The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith confirms Marian devotion at the Pellevoisin Shrine

On Friday August 30, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a nihil obstat encouraging Marian devotion at the Pellevoisin Shrine. This is a joy for the Shrine and the Diocese of Bourges as we prepare to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Estelle’s supernatural healing in 2026.

• Completion of the apparitions recognition procedure

In 2021, on the advice of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mgr Beau set up a multi-disciplinary theological commission to examine the content of the message of the apparitions at Pellevoisin, and to evaluate historically the scope of the Sanctuary’s influence and the spiritual fruits attached to it. The nine-member commission, made up of theologians and historians, met in 2023 and came out unanimously in favor of recognizing these spiritual fruits.

The commission’s final report was submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) in February 2024. This Friday, August 30, Rome makes public the results of the study of this report.

• A new stage in the Cause for the Beatification of Estelle Faguette

On May 17, 2024, the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Fernández, issued Procedural Norms for the discernment of presumed supernatural phenomena. Henceforth, Rome no longer pronounces on the supranatural character of alleged apparitions. Once the final report has been studied, Rome may pronounce a nihil obstat. In this case, nothing prevents the faithful from freely accepting what Estelle Faguette received from the Blessed Virgin. In its letter, the Dicastery stresses that “the messages and words that Estelle attributes to the Virgin Mary have a particular value, allowing us to glimpse an action of the Holy Spirit at the heart of this spiritual experience”.

This nihil obstat brings great joy to the Christian people, who are authorized to endorse the Marian devotion proposed by the Pellevoisin messages. Estelle Faguette is recognized as a reliable witness to what she has experienced with the Virgin Mary. This is a further step towards opening her Cause for beatification. Indeed, in 2020, the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) had voted in favor of opening her Cause. Now, Rome’s nihil obstat has made it possible to move forward.

In accordance with article 22§1 of the Normes procédurales pour le discernement de phénomènes surnaturels présumés, the diocesan archbishop, Mgr Jérôme Beau, has issued a decree authorizing Marian devotion at Pellevoisin.