Vatican vetoes 'pine tree vision'

A group founded after a woman claimed to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a pine tree has been refused recognition by the Vatican.

The Family of the Divine Innocence has no recognition from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark or the Holy See, a Vatican statement said.

The Community was founded by Patricia de Menezes, 67, in 1984.

She developed a large following after the alleged visions near her Surbiton home in south-west London.

The Catholic convert and freelance jewellery designer claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in a pine tree. The vision has been nicknamed Our Lady of Surbiton.

'Not convinced'

An inquiry into the group was launched by the Vatican watchdog for doctrinal orthodoxy, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

It concluded it was "not convinced" by the "substantial" content of the messages allegedly communicated to Mrs de Menezes.

But the Family of the Divine Innocence disagreed with the findings and said: "As loyal Catholics we will do all we can to communicate accurately the way of Christ's Divine Innocence to the authorities of the Catholic church."

The messages included a "questionable" demand that the Roman Catholic Church should proclaim aborted babies as martyrs, the congregation said.

The Most Rev Kevin McDonald, Archbishop of Southwark, said: "In view of the very serious concerns raised by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, it must be clearly stated that the Divine Innocence has no recognition or approval whatsoever either from the diocese of Southwark or the Holy See and that there is no ecclesiastical approbation for Catholics to meet as the group known as Divine Innocence."