CV NEWS FEED // The Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF) wrote a letter to the Bishop of Caguas (Puerto Rico) clarifying that certain beliefs connected to alleged Marian apparitions in Puerto Rico are not real.
The letter concerned Elenita de Jesús, a 19th-century Puerto Rican missionary and catechist with a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. Some confused faithful identified her as the Blessed Virgin Mary. The DDF responded: “any identification of Elenita with Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Redeemer, or with the Virgin Mary, first cooperator in the work of her Son, must be totally avoided.”
The letter acknowledged Elenita’s holiness and the importance of her work, saying that she “lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit, in charity and in proclaiming the Gospel, inspired by a deep love for our Heavenly Mother, the Virgin Mary.”
Elenita may have used now-archaic language in describing her devotion to the Blessed Mother, which may have contributed to current confusion about her identity.
The DDF letter continues,
Certain expressions that perhaps she herself used could be confusing, but, in those times, when the missionary catechists of these places felt closely identified with some saint, they used words that in reality meant “I belong to”, “I identify with”. Today we do not speak in such a way because it can cause confusion. Therefore, any expression of appreciation for Elenita should avoid the impression of affirming that she was the Virgin Mary.
The DDF also acknowledged that Elenita was called “Mother” because of her virtues, specifically “her simplicity, her Christian virtues, austerity of life, spirituality, knowledge, personal gifts and catechetical ability,” but this did not mean that she was the Blessed Mother.
The letter concluded that while Elenita de Jesús is a very important figure in the Puerto Rican church,
it would be a joy for Elenita if those who love her would use her figure as a motivation to give themselves to God alone and avoid directing toward her the gestures of devotion that correspond to the Mother of Jesus Christ. It is better not to damage this treasure by distorting its original meaning.
