The Catholic Defender: "Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of all Peoples and Nations" at Betania, Venezuela, starting in 1976

Donald Hartley
5 hours ago
2 min read

https://deepertruthdon.podbean.com/e/the-virgin-mary-visits-betania-venezuela-south-america/

Apparitions of the Virgin Mary under the title "Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of all Peoples and Nations" were reported at Betania, Venezuela, starting in 1976 with mystic Maria Esperanza Medrano Bianchini, and were officially approved by the local Bishop Pio Bello Ricardo in 1987, making Betania a recognized site of Marian devotion with numerous reported miracles and spiritual experiences.

March 25, 1976, seen by Maria Esperanza, with light phenomena witnessed by others.

The primary visionary was Maria Esperanza de Bianchini (1928–2004), a Venezuelan mystic now titled "Servant of God" as her cause for beatification is underway.

Sanctuary of Betania remains a major pilgrimage site in Venezuela, open year-round for prayer and worship. Maria Esperanza's cause for canonization, opened in 2010, continues to be reviewed by the Church.

In 1984, over 150 people reported seeing the Blessed Mother at the farm (Finca Betania).

"Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of all Peoples and Nations".

Bishop Pio Bello Ricardo declared the apparitions authentic and supernatural in 1987, following extensive investigation.

On November 21, 1987, Bishop Pío Bello Ricardo of the Diocese of Los Teques issued a pastoral letter declaring the apparitions "authentic and of supernatural character".

The approval was granted after extensive investigation and consultation with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI), then-Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The messages focused on love, peace, reconciliation, and the need for prayer, with many people reporting cures and spiritual graces.

Witnesses reported the scent of roses, "invisible choirs," and the spinning of the sun. A Eucharistic miracle involving a bleeding host also