Can the Catholic faithful accept private revelations that claim to surpass or complete the Revelation of Jesus Christ?

No. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called “private” revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.

Christian faith cannot accept ‘revelations’ that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain ‘recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations.’” Some examples of religions and recent sects that claim to possess revelations that surpass or correct the Revelation of which Jesus would be Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Seventh-day Adventists. Both Muhammad, the founder of Islam, and Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism claimed to have had private revelations from an angel. St. Paul warned us against such claims when he wrote, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8-9). Also, “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).

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