| In a major development, Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, | | | | the statue. |
| D.D., the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lipa, recently | | | | When Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, D.D. subsequently |
| issued a new, official decree supporting the alleged | | | | took over the reins of the Archdiocese, many |
| apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Lipa, Batangas - | | | | expected him to quickly support the apparition, given |
| paving the way for a positive declaration on the | | | | his well-known love for the Lady and his documented |
| authenticity of the apparitions. If approved, the Lipa | | | | early devotion to the Lipa apparitions and the Mediatrix |
| apparitions will be the first in the Philippines to be | | | | of All Grace. Alas, the Archbishop on the contrary |
| officially approved by the Church. Lipa may thus | | | | maintained a long public, official silence on the |
| possibly join a short list of Church-approved apparitions | | | | apparitions. It was only in the last few years that he |
| of the Virgin Mary that includes Fatima, Lourdes, Akita, | | | | started making public statements supporting the |
| Amsterdam, and others. | | | | apparitions. In an International Mariological Congress in |
| The possible first approved apparition of the Blessed | | | | Lourdes, France on September 2008, the Archbishop |
| Virgin Mary in the Philippines refers to the alleged | | | | said: "Yes, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace, did appear in |
| apparitions of Our Lady to a Filipina Carmelite postulant | | | | Lipa." |
| way back in 1948. Teresita Castillo claimed to have | | | | Finally, last November 12, 2009, Archbishop Arguelles |
| seen the Virgin Mary several times in the convent | | | | broke his official silence on the apparitions and made |
| grounds. The Virgin called herself "Mediatrix of All | | | | his first, major official act concerning the Lipa |
| Grace". Miraculous showers of rose petals were also | | | | apparitions. In his November 12, 2009 decree, the |
| reported in the convent grounds, with thousands of | | | | Archbishop re-affirmed the lifting of the ban prohibiting |
| witnesses claiming to have seen rose petals | | | | public veneration of the Lipa Mediatrix image, |
| materialize out of thin air. | | | | supporting Archbishop Gaviola's 1991 ruling. He also |
| The title of "Mediatrix of All Grace" is in reference to | | | | formed a theological commission to formally gather |
| the Virgin Mary's acknowledged role as dispenser of | | | | documents and evidence related to the apparition. It |
| God's graces to men. The title is of particular | | | | must be noted that the Catholic Church give the local |
| importance nowadays in the Catholic Church, since | | | | bishop the sole authority to declare authenticity of |
| presently, there is a major global movement to petition | | | | alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary that occur in his |
| the pope to officially declare a fifth Marian Dogma - | | | | local diocese. Usually, the formation of a theological |
| that of Mary as "Co-redemptrix, Mediatrix and | | | | commission precedes any ruling regarding a reported |
| Advocate." | | | | apparition of the Virgin Mary. |
| Filipinos embraced the apparition, with thousands visiting | | | | In an interview that appeared in Totus Tuus, Maria, a |
| the convent grounds hoping to catch a glimpse of Our | | | | website on the Virgin Mary, the Archbishop said: |
| Lady, and praying to get a miraculous rose petal. | | | | I believe the Mediatrix phenomenon is the greatest |
| In an unfortunate twist of events, though, the Church | | | | thing that ever happened to the Church of Lipa in the |
| came out with an official verdict just 3 years after the | | | | last one hundred years and even from time |
| initial reports of the apparition. The official verdict? The | | | | immemorial. The lifting of the ban is intended to dispel |
| apparitions were declared to be not supernatural in | | | | any doubts that in 1991 Archbishop Mariano Gaviola |
| nature. Public veneration of the image of Mary | | | | already did so...The faithful have the right to know |
| Mediatrix of All Grace was prohibited. | | | | whether the Lipa phenomenon was authentic or not. |
| The devotion to Mary Mediatrix, however, did not die | | | | The attachment to Mary must be promoted in these |
| despite the ruling. Forty years after the initial negative | | | | times of trial for our country and the world. |
| ruling on the apparitions, in 1991, then Lipa Archbishop | | | | Will the Church "change its mind" regarding Lipa? Will |
| Mariano Gaviola issued a decree allowing the image to | | | | Archbishop Arguelles finally make a positive judgement |
| be taken out and exposed to the public in the | | | | on the apparition and give to the Filipino people the gift |
| Carmelite chapel in Lipa. This was in response to much | | | | of its first universally-recognized apparition of the |
| clamor from the people, who had remained devoted to | | | | Blessed Virgin Mary? In the meantime, Filipinos wait and |
| the Mediatrix despite all the years of prohibition. Since | | | | pray. |
| then, thousands of pilgrims have continuously visited | | | | |