So many are wondering why the Vatican insists on suppressing the Mediatrix so intensely. It is not a “racial” issue, as some pose. There are deeper reasons based on the history of the Church.

Genesis of the Vatican Holy Office

The flow chart below summarizes the evolution through the centuries of the present Vatican’s most powerful office, which deals with the investigation of Marian and other apparitions, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF).

Inquisition >>> Roman Curia >>> Holy Office >>> CDF >>> DDF.

The present DDF has its roots in the Inquisition during the Middle Ages. For this reason, the DDF today has inherited many ultra-conservative policies prevalent in the Middle Ages at the birth of the Inquisition.

The Inquisition (12th to 15th century AD) was set up to combat the spread of heresies, having its own courts to try heretics. The initial penalties were “penances” which evolved into more serious questionable ones, such as life imprisonment, execution, beheading, and burning at the stake. 

Before the Inquisition was finally abolished in the 19th century, the notorious Spanish Inquisition beheaded hundreds of “heretics,” some without evidence but based on hearsay.

The conservative Dominicans were mostly the Inquisitors assigned by the Pope. They were tasked to respond to the Protestant Reformation, the biggest splinter group from the Catholic Church then.

In fear of armed rebellions from converted Jews and Muslims, mostly from Spain and Portugal, who secretly retained their former beliefs, the Inquisitors became more vicious, spreading to Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, especially to Goa, Peru and Mexico.

“The institution survived as part of the Roman Curia, but in 1908 it was renamed the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. In 1965, it became the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). In 2022, this office retained its present name — Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.” (source — Wikipedia Inquisition)

It is not surprising that the viciousness of the ultra-conservatives filtered down to today’s DDF, which is intensely suppressing the Mediatrix.

Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope, is the first Liberal to emerge after centuries of “rule” by Conservatives. As the Dominicans led the Conservatives, the Jesuits, who launched the Counter-Reformation as a response to the massive Protestant schism, led the Liberals. Dominicans and Jesuits stood eyeball to eyeball in the never-ending war of Conservatives versus Liberals through the centuries.

It is surprising, however, why Pope Francis never lifted a finger against the Conservatives in the CDF/DDF who adopted Inquisition methods against the Mediatrix. Yes, he removed the infamous anti-Mediatrix Cardinal Mueller as Prefect of the CDF/DDF. But the appointments of new seemingly Liberal Prefects — Cardinals Ladaria and Fernandez (current Prefect) — failed to see changes in the CDF/DDF suppression of the Mediatrix.

Here is why. The motive of present DDF Prefect Cardinal Fernandez for insisting on suppressing the Mediatrix is not based on Conservative policies but on protecting the image of the Church. As mentioned repeatedly in many previous articles of this column, the 1951 Pope Pius XII decree saying that the Mediatrix was a hoax was discovered to be NON-EXISTENT because it was never registered in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official papal registry, a requirement of Canon Law for decrees to be official and effective.

In other words, the 70 years of Mediatrix suppression by the CDF/DDF was based on a non-existent document. Fernandez knew this, so to save face for the Church, in despair, he ridiculously declared as authentic a draft note full of handwritings, the Octavianni Document, as the basis for the 1951 Pius XII decree, which could not possibly hold water under Canon Law.

Now it becomes clear why the Vatican CDF/DDF is suppressing the Mediatrix apparitions. The CDF/DDF ignored and failed to investigate the many reported Mediatrix miracles through the decades, and the many testimonies from people who were healed by the miraculous rose petals and the Mediatrix novena. They had  made up their minds the Mediatrix was a hoax “with finality.”

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines is not part of the “crime” against the Virgin. It simply obeys what the Vatican says. The CBCP cannot defy the Vatican. Its loyalty is rightly total and unquestionable.