The Vatican has approved devotion to Our Lady of Mercy at the Marian shrine in Pellevoisin, France.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, with consent from Pope Francis, has authorized the nihil obstat requested by Archbishop Jérôme Daniel Beau of Bourges, according to a letter dated August 22, 2024.
Estelle Faguette, a young woman from a poor family, reported several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Pellevoisin in 1876. She described experiencing the Virgin’s presence during a serious illness, and her subsequent recovery was deemed miraculous by the Archbishop of Bourges in 1893 with the approval of the Holy See.
“Everything is attributed to Christ,” wrote Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery, regarding the nature of these apparitions.
The letter emphasized that while the Dicastery does not usually comment on the supernatural origin of such events, the messages shared by Estelle hold “particular value that allows us to have a glimpse at the action of the Holy Spirit.” He wrote that the devotion “offers a path of spiritual simplicity of trust and love.”
Cardinal Fernández explained that there are “no doctrinal, moral or other objections” to the spiritual event, and the devotion is particularly recommended for those “who freely wish to adhere to it.”
The Dicastery’s letter, approved by Pope Francis, encourages the faithful to consider the devotion, noting its potential benefit to the entire Church.
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