Apparitions, or ghostly appearances, are critical to many modern Roman Catholic worship practices. Belief in apparitions is common in world religions, including forms of Judaism. However, the Bible gives no credence or authority to apparitions.
I Samuel 28 tells of King Saul going to the witch of Endor to request that she call up the spirit of the deceased prophet Samuel. The “ghost” of Samuel indeed appears, but readers know that this spirit is the result of witchcraft, and not the real Samuel. The dead of the Bible do not reappear unless they are resurrected by Jesus, a prophet, or an apostle.
On a few occasions, Jesus’ disciples thought Jesus was a ghost, but he assured them he was not. When he walked on water, they thought they were seeing a ghost, but when he climbed into their boat, they knew immediately that he was not. When he appeared to them after his resurrection, he had to convince them of his reality by eating something.
When Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they had a glorious appearance, but the Bible indicates that neither was a “ghost.” Moses had been raised from the dead, according to Jude 9, and Elijah had been translated (see II Kings 2:11).
Catholicism claims the authority to determine if apparitions, or ghosts, are valid appearances of heavenly figures. Recently, the 72nd confirmed healing by Our Lady of Lourdes was announced (see CNA, July 26, 2025). The Church has a panel of medical experts dedicated to rigorously examining claims of miraculous healing by individuals who pray to Saint Bernadette.
Bernadette Soubirous encountered 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858 in Lourdes, France. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary had been proclaimed only four years earlier in 1854. Bernadette quoted Mary as saying, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Bernadette was 14 years old at the time. No other person saw the apparitions, but multitudes were convinced that Mary had indeed appeared.
At the behest of Mary, Bernadette dug in the dirt around the grotto where Mary appeared. A spring of water appeared miraculously. And this water became associated with healing. Eventually, a massive cathedral was built to honor Mary’s apparition. Today, around five million Catholics visit the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes each year to venerate a statue and drink water from a spring, all in the hope of healing.
The process of affirming the apparition at Lourdes began immediately. By 1862, a local bishop approved the veneration of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pope Pius IX added his approval in 1876. In 1933, Pope Pius XI made Bernadette a saint. The transformation was complete! A simple French girl saw something no one else could see, and within 75 years that young girl became a heavenly being worthy of veneration, holy enough to pray to.
The Church uses time and title as a substitute for divine authority. If enough time goes by, and if a bishop approves, a worship practice becomes authentic. If a pope gives his consent, a human being can become some sort of god.
Time and title have worked for centuries and account for the authority of Rome. However, these Roman claims are not good enough for faithful followers of Jesus to ground their faith. No pilgrimages are necessary to contact the God of heaven. The most childish prayer is heard and answered without the intercession of saints or priests. A much higher authority exists today, the Word of God. Jesus calls, “Come out of her, my people.”