Strong Words on Vassula Ryden by Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox)

Vassula Ryden has been a controversial figure in Catholic circles and in the Orthodox Church, as well.  It seems the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople offered strong words in an announcment.  We have a translation of the original Greek decree from Orthodox Christian blogger John Sanidopolous (and a veil-tip to Rorate-Caeli and Luke Coppen of the UK Catholic Herald).  It reads, in part (link added for clarity):

In this spirit, and for the beneficial protection of our pious Orthodox plenitude from dangerous spiritual confusion, who do not know well matters underlying the risk of delusion, rejects from the Mother Church Vasiliki Paraskevis Pentaki - Ryden, widely known as "Vassula", and her organization founded under the title "True Life In God" which rashly and frivolously proposes teachings based on the supposed "direct dialogue between her and the Founder of the Church Jesus Christ our Lord", and those conquered by her and the supporters of "True Life In God", which deviate arbitrarily from the God-given teaching of the Church, but also scandalize the Orthodox phronema of pious believers.

Hence, we call upon the proponents of these unacceptable innovations and the supporters who maintain them, who henceforth are not admitted to ecclesiastical communion, not only to not be involved in the pastoral work of the local Holy Metropolis, but also to not preach their novel teachings, to prevent the appropriate sanctions under the Holy Canons.


We express, lastly, the profound sorrow of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of the acts of nine - fortunately few - clergy of the Orthodox Church to be found at talks of the said "Vassula" and give to her a "certificate of Orthodoxy."


At the Patriarchate, the 16th of March 2011
Of the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod

Translated by John Sanidopoulos

Not an ounce of ambiguity - the kind that results in "loop-hole justifications" to persist.
Richard Chonak opines, after extracting something interesting from the Holy See's 1995 notification:

So it's good to see that Mrs. Ryden has fostered Christian unity: she has brought the Holy See and the Patriarch of Constantinople together to condemn her heresies!

Indeed!

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Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

On Unapproved Private Revelations

Periodically, as happened this weekend, someone will ask me what I think of some particular devotion or private revelation.  I was asked about "Holy Love" which I had heard of perhaps once or twice before, but never bothered to look into.  More on that in a minute....first a few words about such unapproved private revelations.

What's it mean, "Unapproved"?
Usually, people do not ask about time-tested devotions, such as Divine Mercy, or the prayers of St. Bridget.  These are examples of prayers based on approved private revelations.

"Unapproved" means a private revelation has not received recognition as being worthy of belief by the Church.  It could be involved in an ongoing investigation.  In many cases there is no investigation at all (the bishop simply does not have time to investigate the "apparition" in everyone's latte foam).  Some private revelations are condemned by the Church and this will most often come through the local bishop who has jurisdiction over such matters in his diocese.  Cautions or judgments can sometimes be found on diocesan websites (most likely when they are getting many inquiries).


What does the bishop think?
First of all, is it approved, unapproved, or outright condemned?  There should always be caution because it is easy to get attached to something which may eventually prove false (see some of the links below to read what St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila have said on private revelations).

When people ask me about an unapproved private revelation, I often ask: What does the bishop think?  Has he spoken on it? Is there something on the diocesan website?  It doesn't take much to find if you know the city.  Google "diocese",  with the city name, and the alleged apparition, for example.

Many private revelations are claimed, but the bishop does not investigate every claim.  He becomes interested when there are many inquiries, or it is receiving widespread attention.  If there are dangers associated with it, then he wants to know so he can communicate this to the people.  If, in judging the events, he sees nothing contrary to the faith, he will allow a "cultus" to develop as he continues to study it over time.  This would allow for a certain level of veneration.  Concern for "fruits" comes only after a judgment of the actual events.  And, it is the fruits seen in the alleged visionaries and their associates which are of greatest interest to the Church from a discernment standpoint.  Fruits in the followers are important, but are secondary.  Positive fruits are not weighed to the exlusion of bad fruits.  They are judged together.  Certain bad fruits, such as disobedience to a bishop by an alleged seer, or calumny, can outweigh many good fruits.

When the bishop speaks
People should be prudent about cautionary notes and condemnations found on diocesan websites by humbly accepting them and moving on to that which is approved.  Casual dismissal of a bishop's caution or condemnation is spiritually dangerous and can involve the sin of pride which can lead to other sins, like calumny (i.e., Who is the bishop to tell me what to believe? I know what I feel. He didn't follow this process, or that. He is anti-Marian.  He didn't investigate or visit the place).   Contempt in the heart for the bishop over disapproval, and moreso if it manifests itself in disobedience and lack of filial reverence for the bishop, should prompt a thorough examination of conscience.   If such contempt is widespread among followers it should be considered a negative fruit of that private revelation, especially if it is fueled by alleged visionaries or their associates.  These attacks against an apostolic successor are often cloaked with a friendliness.  In reality, they are an attack against the Church.

Understanding the Church's judgment is not a prerequisite for humble submission and obedience. Faith seeks understanding, not the other way around. It is an act of faith to accept something you do not understand. It is not the inability to think for oneself. Rather it requires a free act of the will. Giving up one's will on these kinds of things, is second only to giving up one's life. Our Lord sacrificed His will in submission to the Father before he sacrificed His Body. Obedience is like a gateway through which only the Holy Spirit and Holy Angels may pass, and it is a barrier to the Angel of Darkness. When we do not accept the Church's negative judgment or cautions, we open the door to Satan.

Do positive experiences and good feelings validate authenticity?
People will sometimes assume that positive feelings and experiences somehow validate authenticity of an unapproved private revelation.  First, a good feeling can come about as a result of using the Sacraments, through grace.  Secondly, the Angel of Darkness can make us feel so good about such a thing in order to get us to turn against the Church when, and if, a condemnation comes. Thirdly, consolations can be a gift from God, but these consolations are withdrawn in order to test us, and to strengthen us.  Will we still go to adoration or pray a Rosary, or continue going to daily Mass when it no longer "feels good" to do so?  Hence, one can feel absolutely no consolations, no positive feelings or experiences even at very holy places like Lourdes, Fatima, or the Holy Land, but these do not invalidate the authenticity of events that occured in those places.  Nor are the lack of consolations a measure of anything we are or aren't doing.  They are graces from God, given at His discretion for  our spiritual development. More often than not, consolations are stronger in the early stages of development. Think of them as "training wheels".  We can experience a good ride without much threat of falling, but most people do not use them forever. 

Can final judgment come while an alleged vision is current?
Approval is unlikely as long as the manifestations are ongoing.  However, a condemnation can come any time if something is found which is contrary to faith and morals.  A bishop, or other body responsible for discernment, has a duty to protect the faithful from fraud or preternatural (in this case, satanic) happenings. 

If there are many conversions and confessions, why would the Church stop such a thing if there is evidence of fraud or satanic involvement? In a word: Consequentialism.  The Church is not going to engage in justifying evil for the sake of good.  On the surface things may appear to be well and good, but we have to take careful note of the negative things to which the Church points, and not dismiss them.

Back to the case of "Holy Love"
In less than five minutes, I found a caution on the Diocese of Cleveland website, written originally in 1999 and updated in 2005. 

Further Reading on Private Revelations:

• Private Revelation (CUF)
• Private Revelations and Discernment of Spirits (Fr. William G. Most - EWTN)
• Revelations: Public and Private (Jimmy Akin - This Rock)
• Apparitions/Private Revelations (Colin Donovan - EWTN)
• 1978 Criteria for Discernment of Apparitions (Theotokos)

Updated 10/27/2009
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UK Telegraph: Pope Orders Bishops to Root Out False Claims of Visions

Now, readers in the English speaking world have a summary of the article which first appeared in the Italian journal, Petrus. It is in the UK Telegraph...

Emphasis mine in bold, and comments bracketed in red

Pope orders bishops to root out false claims of visions

The Pope has ordered thorough investigations to be carried out into people who claim they have seen visions of the Virgin Mary.


By Simon Caldwell
Last Updated: 5:54PM GMT 12 Jan 2009

He is hoping to cut down on an explosion in the number of bogus heavenly apparitions with new guidelines to help his bishops to root out frauds.

Benedict XVI plans to publish criteria to help them to distinguish between true and false claims of visions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, messages, stigmata, weeping and bleeding statues and Eucharistic miracles.

In some cases exorcists will be used to determine if a credible apparition is of divine origin or whether it is demonic.

The guidelines will come in a "vademecum", or handbook, which is in its final stages and will be published soon by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

It sets out step-by-step instructions on how Church authorities should deal with claims of such supernatural phenomena. [The Church previously used the 1978 criteria for discernment of apparitions which thus far, has been ineffective alone in aiding bishops with the kind of challenges seen in this era when it comes to private revelations. The handbook will compliment that 1978 criteria]

The Pope is said to be deeply concerned by the explosion in the number of pseudo-mystics who, claiming a direct line to God, set themselves against the bishops and lure the Catholic faithful out of the Church and into disobedient cults. [next to death, there is no greater sacrifice God than to surrender one's will to that of another. It becomes clear that the extraordinary graces normally given to authentic visionaries are not there when they blow off filial obedience].

When a claim of heavenly apparitions occurs, the local bishop will need to set up a commission of psychiatrists, psychologists, theologians and priests who will investigate the claims systematically.

The first step will be to impose silence on the alleged visionaries and if they refuse to obey then this will be taken as a sign that their claims are false. [This is key, otherwise it is easy for it to get away from the bishop, and the Church, before it can be properly investigated. According to the 1978 criteria, the bishop should not permit a cult following before certain assurances can be made).

The visionaries will next be visited by psychiatrists, either atheists or Catholics, to certify their mental health and to verify whether they are suffering from conditions of a hysterical or hallucinatory character or from delusions of leadership. [using atheists has been common practice in the investigation of such claims because they will not be swayed by spiritual sentiments. ]

The third step will be to investigate the person's level of education and to determine if they have had access to material that could be used to falsely support their claims. [They will need to give up their computers for inspection and if they refuse....it will not look good]

The new document will also instruct the bishops to see if the visionaries and their associates stand to gain financially from making their claims.

The content of any heavenly messages will also be scrutinised to see if it is harmony with the teachings of the Church.

If the visionary is considered credible they will ultimately be questioned by one or more demonologists and exorcists to exclude the possibility that Satan is hiding behind the apparitions in order to deceive the faithful.

The Pope decided to act because instances of private revelations continue to multiply, with new cases reported around the world every year.

• Source: UK Telegraph

Related blogposts on this including a translation of the original Petrus article..

I highly recommend reading the translation on the Petrus article, which goes into much greater detail.

• Another Translation of the Petrus Article on the Handbook to be Released on Handling Apparition Claims
• Brilliant Benedict XVI...Petrus: Holy Father to soon issue "handbook" to deal with apparition claims

EDIT: More links:

Pope declares 'holy war' against people who falsely claim to have seen the Virgin Mary (UK Daily Mail)

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Another Translation of the Petrus Article on the Handbook to be Released on Handling Apparition Claims

I have received from several people this translation provided to us by Fr. Philip Pavich, OFM.

*Exclusive:*

*In a “Vademecum” the crackdown by Benedict XVI on Marian apparitions, with a ‘pool’ of theologians, psychiatrists and exorcists at the service of the bishops for exposing false visionaries *

VATICAN CITY [January 8, 2009] - Civitavecchia and Medjugorje represent the most recent and sensational cases: places where the alleged visionaries say they have had and continue to have apparitions of the Virgin, even if Our Lady would simply give them absolutely inconsistent messages from a theological and spiritual point of view . The result: the faithful are bewildered because of the display that the Church not only has not yet recognized them as truthful, but will hardly approve them in the future.

As we know, however, the caution of the Church is very great in the matter: there are hundreds of cases of apparitions rejected and branded as false in the past fifty years. Nevertheless, there are those who continue to swear to see Madonna, drawing to their places crowds of desperate faithful, many times in search of a miracle or a grace that, however, does not come. How then, to deal with this phenomenon? *How to prevent the spreading of untruthful messages of the Mother of Christ to mankind? *

The answers to these and other questions are contained in a ‘directory’ Benedict XVI has made to instruct the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and that will soon be made public and sent to the diocesan bishops of the whole world. With this document, which integrates the Instructions already issued in 1978 by the Vatican, the Pope calls for the greatest severity in the verifications related to the establishment of the truthfulness Marian apparitions.

*The bishops*, having set up a commission of psychiatrists, psychologists, theologians and educators, *should impose silence on the pseudo-visionaries*. This will be a first test: history teaches, from Lourdes to Fatima, from Guadalupe in La Salette, that those who really have the gift of being in direct contact with the Madonna, follow the directives of the local Church, even in the face of enormous sufferings. Therefore, *one who will not remain silent* but causes the news of these alleged apparitions to circulate freely, attracting around themselves the presence of the curious, journalists and the faithful in search of a particular grace *will have already given a sign that shows the falseness of their mysticism.* Mary herself, in fact, would never validate an act of disobedience against a bishop, even if they were in error.

The second point: the pseudo-visionaries will be visited by psychiatrists and psychologists, possibly either atheists or Catholics, to certify their mental health and to verify whether or not they are suffering from diseases of a hysterical or hallucinatory character or from delusions of leadership.

The third step to do: determine the level of education of the one being proclaimed a ‘mystic’ so as to avoid one who might mislead the church authorities and the faithful after having carefully studied writings on theology and Mariology. In that sense, one who is under investigation by church authorities will be called upon to deliver to the Commission established by the Diocese the informational equipment in his possession, including personal computer, to make it possible to verify whether he has ever done research in the field of apparitions on the Internet, a wealth of information for those wishing to copy or learn the theological meaning of heavenly messages from true visionaries.

In the directory, also, the bishops are asked to determine whether pseudo-visionaries have direct or indirect economic interests in connection with the pilgrimages and in the inevitable sale of religious souvenirs in the places where they say they see the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Then there is the question of respect for orthodoxy: all that is revealed by the apparitions should not result in being contrary either to the Gospel or doctrine of the Church but be in harmony with them. Needless to say, therefore, that if a visionary attributes to the Madonna phrases or concepts contrary to the Magisterium, he or she is to be considered false.

If directly from the analysis nothing abnormal should result, and then the visionary be considered credible, ultimately that visionary will have to be questioned by one or more demonologists and exorcists to exclude the possibility that Satan (as has happened already so many other times in the history of Christianity) is hiding behind the apparitions in order to deceive the faithful.

Under the new instructions ready to be issued by the Holy See on behalf of Benedict XVI, who already had to deal with the phenomenon of Marian apparitions during his more than twenty-year mandate as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one can therefore expect a real crackdown with longer, more meticulous and strict processes on the part of the Dioceses, also in order to provide correct information to the faithful, so that no more events will take place like those in Civitavecchia and Medjugorje, where thousands of people continue to come even though the Vatican has never recognized as true and supernatural the phenomena reported there.

Of course, according to the ‘Vademecum’ which the Pope had written for the competent Congregation, the same investigative practice will be used if someone should claim to see and talk to Jesus, the angels or the saints, or even (a recent case is in the province of Salerno) manifest the stigmata or say they have statues and sacred images that shed tears in the house.

To know the mind of Benedict XVI on the subject, it suffices to remember what he said, while still a Cardinal, to the journalist and author Vittorio Messori:

“In this field, more than ever before, patience is a fundamental element. No apparition is indispensable to the faith, Revelation ended with Jesus Christ.”

The well-known theologian Rene Laurentin, after years of research, has recorded over 2,450 Marian documented events in the history of the Church. But out of almost 300 requests for investigation initiated in the last century, church authorities have officially certified as true only a dozen appearances. The most recent recognition is that of *Our Lady of Laus,* in France, which took place May 8, 2008, but the faithful had to wait three centuries before obtaining it. The other approved apparitions are mainly concentrated in Europe *(Fatima, La Salette, Tuy, Beauraing, Banneux, Syracuse), but also in Egypt (Zeitun), Syria (Damascus) and Rwanda (Kibeho).*

At the beginning of this article we mentioned Civitavecchia and Medjugorje; in the first case it is a little girl that claims to have had apparitions of the Virgin. In that context, a statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje placed in the garden of her home would have wept blood; the same phenomenon was supposed to have been repeated in the presence of then Bishop Girolamo Grillo, who was initially skeptical. John Paul II himself, when made aware of what happened, wanted that statue in his private chapel for several hours, but the Vatican has never come out in favor of the apparitions and the tears as being supernatural.

More complex is the case of Medjugorje: for more than a quarter of a century, the Madonna would appear every day to the visionaries, and once a month would speak a message for mankind. .But Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope's right-hand man, has never hidden his skepticism? Since 1981, Mary would have appeared tens of thousands of times in Medjugorje. This is a phenomenon that cannot even be compared to other Marian apparitions”. For this reason, the Vatican has asked /Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi/ (one of the most important agencies of religious tourism which belongs to the Vicariate of Rome) to delete from their catalogue visits to the most famous place in Bosnia-Hercegovina, where, nevertheless, more than two million faithful are visiting every year.

Where is the problem? Two factions have been created: one in favor of the apparitions, and therefore on the side of visionaries; the other one openly sided with the diocesan bishop, Msgr. Ratko Peric, who like his late predecessor, does not believe in the truthfulness of these phenomena, and after never having been listened to, already some time ago requested the alleged visionaries to live a hidden life and not disclose any message attributed to the Madonna.

This failure to obey the Bishop would already be enough, according to the ‘Vademecum’ devised by Benedict XVI, to declare the apparitions of Medjugorje to be false.

[Amateur translation from the Italian by Fr. Philip Pavich OFM]

I have more coming on this subject, but just need to get the time to sit down and finish it.

For my previous post on this same topic, with bullet points from the article and notes, please see:

Brilliant Benedict XVI...Petrus: Holy Father to soon issue "handbook" to deal with apparition claims

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Brilliant Benedict XVI...Petrus: Holy Father to soon issue "handbook" to deal with apparition claims

EDIT: This post may be updated as I get emails which more clearly translate this. Some clarifications have already been added thanks to a reader who provided them.

The Italian journal Petrus has an exclusive article about a handbook to be made public and distributed to all bishops by Pope Benedict XVI for dealing with claims of apparitions (and I'm sure private revelations in general). The headline provided by google translator gives us "crackdown" where I'm told that in Italian, "giro di vite" translates into "turn of the screw". Crackdown, clampdown, screw-tightenting - you get the idea.

After spending so much time getting some points into English, this is absolutely brilliant on the part of Pope Benedict XVI, and so......Pope Benedict-like.

This is HUGE! Pardon any typos or babble - it's been a long night.

It is the answer to many prayers for an end to the divisive chaos in the Church brought on by voluminous apparition claims in recent years, some of which have been ongoing for decades.

Such things also lead people away from authentic apparitions and into a risky attachment to something that may never see approval.

I do not speak Italian, but used the google translate tool to get a rough view of it (hence, the long night). If anyone comes across a translation offered by a competent resource, or news article about it, please email me at TeDeumBlog@gmail.com.

Using Google to give me a rough translation, I can break it down as follows below My comments will be in brackets and in red text when provided within the bullet points.

If someone feels anything I have listed in a bulleted point is mistaken, please email me at TeDeumBlog@gmail.com.

The comment box will be closed on this due to past experience with this topic in which people used it as an opportunity to promote apparitions not approved. If someone comes across a good translation by a reputable source, please email me, as well.

Medjugorje is discussed in rather candid detail in a few places towards the end which I did not isolate here, so you will need to go to the actual article (I have links with original Italian and in "Google English" at the bottm of this post if you prefer to skip my bullet points, but you need to read it over and again to get certain things).

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Major points from the Petrus article, as best as I could get...


The Holy Father is issuing a handbook developed with the help of a pool of theologians, psychiatrists and exorcists to help with the matter of apparitions. It will be made public and will be sent to all bishops. Summing up the first part of the article...

The Church is concerned with several things:

• Alleged visionaries continue to have visions (and people follow) even in the face of messages from Our Lady that are inconsistent theologically and spiritually.
  

• Faithful are "bewildered" when events are not recognized as true and which are unlikely to be approved in the future


• Hundreds of cases have been reviewed and rejected as false in the past 50 years [and there have been many cases of alleged "healings" which cannot be substantiated at the medical bureau at Lourdes, which receives cases from around the world.]
  


• People arrive in large crowds to places hoping to see a miracle or "pardon" which does not come


• How do bishops deal with this phenomenon?


• How does the Church prevent the spread of false messages attributed to the Mother of Christ?

This handbook will compliment the 1978 Criteria for Discernment of Apparitions from the CDF, [originally given to bishops and never intended to be made public]. Hence, it does not replace it.

The second part of the article deals with some things the Church wants done:

• It stresses that the holy father wants these things treated with utmost seriousness [or, greatest severity] and to check the veracity or authenticity of the alleged apparitions.


• It encourages bishops to set up a commission of psychiatrists, psychologists, theologians and educators and to impose silence on "pseudo-visionaries" [I think this is suppose to mean, "alleged visionaries". Don't permit them to get a cult following before they go through a certain level of validation. This would prevent an alleged apparition from "getting away" from the Church too fast with the kind of grip some have today, before it can be validated]
  


• It points out that in Church approved apparitions (Lourdes, Fatima, Gaudalupe, La Salette), those claiming to be in direct contact with the Madonna suffer greatly because of the directives of the local church [in other words, part of the test is how the alleged visionaries respond to directives by the local bishop. He may put roadblocks in front of such persons (purposely to test, or because something leads him to believe they are inauthentic). These roadblocks may be intended by God to reveal the extraordinary grace and virtue in the seers, which later (sometimes decades) becomes evidence in the investigation]. It goes on to say on this point that those who do not remain silent, but attract publicity, journalists, and onlookers have already made a mark indicative of the "falsity of his mysticism" [spot on and another complaint with the seers of Medjugorje who do all this against the expressed will of the local Bishop who is villified by followers]. It then drives home something key: Mary herself would never validate an act of disobedience against a bishop, even if he were in error [there you have it as I pointed out further up in this paragraph]


• It wants the alleged visionaries to see psychiatrists, psychologists, and [I think I got this right] even atheists for testing of mental health and to ensure they are not suffering from hallucinations or other manifestations of illness.


• It wants an investigation into the level of education of those claiming to have mystical experiences to see whether they could be misleading the Church and the faithful after carefully studied theology and Mariology.


• It wants to investigate all electronics in use by the person, for example, to see if they had done searches on the internet to find writings which would enable them to "copy" authentic visionaries [This is very good given technology today. In the old days it was the diary they were after, and letters. Today it is really complicated with technology.]


• The handbook also asks the bishops to determine whether the alleged visionaries have economic interests in direct or indirect connection with pilgrimages and the inevitable sale of souvernirs at religious places where they claim to see the Blessed Virgin Mary. [Many complaints have surfaced about Medjugorje seers making a living off of hosting pilgrimage tours and more. If they earn any profit at all - even a small amount, this says something].
  


• Appearances and messages should not contradict Magisterial teachings or the Gospel or the doctrine of the Church
.

• If the bishop discerns that these experiences are not "abnormal", then the person will be questioned by exorcists and demonology experts, pointing out that Satan has attempted to trick the faithful in other, documented "apparitions".

[snip]

• It will be used for other claims of private revelation (people claiming to see or hear Jesus, the Angels or Saints, and for investigating stigmata claims)

The article then expresses the obvious: This will ultimately lead to a crackdown ["giro di vite" - I'm told this expression literally means, "turn of the screw"] on these kinds of phenomena that are not authentic. I could not fully decipher parts of this even with Google translator, but you get the gist of what is about to come bearing down on the Church. I give it to you here and am putting in bold some key things:

Under the new instructions ready to be issued by the Holy See on behalf of Benedict XVI, that the phenomenon of Marian apparitions has already had to do during its mandate of high technology as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, c 'is therefore expected a real crackdown, with' process' long, meticulous and hard by the diocese, including the proper information to be provided to the faithful, so that there will be no events similar to those of Civitavecchia and Medjugorje, where thousands of people continue to come even though the Vatican has never recognized as true supernatural phenomena reported there.

The article quotes then Cardinal Ratzinger: To know the mind of Benedict XVI on the subject, just remember what he said (journalist and writer Vittorio Messori points out): "In this field, more than ever before, patience is a key element. No apparition is indispensable to faith, revelation ended with Jesus Christ. "

There is more to the article which now goes into more discussion about Medjugorje and the other place mentioned. I will provide this google translator quote which is quite telling....

".....the Vatican has asked pilgrims at the Roman (one of the most important agencies of religious tourism in the subordination of the Vicariate of Rome) to withdraw from the catalog visits to the most famous places in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where, however, go over two million faithful of the year. Where is the problem? They have created two factions: one in favor of the apparitions, and then the side of the visionaries and the other openly sided with the diocesan bishop, Bishop Ratko Peric, who like his late predecessor, does not believe the veracity of these phenomena, and not coming ever heard, called from time to alleged visionaries living in the hidden and not disclose any message attributed to Madonna. Enough already no obedience to the bishop, according to the Road Map [handbook] devised by Benedict XVI to declare false the apparitions of Medjugorje. [yeah - the grace is not there when there is such disobedience, and the "seers" had an opportunity to obey him when he said at a publized 2006 Confirmation homily...

Therefore I responsibly call upon those who claim themselves to be “seers”, as well as those persons behind the “messages”, to demonstrate ecclesiastical obedience and to cease with these public manifestations and messages in this parish. In this fashion they shall show their necessary adherence to the Church, by neither placing private “apparitions” nor private sayings before the official position of the Church. Our faith is a serious and responsible matter. The Church is also a serious and responsible institution!]

How did the Medjugorje "seers" respond? With disobedience to the bishop (Check mate!)]

If I understand that last part, the disobedience alone is enough to disqualify Medjugorje.

It was just over two years ago that I predicted......the Holy See would hand down a completely negative judgment on Medjugorje. That has not happened yet, but I believe more than ever, we will see some statement after the handbook is out there, to this effect, based on the new "Road Map"

I want to break here because it is late, but not before a brief commentary. I will provide links at the very bottom for you to peruse them in full for other details.

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This whole idea of a comprehensive handbook, available to anyone and everyone, is simply brilliant. I say this for several reasons:

• This is even BETTER than offering a statement on any one particular apparition at this time. It is a wholesome approach to the problem of ongoing and very questionable private revelations with large followings.


• The 1978 Criteria for Discernment of Apparitions was a very good start, but I believe the case of Medjugorje shows that by itself, it was ineffective. There are examples of where the first bishop, Pavao Zanic, applied steps given to him in that document, written just two years before the phenomenon at Medjugorje began (he not only did not authorize a cult following, but demanded of the alleged seers and associates that it cease, as far back as 1985). Even if he was wrong, his wishes should have been respected and followed. Every message received by the public today, is obtained through an act of disobedience on the part of alleged seers.


• This handbook will initiate a more formal process, more quickly and effectively, to put an end to those which are inauthentic before they can take root and mushroom. Many false apparitions were followed by large crowds before negative judgments fell (Bayside, as one example and some are still following that!)


• It provides a roadmap for bishops on how to proceed and a consistent process can be applied universally.


• It will educate the people so that they themselves can understand more about the discernment of spirits and just as importantly, understand what the bishop is doing. they will more readily accept the actions of a bishop, as well (rather than villifying him!). They will respect his decision rather than disregard it all the while hoping Rome will declare something diferent.


• How many people will let go of their computers and other electronics to keep a hoax going (that is for those who are not mentally ill, but simply engaging in trickery).

• One lesson learned with Medjugorje is that the Church needed something concrete to prevent the kind of things that allowed that place to spin out of control. Early on, some priests and even bishops from other parts of the world, as well as theologians, disregarded the local Bishop's sentiments and even his statements. There is documented evidence of things being screened out of reported transcripts from those books and these were called out by the bishop, and others who had access to them. I pray that this handbook clearly instructs bishops and priests to remain united with the local bishop when he speaks, rather than have the kind of undermining we've seen over the last 25+ years.
  

Perhaps with the release of this handbook we will see closure in some ongoing apparitions dealt with rather than held in an ambiguous state or limbo. While good things have happened in Medjugorje, it has also served to divide the Church, sadly. I believe that there are plenty of documented examples of where Medjugorje proves to be problematic based on what is noted from this handbook (seers making a living off of their status through pilgrimages, tours, etc.; disobedience to the local bishop, etc.).

These apparition and private revelation claims are not light matters. If people are engaging in something of a false nature, even if they have good intentions, their souls are in danger of being lost. The most charitable thing for such "visionaries" is to call them out on it so that they can examine their conscience and convert before significant damage is done.

I believe history will also show that even in false apparition claims, God and his Mother, have used them to their advantage. At places like Bayside, condemned long ago, there were conversions, confession and vocations. Magdalen of the Cross duped many for years - including bishops and priests, before finally confessing that she made a deal with the devil. There again, God used it to His advantage, bringing about conversion, confessions, and vocations.

No matter how many good things come out of any apparition site or private revelation, if it yields signs that go against authenticity, then we must remember one thing: The end does not justify the means (Veritatis Splendor). Truth trumps all.

I will probably have more to say on this later, especially if we can get a good translation of this article, and when the actual handbook is released.

• Original Petrus Online article in Italian
• Google Translator version of Petrus article in English

Note if Google Translator version I provide above does not work, Google the headline paragraph in the Italian version (the whole thing) and then hit the "translate this" instead of the original link, if your browser has that option.

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EDIT January 10, 2009: An article has broken on this in Spain for those fluent enough in Spanish to read it. Google translator really did a wierd job on translating the page, but I got enough to see that it is news based on this matter.

EDIT January 12, 2009: A better translation of the article has been added here: Another Translation of the Petrus Article on the Handbook to be Released on Handling Apparition Claims

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

NOTE: The combox is closed on this post.

Canonical Approval for Our Lady of America

Amidst motu proprio news, followed by the CDF's clarification on Lumen Gentium, this news probably escaped many of us.

Canonical Approval has been given to Our Lady of America. It is based on the little-known private revelations of Sister Mary Ephrem (Mildred Neuzil) here in the US. They began in 1938 with mystical experiences which she brushed off as probably common to all religious. On the website Our Lady of America, there is an introduction to the messages she received, with a nihil obstat by the Archbishop of Cincinatti, Daniel Pilarczyk . Following that are the messages themselves.

This particular nun and private revelation enjoyed significant backing from Cincinatti Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar General of the diocese, Paul F. Leibold, who not only gave his imprimatur on the prayer, but authorized a medal to be stamped and plaques be made. This is highly significant in that such support from the bishop reflects approval of faithful following. But, it did not end there.

These are the kinds of things you want to look for before putting too much stock behind a private revelation.

In the messages, it becomes clear what the Blessed Mother wants:

On October 13, 1956, The Blessed Virgin Mary requested that a statue of "Our Lady of America" be enshrined in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., as a special place of pilgrimage and a special safeguard for our Country. Our Lady promised miracles greater than those of Lourdes and Fatima if her children heeded her warnings and fulfilled her requests. She indicated that this would be accomplished through her loyal sons, the Bishops of the United States. It is to the fulfillment of these requests that this website is dedicated and it is to Our Lady of America that it is consecrated. Learn more...

Her loyal sons have been responding. Skip forward to 2006: Our Lady of America processed at the Cathedral of Cheyenne Wyoming. This procession was with a statue of Our Lady of America originally made with the approval of Bishop William G. Connare of Greensburg, Pennsylvania (Deceased). On May 29th, 2006, the Statue was enthroned (on May 31), at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament - Our Lady of the Angel's Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama.

In November, 2006, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke had the statue displayed at the USCCB conference:

At 2:15 PM in the Concelebrated Mass Room, on November 15th, 2006, His Excellency Raymond L. Burke blessed this new statue. This occurred on the 50th Anniversary to the day of Our Lady's request to be enthroned in the National Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

On May 31, 2007, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, a Canon Lawyer himself, stated in a letter:

"What can be concluded canonically is that the devotion was both approved by Archbishop Leibold and, what is more, was actively promoted by him. In addition, over the years, other Bishops have approved the devotion and have participated in public devotion to the Mother of God, under the title of Our Lady of America."

Apparitions associated with Medjugorje do not enjoy this level of support because the local Ordinary has not given it his approval. He not only would not authorize devotions, statues, or medals - he explicitly prohibted them. The Vatican has authorized people to visit Medjugorje provided it is not considered a place of authentic apparitions - a position the Msgr. Henri Brincard of France spoke of as confusing to the faithful in his letter on Medjugorje in 2000.

Then, there is Bayside, which was actually condemned by the local bishop. Strangely enough, people still follow Bayside despite the position of the local bishop there as follows:

STATUS: On November 4, 1986, Bishop John Mugavero of Brooklyn made a public declaration regarding the "Bayside Movement." In part, this proclamation consist of:

1) "No credibility can be given to the so-called 'apparitions' reported by Veronica Lueken and her followers."

2) "The 'messages and other related propaganda contain statements which, among other things, are contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, undermine the legitimate authority of bishops and councils and instill doubts in the minds of the faithful..."

3) "Because of my concern for their spiritual welfare, members of Christ's faithful are hereby directed to refrain from participating in the 'vigils' and from disseminating any propaganda related to the 'Bayside apparitions.' They are also discouraged from reading any such material."

4) "Anyone promoting this devotion in any way, be it by participating in the 'vigils,' organizing pilgrimages, publishing or disseminating the literature related to it, is contributing to the confusion which is being created in the faith of God's people, as well as encouraging them to act againsy the determinations made by the legitimate pastor of this particular Church (c. 212, para. 1)."

With regards to Our Lady of America, the faithful are free to pursue devotion and propogate the messages based on the canonical approval for which Archbishop Burke speaks. This is why he himself is actively promoting Our Lady of America.

This the small, but growing devotion to Our Lady of America also speaks for itself. It is not "in your face", but has been quiet, patient and humble like a beacon of light on a dark shoreline.

For more information, visit the Our Lady of America website.


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