John Paul II – Letter on Banneux (1999): 50th Anniversary of the Recognition of the Apparitions of the Virgin to the Poor

# Carta Apostólica de São João Paulo II ao Bispo Albert Houssiau de Liège (Bélgica)## Sobre as Aparições de Nossa Senhora dos Pobres em Banneux**Data:** 31 de julho de 1999Excelentíssimo Senhor Bispo Albert Houssiau,Há cinquenta anos, em 22 de agosto de 1949, o seu antecessor na Sé de Liège, Dom Louis-Joseph Kerkhofs, reconheceu oficialmente a realidade das aparições da Virgem Maria em Banneux. Ao recordar com emoção a Eucaristia que tive a alegria de celebrar durante a minha visita apostólica à Bélgica, em maio de 1985, neste santuário cuja influência é significativa, assino esta carta unindo-me em oração aos peregrinos que buscam conforto e força junto a Nossa Senhora de Banneux, invocada como Nossa Senhora dos Pobres, Saúde dos Doentes.Expresso a minha gratidão ao Senhor pela missão sublime cumprida pela Mãe do Salvador e pelo exemplo de fé que ela representa para toda a Igreja cristã, chamada a seguir os passos de Cristo, repetindo diariamente o seu “sim”, o seu “fiat”.**1. Fifty years ago, on August 22, 1949, His Excellency Bishop Louis-Joseph Kerkhofs, your predecessor in the See of Liège, definitively recognized the reality of the apparitions of Our Lady of the Poor in Banneux. Recalling with emotion the Eucharist I had the joy to celebrate during my apostolic visit to Belgium in May 1985, at this sanctuary whose radiation is significant, I voluntarily associate myself through prayer to the pilgrims who go there seeking comfort and strength from Our Lady of Banneux, invoked under the title of Our Lady of the Poor, Health of the Sick.****I offer my communion with the whole Church to the Lord for the noble mission accomplished by the Mother of the Savior and for the example of faith she represents for the entire Christian people, called like her to follow Christ, repeating each day their yes, their fiat.****n. 1346: The Message of Peace and Solidarity***French:* C’est quelques années avant la deuxième guerre mondiale, en 1933, que Marie apparaissait à Banneux comme messagère de la paix. Elle appelait d’une certaine manière les protagonistes de la société à se faire les artisans de la paix et les éducateurs des peuples, invitant tout homme à prendre soin de ses frères, des plus petits, des plus méprisés et de ceux qui souffrent, qui sont tous les bien-aimés de Dieu.*Portuguese:* Foi alguns anos antes da Segunda Guerra Mundial, em 1933, que Maria aparecia em Banneux como mensageira da paz. Ela apelava de certa maneira aos protagonistas da sociedade a fazerem-se artesãos da paz e educadores dos povos, convidando todo homem a cuidar dos seus irmãos, dos mais pequenos, dos mais desprezados e daqueles que sofrem, que são todos os predilectos de Deus.**“Virgen des pobres,” Our Lady of the Poor**Unlike Lourdes or Fátima, Banneux is the Marian sanctuary that explicitly identifies itself as the sanctuary of the Virgin of the Poor. The characteristics:– **Identification with the poor:** “I am the Virgin of the Poor,” direct identification of Mary with the condition of poverty – **Universal source:** “This spring is reserved for all nations,” universalist, ecumenical dimension – **Healing of the sick:** “To ease the sick,” special therapeutic mention – **Reciprocity of faith:** “Believe in me, and I will believe in you,” partnership between Mary and the faithful**Connection with Other Apparitions**Banneux is part of a series of 20th-century apparitions:– **1917 Fátima (Portugal):** A prophetic message for humanity at war – **1932-1933 Beauraing (Belgium, near Banneux):** Mary with the Golden Heart – **1933 Banneux (Belgium):** Virgin of the Poor – **1973 Akita (Japan):** A prophetic message of prayer and penance – **1981-1989 Kibeho (Rwanda, approved in 2001):** A premonitory warning about genocide**John Paul II and Local Shrines**Pope John Paul II was the pontiff who most valued local Marian shrines. He visited Banneux during his apostolic journey to Belgium in May 1985, and his 1999 letter demonstrates the ongoing attention of the Magisterium to local shrines as legitimate expressions of popular faith, within the framework established by the 1974 CDF Declaration on criteria for discernment.**Complementary Reading:**– Marian Apparitions in the Magisterium – Message from Fatima 2000 – Amsterdam 1974: Alleged Apparitions – Lourdes, 150 Years (Penitential Apostolic Indulgence 2008)