Hermeneutyka teologiczna objawień gietrzwałdzkich

Abstract

In 1877 Marian apparitions took place in Gietrzwałd in Warmia and were recognised by the Church one hundred years later. The message Mary conveyed to the girls she appeared to could be summarised in three statements: “I am the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception; I wish you recite the rosary everyday; Do not despair for I will always be with you”. The Gietrzwałd apparitions belong to the so-called private revelations. They should be studied and interpreted within the history of salvation as particular signs of the presence and actions of God throughout the ages. The Marian apparitions in Gietrzwałd pointed to a supernatural, divine reality which finds fulfilment in Jesus Christ, who is now present in His Church. They led their recipients towards the public revelation, awakened and strengthened the faith of God’s people. The apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Gietrzwałd lead to the realisation of the necessity for the continuous interpretation of the public revelation and deepening its understanding at a specific point in time. Owing to these apparitions, some of the truths of faith which would be difficult to understand, such as the Immaculate Conception, became better explained, popularised and easier to comprehend. The message of the apparitions in Gietrzwałd reminded of the evangelical call to convert, repent and pray as well as confirmed the faithful in their belief of the constant presence of God in history but also each man’s life. They therefore constitute an important impulse towards Christian renewal and the return to evangelical zeal and sanctity.