of Jesus is rooted in Sacred Scripture, prudence.

If the Church has not officially

presented in the writings of the Church approved a private revelation, be very
Apparitions and Dogma
Fathers, and taught by many others prior to cautious. If the Church has declared that a Fr. William P. Saunders, PhD
and following after St. Margaret Mary. This private revelation is not credible and
point was clearly underscored in the contradicts that faith, stay away from it. As Catholics, we make a distinction
beautiful encyclical Haurietis aquas (1956) between public and private revelation.
of Pope Pius XII concerning the proper Fourth, even if the Church does give an Public revelation is defined as follows: God,
devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A official approval to a private revelation, the in His infinite goodness and wisdom, chose
faithful Catholic ought to have a devout faithful are not obliged to believe in the to reveal Himself to mankind; in accord
reverence for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, private revelation. A faithful Catholic is with God’s divine plan of salvation, Jesus
whether or not he personally accepts, doubts, called to give the assent of faith to the Christ — true God who became also true
or rejects the private revelations to St. deposit of faith found in sacred Scripture man, the Word of God incarnate —
Margaret Mary. and sacred Tradition. perfectly and fully revealed the Father to us
in union with the Holy Spirit. St. Paul in the
Some important points must be kept in mind In the culture of "new age" spirituality in Letter to the Hebrews (1:3), taught exactly
regarding private revelations: First, private which we live, faithful Catholics need to this definition: "In times past, God spoke in
revelations do not add nor complete the focus on reading primarily the Bible and fragmentary and varied ways to our fathers
deposit of revelation found in Sacred the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and through the prophets; in this, the final age,
Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Never must secondarily the authorized writings of the He has spoken through His Son, through
a private revelation be given the same saints. When intrigued by reported whom He first created the universe. This
weight as Sacred Scripture and Sacred apparitions or other spiritual phenomena, Son is the reflection of the Father’s glory,
Tradition. The Church always warns against keep in mind, "Buyer beware!" the exact representation of the Father’s
a spiritual enthusiasm for such private being, and He sustains all things by His
revelations to the neglect of Sacred Scripture powerful word."
and Sacred Tradition. Copyright © Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Printed with ecclesiastical approval. More recently, the Dogmatic Constitution
Second, the Magisterium must carefully and on Divine Revelation of the Vatican Council
scrupulously examine all private revelations. II (no. 4) specifically stated, "After God had
Since these private revelations are granted to spoken many times and in various ways
individuals, human error, illusions and through the prophets, ‘in these last days He
distortions in reporting or remembering are has spoken to us by a Son.’ For He sent His
possible. Frankly, the possibility of Son, the eternal Word who enlightens all
diabolical action must also be considered, men, to dwell among men and to tell them
for the devil even uses what seems to be about the inner life of God. Hence, Jesus
good to draw people away from the Lord. Christ, sent as ‘a man among men,’ ‘speaks
Third, the approval of a private revelation Pope John Paul II Society of Evangelists the words of God,’ and accomplishes the
means that it does not contradict the deposit P. O. Box 5584, Bakersfield, California 93388 saving work which the Father gave Him to
e-mail: info@[Link] Phone: 661 393-3239
of revelation in faith or morals, that the do. As a result, He Himself — to see whom
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contents may be published, and the faithful Donation Welcome and Appreciated is to see the Father — completed and
may believe the messages with caution and Pamphlet 009 perfected Revelation and confirmed it with
divine guarantees. He did this by the total is complete, "it has not been made of their message, they neither add to nor
fact of His presence and self-manifestation completely explicit; it remains for Christian belong to the deposit of faith. Given the
— by words and works, signs and miracles, faith gradually to grasp its significance over circumstances of the Church at the time of
but above all by His death and glorious the course of the centuries" (Catechism, no. the private revelation, the message simply
resurrection from the dead, and finally by 66; also confer no. 74-83). Herein lies the inspires the individuals to live more
sending the Spirit of truth. He revealed that role of the Magisterium as the authentic faithfully and draw closer to Christ.
God was with us, to deliver us from the guardian, interpreter, and teacher of the
darkness of sin and death, and to raise us up revelation which is guided and protected For example, in 1983, during his pilgrimage
to eternal life. The Christian economy, from error by the Holy Spirit. All faithful to Fatima, Pope John Paul II stated, "The
therefore, since it is the new and definite Catholics are bound to accept these Church has always taught and continues to
covenant, will never pass away; and no new revealed truths with a divine faith. To deny proclaim that God’s revelation was brought
public revelation is to be expected before the these revealed truths would be considered to completion in Jesus Christ, who is the
glorious manifestation of our Lord, Jesus heresy; such as denying the mystery of the fullness of that revelation and that ‘no new
Christ." incarnation of our Lord, the real presence of public revelation is to be expected before
our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, or the the glorious manifestation of our Lord"
This revelation God has given to all people existence of Hell. (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine
for all ages is preserved in Sacred Scripture Revelation, no. 4). The Church evaluates
and Sacred Tradition. Sacred Scripture — or With this solid understanding of public and judges private revelations by the
the Bible — is God's word recorded in revelation, we can turn to private revelation criterion of conformity with that single
writing by human authors inspired by the and the issue at hand. Over the ages, Revelation. If the Church has accepted the
Holy Spirit; no book or verse will be added individuals have experienced a private message of Fatima, it is above all because
to or deleted from the Bible. Sacred revelation from God, i.e. a message given the message contains a truth and a call
Tradition is the handing on of the Word of only to them. For example, the following whose basic content is the truth and the call
God, which Jesus entrusted to the apostles; saints received messages from our Lord: St. of the Gospel itself. Essentially, the Holy
the apostles and their successors, guided and Hildegarde (d. 1179), St. Gertrude (d. Father underscored that the private
enlightened by the Holy Spirit, whom our 1301), St. Bridget of Sweden (d. 1373), St. revelations of Fatima do not add to,
Lord identified as the Spirit of Truth, have Catherine of Siena (d. 1380), St. Vincent contradict, or delete from the deposit of
preserved, expounded, and preached these Ferrer (d. 1419), St. Teresa of Avila(d. revelation contained in Sacred Scripture and
revealed truths. An example of Sacred 1582), St. John of the Cross (d. 1591), and Sacred Tradition; however, they do move
Tradition is the Nicene Creed. Together, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (d. 1690). The people to heed and to live the message of
Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition form various apparitions of our Blessed Mother that deposit of revelation.
one deposit of revelation, "for both of them, also are private revelations whereby she has
flowing out from the same divine well- spoken on behalf of her Son; some of the Take for example the apparitions of our
spring, come together in some fashion to most famous are the apparitions at Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in
form one thing and move towards the same Guadalupe (1531), Rue du Bac (1830), La which He showed to her His Sacred Heart,
goal" (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Salette (1846), Lourdes (1858), Pontmain and revealed the Twelve Promises to her.
Revelation, no. 9). (1871), and Fatima (1917). While these apparitions were carefully
investigated and judged credible, keep in
In these definitions, an important point is While the Church may recognize these mind that the devotion to the Sacred Heart
emphasized: While the deposit of revelation private revelations and approve the content