Rumored supernatural sighting of Jesus in hillside town debunked by Pope Leo XIV

Rumors and stories of special appearances made by Jesus Christ in the town of Dozulé, France, have been declared not true.

In the 1970s, a Catholic mother, Madeleine Aumont, reported seeing Jesus 49 times, sharing that the Lord told her to build an enormous cross in the French town.

The "Glorious Cross of Dozulé" was to be built to a height of over 2,000 feet; it also needed to be illuminated, according to claims. 

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There is a similar and smaller cross on display in the town. 

"The phenomenon of the alleged apparitions ... is to be regarded, definitively, as not supernatural in origin, with all the consequences that flow from this determination," text from the doctrinal office approved by Pope Leo XIV said.

"The Cross does not need 738 meters of steel or concrete to be recognized: It is raised every time a heart, moved by grace, opens itself to forgiveness."

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Dozulé is located in the middle of the Normandy region in northern France. 

The town had a population of 2,279 people in 2022, according to Ville-Data.

Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, a Dominican friar based in Rome, Italy, told Fox News Digital the Dozulé messages inspired curiosity in some circles.

"[The message was] never embraced by the wider Church," he said. "Perhaps that is because the Church plainly teaches that the cross of Christ is the summit of revelation.

"The Church's decision is a reminder that our hope isn't in private revelations or sensational claims, but in the power of the sacraments and the truth of the Gospel."

Father Briscoe said Pope Leo's approval of this declaration shows how seriously the church takes discernment in spiritual matters - "not to suppress faith, but to purify it" - and to ensure that faith is not anchored by emotion or speculation, but truth.

"It's clear that Pope Leo intends to speak directly to our scientific age," Father Briscoe also said. "His recent comments on compulsive gambling and internet addiction, for example, show that he's thinking about pressing issues."

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He shared that doctrinal clarity helps protect Christian teaching from superstition and excess.

"The Vatican's discernment here safeguards authentic devotion. This is about protecting believers from confusion," said Briscoe. "The Vatican isn't closing the door on devotion. Instead, Pope Leo is keeping the focus where it belongs - on Christ."

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Reuters contributed reporting.