The supernatural events that took place in Akita, deep in the Japanese countryside, between June 1973 and May 1, 1982, had the rare honor of being the subject of a pastoral letter from the local ordinary, dated April 22, 1984, authorizing the public veneration of the miraculous statue represented by Mary, and authenticating the supernatural nature of the events that took place, as well as the divine (Marian or angelic) origin of the messages received by Sister Agnès.
In 2023 in Japan, every educated Japanese knows of the existence of Our Lady of Akita, which was reported in the media at the time.
But what is it all about? We’ll try to give some background on the events themselves, the clues to support their authenticity, the content of the messages, and the general significance of these apparitions in the Church in crisis.
Like all apparitions and private revelations, they remain in the realm of opinion and are never of the Faith; we must be cautious, especially in examining their provenance – not every spirit is of God – and in their interpretation. Nevertheless, it would be a pity not to give serious consideration to apparitions that give every assurance of veracity, with the approval of the Church. Especially as these apparitions are truly miraculous in the post-Vatican II context: Our Lady appeared in extremis, having herself officially recognized as such by the Church; the apparitions would have taken place a little earlier, that the message would have made no sense, and a little later, that the apparitions would simply have been ignored and swept under the carpet: the “timing” is ideal.
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