PRESS RELEASE: VASSULA RYDEN NOTIFICATION (Dec 1996)
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
I. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has received various questions about the value and authority of its Notification of 6 October
1995, published in L’Osservatore Romano on Monday/Tuesday, 23/24 October 1995, p. 2 (L’Osservatore Romano English edition, 25 October 1995, p. 12), regarding the writings and messages of Mrs. Vassula Ryden attributed to alleged revelations and disseminated in Catholic circles throughout the
world.
In this regard, the Congregation wishes to state:
1) The Notification addressed to me Pastors and faithful of the Catholic
Church retains all its force. It was approved by the competent authorities
and will be published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official organ of the
Holy See, with the signatures of the Prefect and the Secretary of the
Congregation.
2) Regarding the reports circulated by some news media concerning a
restrictive interpretation of this Notification, given by His Eminence the
Cardinal Prefect in a private conversation with a group of people to whom
he granted an audience in Guadalajara, Mexico, on 10 May 1996, the same
Cardinal Prefect wishes to state:
a) as he said, the faithful are not to regard the messages of Vassula
Ryden as divine revelations, but only as her personal meditations;
b) these meditations, as the Notification explained, include, along with
positive aspects, elements that are negative in the light of Catholic
doctrine; c) therefore, Pastors and the faithful are asked to exercise
serious spiritual discernment in this matter and to preserve the purity of
the faith, morals and spiritual life, not by relying on alleged
revelations but by following the revealed Word of God and the directives
of the Church’s Magisterium.
II. Regarding the circulation of texts of alleged private revelations, the
Congregation states:
1) The interpretation given by some individuals to a Decision approved by
Paul VI on 14 October 1966 and promulgated on 15 November of that year, in
virtue of which writings and messages resulting from alleged revelations
could be freely circulated in the Church, is absolutely groundless. This
decision actually referred to the “Abolition of the Index of Forbidden
Books”, and determined that – after the relevant censures were lifted-the
moral obligation still remained of not circulating or reading those
writings which endanger faith and morals.
2) It should be recalled however that with regard to the circulation of
texts of alleged private revelations, canon 823 §1 of the current Code
remains in force: “the Pastors of the Church have the … right to demand
that writings to be published by the Christian faithful which touch upon
faith or morals be submitted to their judgement”.
3) Alleged supernatural revelations and writings concerning them are
submitted in first instance to the judgement of the diocesan Bishop, and,
in particular cases, to the judgement of the Episcopal Conference and the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Taken from:
L’Osservatore Romano
Weekly Edition in English
4 December 1996, 12