Deathbed Confession of a Bishop Who Signed Official Document About Lipa Apparitions Under Duress

On By Mary Anne

Testimony of Fr. Lorenzo Ma. Guerrero, S.J.

AFFIDAVIT

I, Fr. Lorenzo Ma. Guerrero, S.J., of legal age, residing in Sta. Ana Manila, after being sworn to upon oath, depose and state:

  1. That the Philippines Catholic Hierarchy issued the following Official Statement in the year 1951:                                                                                                                                 “We, the undersigned Archbishops and Bishops, constituting for the purpose a special Commission, having attentively examined and reviewed the evidence and testimonies collected in the course of repeated, long and careful investigations, have reached the unanimous conclusion and hereby officially declare that the above mentioned evidence and testimonies exclude any supernatural intervention in the reported extraordinary happenings … including the shower of petals … at the Carmel of Lipa”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Manila, April 6, 1951                                                                                                                                                                  (Signed)   Gabriel M. Reyes … Archbishop of Manila                                                             (Signed)   Cesar M. Guerrero … Bishop of San Fernando                                                     (Signed)   Mariano Madriaga … Bishop of Lingayen                                                             (Signed)   Rufino Santos … Apostolic Administrator of Lipa                                                 (Signed)   Juan Sison … Auxiliary Bishop of Nueva Sergovia                                                (Vincente P. Reyes … Auxiliary Bishop of Manila
  2.  That while my uncle, Bishop Cesar Guerro, was still alive, I heard from his lips that he signed the above Official statement under duress.
  3. That the said Bishop had expressed his personal belief in the fact of the apparitions of Our Lady Mediatrix of All grace in the Carmelite Convent of Lipa during the year of 1948.

In witness whereof, I hereunto sign this sworn statement this 11th day of February, 1990 in the City of Manila, Philippines.

(Signed)  Lorenzo Ma. Guerrero, S.J.

Witnesses:

H. Mandadero                                                                                                                                          Amelia Kison

According to Ms. June Keithley, Philippine Television Anchor and author of the book ‘Lipa’, a source testifies that Bishop Patrick Shanley of Isabela (sic Infanta) was reportedly so disgusted by the conduct of the investigation and the manner in which certain church officials influenced the outcome of the verdict … that …

in a fit of anger, he denounced the proceedings and revealed that the bishops had been forced to sign the verdict by the papal nuncio ( Monsignor egidio Vagnozzi … Apostolic Delegate to the Philippines 1949-51, then Apostolic nuncio 1951-1958) … upon the pain of excommunication.