village?”
The messages were simple and did not pertain to dramatic world events but rather to individual and family holiness.
Unity and sanctity of the family: Adelaide’s vision, in the 9th apparition, encompasses all the Church’s teachings about the sanctity of the family, underlining the four indispensable virtues: patience, faithfulness, meekness and family silence. It is an authentic masterpiece of divine goodness. Our Lady held two black doves in her hands, representing the harmony that married couples must have in order to create blessed families. She teaches also that there cannot exist a blessed family without having trust in Our Lady’s motherly hands.
Children’s duties: Children must contribute to the good of their family. Our Lady draws up a practical schedule of family life for young and older children, highlighting the following duties: “You must be good, obedient, respectful with your neighbours and sincere: pray well” (1st & 2nd apparitions.)
Prayer and repentance: Our Lady speaks to all families urging them to pray and do penance for the safety of the institution of the family. We must pray well and have our children pray because the prayers of the innocent, as requested by the Blessed Virgin, will redeem poor sinners. War is also the cause and result of the many sins. She urges us to do penance and pray for peace.
“Tell them that if they want their children to be healed they must repent, pray a lot and avoid certain sins. If the people repent soon the war will finish in two months, otherwise it will go on for two more years” (3rd apparition.)
“Pray for the poor sinners who need the children’s prayers” (4th apparition.)
“Pray for the poor stubborn sinners who are dying in this moment and who pierce my Heart” (6th apparition.)
“The prayer I like best is the Hail Mary.” (6th apparition)
“Pray also for the Holy Father who is living difficult moments” (10th apparition.)
“Pray a lot for those who have a sick soul; my Son Jesus died on the cross to save them. Many people do not understand these words of mine; that is why I suffer so much” (11th apparition.)
“Pray for the Pope and tell him to act quickly because I want to be solicitous to everyone in this place. Anything is acquired from me; I will intercede with my Son for it” (13th apparition.)
u“Meditation: Our Lady invites us to reflect upon what she said to Adelaide. Master of the spiritual life, she wants us to get her teachings straight, as they will become very useful during our long journey towards salvation.
“Meditate upon these words all the days of your life, summon up your courage in all your sorrows (7th apparition.)
Tomorrow will be the last time I speak to you, then for seven days I will let you reflect on what I have told you. Try and get my words straight as they will be very useful for you when you grow up if you want to become all mine” (8th apparition.)
Love for one’s neighbor: “You must be good, obedient, respectful with your neighbours and sincere: pray well and come back to this place for nine evenings, always at this time” (1st & 2nd apparitions.)
“Peace is coming soon, but I am anxious for that world peace in which everybody loves one another like brothers.” (10th apparition)
Suffering — Our Lady’s suffering: “Pray for the poor stubborn sinners who are dying in this moment and who pierce my Heart” (6th apparition.)
“Pray for the stubborn sinners who make my Heart suffer because they do not think of death” (10th apparition.)
“Pray a lot for those who have a sick soul; my Son Jesus died on the cross to save them. Many people do not understand these words of mine; that is why I suffer so much” (11th apparition.)
Suffering — The Pope’s and the Church’s suffering: “Pray also for the Holy Father who is living difficult moments. He is ill treated by many and many attempt his life. I will protect him and he will not leave the Vatican. Peace is coming soon, but I am anxious for that world peace in which everybody loves one another like brothers. Only this way the Pope will suffer less” (10th apparition.)
Suffering — Adelaide’s suffering: “You will suffer a lot, but do not cry, as you will come with me to Paradise!” (2nd apparition.)
“Meditate upon these words all the days of your life, summon up your courage in all your sorrows” (7th apparition.)
“Dear child, you are all mine, but even if you are dearest to my heart, tomorrow I’ll leave you in this valley of sorrow and weeping. You will see me again in your hour; I will take you to Paradise wrapped in my mantle. I will also take with me those who understand you and suffer” (12th apparition.)
“Dear daughter, I am sorry I must leave you, but my time has passed. Do not lose heart if you do not see me for a while. Think of what I have told you; I will come back in your hour. You will be a little martyr in this valley of real sorrows. Do not get discouraged, I wish my triumph to happen soon” (13th apparition.)
“I will be your reward if your martyrdom is cheerful. These words of mine will be of great comfort to you in your trials. Endure everything patiently and then you will reach me in Paradise. […] Cheer up, because we will meet again, my dear little martyr” (13th apparition.)
Suffering — The suffering of the sick: “No, it is not necessary for everybody to come here, those who can afford it may come here and they will be healed or remain sick according to their sacrifices, but they must not commit great sins anymore” (6th apparition.)
“The sick who want to be healed must trust me more and sanctify their suffering if they want to earn Paradise. If they do not do this, they will not be awarded and will be severely punished instead. I hope that all those who get to know my words will make every kind of effort to earn Paradise. Those who suffer without complaining will obtain anything they ask from my Son and me” (11th apparition.)
Suffering — The soul’s suffering: “Pray a lot for those who have a sick soul; my Son Jesus died on the cross to save them. Many people do not understand these words of mine; that is why I suffer so much” (11th apparition.)
Peace: “If the people repent soon the war will finish in two months, otherwise it will go on for two more years” (3rd apparition.)
“Pray also for the Holy Father who is living difficult moments. He is ill treated by many and many attempt his life. I will protect him and he will not leave the Vatican. Peace is coming soon, but I am anxious for that world peace in which everybody loves one another like brothers. Only this way the Pope will suffer less” (10th apparition.)
No to great sins: Most of the children’s diseases are due to the bad inclinations of their parents (drugs, sex, alcohol…) and are the sad retribution and heritage of these bad behaviours. Moral principles have declined and certain sins (contraception, abortion, divorce, premarital and extramarital sex) have obtained the qualification for full citizenship by law. And now that all respect for life has sunk it is the turn of euthanasia, driven forward by the merciless atheistic logic of a barren society. Our Lady warned us against this and gave us premonitory advice!
“Many mothers have impaired children on account of their great sins; let them sin no more and their children will be healed” (4th apparition.)
“Pray for the poor stubborn sinners who are dying in this moment and who pierce my Heart” (6th apparition.)
“No, it is not necessary for everybody to come here, those who can afford it may come here and they will be healed or remain sick according to their sacrifices, but they must not commit great sins anymore” (7th apparition.)
“Pray for the stubborn sinners who make my Heart suffer because they do not think of death” (10th apparition.)
Conversion: “… many will be converted and I will be recognized by the Church” (7th apparition.)
Triumph: “… and I will be recognized by the Church” (7th apparition.)
“Do not get discouraged, I wish my triumph to happen soon. Pray for the Pope and tell him to act quickly because I want to be solicitous to everyone in this place” (13th apparition.)
Repentance and amends: “Those who make you suffer intentionally will not come to Heaven if they do not make amends for their wrongs and do not repent deeply” (13th apparition.)
These are serious messages that hang over everyone’s head, especially those who contributed to opposing the innocence of a seven year old child, despite many testimonies supporting the validity of Our Lady’s apparitions in 1944. Our Lady’s words at Ghiaie di Bonate are a cautionary admonishment and an encouragement to all.
Adapted from the website: https://spiritdailyblog.com/apparitions/devotion-to-apparition-approved
References to messages taken from http://www.madonnadelleghiaie.it