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10th February 1986

His Excellency

Archbishop ________

Apostolic Pro-Nuncio

Jakarta, Indonesia

Your Excellency,

We have received a photocopy of your letter of 22 November 1985 addressed to His Excellency Mons. Leo Soekoto, Archbishop of Jakarta, with copies to all the Bishops in Indonesia, in which you have made serious allegations against Garabandal and our Movement.  We summarize what you have alleged as follows:

1)      It is forbidden by the Bishop of Santander for all priests to visit Garabandal or to participate in any way in ceremonies within the village.  

2)      All the people from the Church who had studied the matter consider that the "so-called 'apparitions' are in the field of psychological abnormality and are perhaps not far from people 'promoting' them".  

3)      "Behind Garabandal there is very much money". 

4)      "Normally the people more enthusiastic about Garabandal are extremists and not really psychologically balanced".  

The Garabandal Movement in Indonesia comes within our jurisdiction and since, amongst other things, you have questioned our sanity, we must register our protest in writing and answer your allegations.  

Firstly, it is no longer true that priests are forbidden to visit Garabandal or to participate in ceremonies within the village.  For a number of years now priests from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and some European and other countries have visited Garabandal.  Furthermore, priests are permitted to concelebrate Mass with the parish priest in the church situated within the village.  As recently as last September a Scottish priest celebrated Mass under the pines at Garabandal attended by pilgrims from the United Kingdom, Australia and France.

Secondly, you say that "all the people from the Church who had to study the matter consider that (the) so-called apparitions are in the field of psychological abnormality and are perhaps not far from people 'promoting' them".  This statement is not only absurd, it is simply not true, for the following reasons:  

(a)     Since you claim to know "personally many of the people who had to act in this matter", and probably you, yourself, were an observer, you should have known that a most prominent church member of the Commission investigating the events of Garabandal resigned because of disagreement with the procedures and attitude adopted by the Commission; 

(b)    There is no reference in the Commission's report or in any Notas attributing the apparitions to the psychological abnormality of the seers in question.  Neither would any (let alone "all") of the priests have the temerity to make such a sweeping accusation against the people 'promoting' Garabandal; 

(c)     A leading member of the Commission, Dr. Luis Morales, was one of the most prominent psychiatrists in Santander with his own mental health clinic. He was a m an of international repute having studied in Germany, Italy and his own native Spain. Of the six man Commission he was the only person qualified to pass judgement "in the field of psychological abnormality". On 30th May 1983, in a large public conference hall (the Ateneo) in the city of Santander, Dr. Morales unequivocally and convincingly defended the authenticity of the apparitions of Garabandal reversing his original negative opinion. On Thursday, 2 June 1983, Dr. Morales gave another public lecture in Madrid reiterating his belief in the apparitions and once again defending Garabandal. We repeat, Dr. Morales, an internationally recognised psychiatrist, was a member of the Commission; his two public statements -- defending the authenticity of Garabandal are on record. Anyone who wishes to express an opinion on Garabandal, especially on its psychological aspects, will have to contend with the expertise and present position of Dr Morales on Garabandal.  

(d)     The Seers of Garabandal have been examined by a number of doctors prominent amongst whom were Dr. Celestino Ortiz Perez (specializing in pediatrics); Dr Ricardo Puncernau (a Neuropsychiatrist, and Director of Neurological Services at the University Clinic for General Pathology at Barcelona and vice-president of the European Society for Sophrology and Psychometric Medicine); and Dr. Honorio San Juan Nadal (Microbiologist and Neuropsychiatrist). Without exception, these eminent doctors, scientists and psychiatrists pronounced the girls normal and could not advance any natural scientific theories to explain the phenomena of Garabandal.  

Thirdly, you say there is very much money behind Garabandal with the implication that Garabandal is a profit-making Organisation. An assertion of this nature requires justification, which you have not offered. For your information, we are a nonprofit Organisation and no one within the Movement receives any remuneration. The funds required for our apostolate are provided by our members through subscriptions and donations. Our accounts are audited and published periodically, and every cent received is spent on spreading Our Lady's Garabandal Message of prayer, penance, sacrifice, visiting the Blessed Sacrament and leading good lives. Furthermore, we have extended considerable assistance to our brothers and sisters overseas, especially Third-World countries. In doing this, we have simply followed the example of our parent Organisation in the United States. They have been assisting Catholic missions and apostolates throughout the world on a considerable scale for many years.  All this has been done voluntarily and without thought of any repayment.

Fourthly, Your Excellency refers to us as "extremists and not really psychologically balanced".  The use of hyperbole reflects only an irrational antipathy towards Garabandal and our Movement.

Compare Your Excellency's statement with the fact that our membership includes forty priests and religious, as well as doctors, lawyers, barristers, scientists, doctors of philosophy, directors and executives of corporations, members associated with government, i.e. a Member of Parliament in addition to senior echelon civil servants; also a barrister and solicitor, the son of a former Prime Minister of Australia.

We now wish to make some general comments:  

(i)      We acknowledge that Garabandal has not been approved by the Church as yet and our actions, as loyal Catholics, will be predicated on the final judgment of the Holy See.  It is also true that Garabandal has not been condemned and, since the Message of Garabandal conforms with Catholic doctrine and Holy Scripture, and, therefore, does not put into danger faith or morals, we are entitled under Canon Law to believe in and disseminate the Message of Garabandal.

(ii)     In this connection, we wish to quote from letters received from two prominent Australian Archbishops:

        (a)  "I do not think that anybody contends that there is anti-Catholic doctrine in the claims that are made in favour of the 'Garabandal revelations"'.

        (b) "I acknowledge receipt of your letter of llth August 1984 regarding Garabandal. The seven points listed by you are within the ambience of Catholic teaching".

 The seven points mentioned were stated as the basis of our intention to disseminate the Message of Garabandal in the diocese. They are:  

1.       The Church has as yet neither approved nor condemned Garabandal  

2.         Catholics are entitled to inform themselves about the events of Garabandal  

3.         Catholics are entitled to make up their own minds about Garabandal  

4.       Since Garabandal has not been approved by the Church, Catholics should satisfy themselves that no danger to faith or morals is involved before accepting the story of Garabandal  

5.       Catholics who believe are entitled to promote the Garabandal story without prior ecclesiastical permission provided no danger to faith or morals is involved 

6.       Promoters of Garabandal should inform prospective believers that Church approval has not been granted, and would be well advised to caution prospects in terms of paragraph 4  

7        The messages of Garabandal involve no danger to faith or morals

(iii)     We also wish to quote from an editorial published in the "Soul" periodical, the official organ of the Blue Army of Fatima, in their May-June 1984 issue: 

"Editor's Note: The official attitude of the Blue Army concerning Garabandal is that since it has not been approved by the Church, it is not to be promoted by the Blue Army.  

However, some Blue Army members seem to take this as an indication that the alleged apparitions of Garabandal have been condemned by the Church and this is not true".  

(iv)     Your inadequately based judgment of Garabandal denies by implication, the supernatural character of its events. Of course you are entitled to adhere to this opinion yourself, but in passing it on to others you should describe it as your private opinion, which indeed is all that it is.  

On 21/4/70 Cardinal Seper wrote a letter to the Archbishop of New Orleans highly critical of the Garabandal story. Yet it is noteworthy that nowhere in it did he venture to deny the supernatural character of Garabandal.  What he did say was:  

"This Sacred Congregation wants it to be clearly understood that the Bishop of Santander has been and continues to be the only one with complete jurisdiction in this matter . . ."  

This, of course, also applies to the present Bishop of Santander.  He is the only one "with complete jurisdiction in this matter", and it is significant that his attitude does not coincide with yours (please see attached article appearing in GARABANDAL magazine issue of Jan/March 1986 describing the visit of our official members from the U.S.A. and France to the Bishop of Santander in October 1985).

(v)     Conchita, the main seer of Garabandal, has been interviewed by Australian and British Television Corporations in documentary films on Garabandal televised throughout the world in various languages.  Neither she nor the Garabandal Movement in Australia or the United States accepted the standard fee usually paid for such interviews.  Moreover, in each instance, upon the advice of Mother Teresa of Calcutta who has befriended Conchita, Conchita would agree to the interviews only with the approval of the Bishop of Santander, which she asked for and received.  

The British Broadcasting Corporation's documentary film was subsequently viewed by the Bishop of Santander who then gave permission for the film to be screened in the village of Garabandal.

At this point we would like to direct your attention to a miracle which occurred on 21 July 1981. A Mrs. Christiana Wayo, of Nigeria, in the course of a pilgrimage to Garabandal, had the function of a formerly rigid right leg restored along with portions of the kneecap which had previously been removed by operation.  Obviously she would be one of the people more enthusiastic about Garabandal.  Be she ever so psychologically unbalanced, no mental condition could begin to explain the instantaneous restoration of part of the skeletal structure, so incontestably verifiable by her medical history (please see article attached, page 2).  

May we ask whether Your Excellency seriously suggests that this miracle should be ignored?  Or that taking notice of it implies some kind of aberration?  This is just one example of post-Garabandal miracles -- Could we ask Your Excellency to bring yourself up to date on the Garabandal story?  

Nowhere in your letter can we find a claim that promulgating Garabandal is contrary to the Magisterium. Instead we find allegations of fact which, considered either as contemporary history or as current situations, are of their nature not within the Magisterium. Moreover, they are in greater or less degree wrong and in some cases entirely without foundation. We do not feel that your attempt to influence the Archbishop of Jakarta and others is a proper exercise of your office, and we believe that you should have acknowledged that the facts you alleged were subject to verification.  We say, further, that your accusations against us are not only offensive and tendentious but totally unwarranted.  

We respectfully request that your letter be withdrawn.  If, however, you are still convinced of your allegations and believe, for a fact, that we are extremists and psychologically unbalanced, we must defend our reputation and our rights by referring this matter to the Holy See.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

 

John P. Leriou

National Director

Workers of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel de Garabandal

Australia

 

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