The Vatican has announced plans to establish a dedicated observatory to investigate “mystical phenomena” across the world. The Pontifical Mariana International Academy (PAMI) describes itself as a scientific institution of the Holy See and hopes to uncover “around a hundred ongoing phenomena” in Italy alone.
The specialist observatory, which is still awaiting authentication by the Church, will evaluate and study apparitions and mystical phenomena, including ghost sightings, interior locutions, and stigmata.
The new observatory committee will begin its first session on Saturday and is set to introduce local scientific committees in order to create a larger network for more probes.
Its purpose is to activate national and international commissions to evaluate and study apparitions and mystical phenomena reported in various areas of the world.
The observatory will also promote updating and training activities on this type of events and their multiple spiritual and cultural meanings, promote high dissemination and consultancy activities, and trans-disciplinary research activities in concert with academic institutions, both lay and ecclesiastical, and the publication of the results of the researches carried out.
The establishment of the observatory comes after the recent case involving a weeping Mary statue in Trevignano, near Rome, where an Italian woman is facing an investigation for fraud after claiming her Virgin Mary statue could cry tears of blood and multiply gnocchi and pizza.
The church investigators recently discovered the blood which her statue wept was not holy and actually came from a pig, according to local media. Officials believe she has now fled after fleecing her followers with tens of thousands of Euros in donations.
This is not the first time that church officials have decided to probe ‘weeping’ Virgin Mary statues. Back in 2018, a New Mexico church found a Madonna which was leaking olive oil, sparking excitement that there was a supernatural force behind it.
In other incidents deemed to be supernatural, an Archdiocese in Connecticut, US, stunned followers last month when he claimed a parishioner witnessed the number of wafers he was handing out for Communion ‘multiply’.
The establishment of PAMI’s new observatory underscores the Catholic Church’s commitment to exploring and understanding mystical phenomena.
This is in line with its longstanding tradition of investigating miracles and apparitions, which have played a significant role in the development and spread of Catholicism.
While some may be skeptical of the existence of mystical phenomena, the Catholic Church believes that such occurrences have the potential to reveal important spiritual truths and provide comfort and guidance to the faithful. As such, the establishment of the observatory is a welcome development that underscores the Catholic Church’s ongoing commitment to exploring the mysteries of the divine.
Not surprising since religics are nutcases…