Zeitún: Donde la Virgen se apareció a cristianos y musulmanes

One of the lesser-known Marian apparitions is that of Zeitun, in which Mary appeared to both Christians and Muslims without leaving a message. Zeitun is an Arabic word meaning "olive tree" and is a symbol of peace, so this apparition is seen as a breath of fresh air. Zeitun is a city located in the Matruh region, near Cairo, the capital of Egypt. According to tradition, it was here that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph sought refuge when fleeing persecution from King Herod. In Zeitun is the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Mark. On the night of Tuesday, April 2, 1968, a luminous image of a woman appeared on the roof of this church, identified as the Virgin Mary. Many witnesses who saw the apparition attended the scene and agreed on every detail when describing the event. However, these apparitions date back to 1920, when Tawfig Khalil Bey, a Coptic landowner who wanted to build a building in Zeitun, had a vision of Mary promising to honor this place in a special way if he built a church instead of a building. This was done, and St. Mark's Church was built. The main apparitions in Zeitun took place between 1968 and 1970. On April 2, 1968, a group of Muslim workers immediately recognized the Virgin Mary in the apparition of a woman kneeling beside the cross. There were other apparitions later, always related to luminous phenomena, which were called "a shower of diamonds," accompanied by the scent of incense. The image of this Virgin resembles that of the Immaculate Conception that appeared to Catherine Labouré in 1830 and that Catholic schools made very popular in Egypt. Some films and photos now bear witness to these apparitions. Numerous investigations were also conducted to determine whether these images were false. Over the years, these apparitions began to attract more and more people, reaching up to 250,000 people at a time, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, non-believers, and many others from different nations. Mary generally appeared at night, almost always accompanied by luminous doves fluttering around her. Those who witnessed these apparitions reported seeing the Virgin Mary walk on the roof of the church and the dome; that they saw her kneel and, on occasion, lift the baby Jesus in her arms. All the apparitions lasted a different amount of time and ranged from a few minutes to nine hours. To learn more about this, Orthodox Patriarch Kyrillos VI formed a commission of inquiry to authenticate these testimonies. Some of its members revealed that they had seen a perfumed violet smoke rise from the church, before the silhouette of a woman enveloped in a halo of light appeared, visible to all those present, Christian or Muslim, at that moment. The church, after being renovated, was dedicated to "Our Lady of Light." The silent apparitions at Zeitun are considered a call for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Pope Paul VI, who sent observers to the site, declared that the Holy See respected the opinion of the local Church, just as the Coptic Catholic Church deeply respects the version of the apparitions published by the Coptic Orthodox Church. Immaculate Virgin, you who have welcomed the light of the Holy Spirit and have become the house of the living God. Mother of Light, take care of your children, especially those who have followed your Son and have been persecuted. We pray that you prevent the world from affecting truth and justice. Remove the stone they have in their hearts, which makes them murderers in the name of religion. May your light illuminate us all! http://www.mariedenazareth.com