German Catholic Church to investigate alleged Virgin Mary apparitions

The German Catholic Church has formed a special commission to investigate alleged supernatural phenomena, specifically reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus in Sievernich, western Germany. The decision was announced in the monthly bulletin of the Diocese of Aachen, which falls under the Archdiocese of Cologne. Bishop Helmut Dieser established the commission based on the Vatican's new "Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena," issued in 2024 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. The four-member commission will be presided over by Father Stefan Mückl, a priest of Opus Dei and an ecclesiastical law specialist. Mückl is recognized for his previous role as a legal advisor to Pope Benedict XVI. The alleged Marian apparitions reportedly occurred between 2001 and 2005 at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Sievernich. A parishioner named Manuela Strack claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary, accompanied by various saints including St. Teresa of Ávila, and Archangel Michael. She stated that she received messages urging prayer and aid for those in need. Since 2018, Strack has also reported seeing the Child Jesus, specifically in the form of the Divine Child Jesus of Prague. According to the community's website, the most recent reported apparition occurred on May 22, featuring the Lebanese saint Charbel Makhlouf, who allegedly called for prayers for peace in the Middle East and for Christians in Lebanon. The commission's work will involve discerning the authenticity of these reported visions and messages.