Vatican Investigated, and Rejected, Claims that Juan Diego is a Myth

MEXICO CITY, Aug 1, 02 (CWNews.com) - Vatican officials have indicated that they were not troubled by the recent public controversy over the authenticity of St. Juan Diego, the newly canonized Mexican Indian saint.

The controversy was sparked by Father Guillermo Schulenberg, a former rector of the Guadalupe basilica where the canonization took place. After having served at the Marian shrine for 33 years, Father Schulenberg declared that he thought Juan Diego was a mythical character. More recently, he said that he had written to Pope John Paul II, advising against the canonization because he said there was no clear evidence on Juan Diego's life. He said that the myth of Juan Diego had been created to comfort Indians, whose economic and social position during the 16th century was much inferior to that of white Mexicans (primarily of Spanish descent).

Shortly before the Pope's arrival in Mexico on Tuesday, the country's bishops held a press conference on the topic, assuring reporters that all of the available historical research confirmed the accuracy of native traditions regarding the life of Juan Diego and the appearance of the Virgin Mary. The bishops also pointed to the enormous popular devotion to Juan Diego, which has endured among the Mexican people for four centuries.

Father Fidel Gonzalez, a member of the commission formed by the Vatican to explore the background of St. Juan Diego, pointed out to reporters that his work had been, essentially, that of a «devil's advocate,» seeking any evidence that would undermine the credibility of the case for Juan Diego's canonization. Having concluded that work, he reported, the commission had no doubt about the veracity of the traditions handed down through the generations by Mexican believers.

Finally, the Mexican bishops pointed out, the Vatican has cofirmed the authenticity of a miracle attributed to the intercession of St. Juan Diego. The case involved a young Mexican who, while under the influence of alcohol, jumped from a tower and broke his skull. His mother prayed earnestly for the help of Juan Diego to cure the young man, and within a week he was completely healed, with no remaining signs of his mishap.