. Vassula In A Private Meeting with Cardinal Ratzinger Shortly Before He Became Pope. The Meeting Was The Conclusion of The Fruitful Dialogue That Took Place Between Vassula and The Congregation For The Doctrine of Faith. Cardinal Ratzinger Was Very Happy to "Finally" Meet Her and Greeted Vassula with Open Arms
I recieve Vassula Ryden's newsletters. I really need to cancel them. I don't read them because it was establised from this forum Vassula's writings are condemned. But the above photo and writings are in her newsletter. This only misguides the faithful, in have us think the Pope approves her writings. I suppose having a photo with the Pope makes it look as if it is all authentic.
If you read the 2 latest messages from MDM, that should soon put an end to those if not true. Yesterday said the new Pope is Satan, and today said that the Warning would be Good Friday.
oh.... my... gosh.... mdm is a donut!! The two patrick's said that Benedict was satan... Grrr at these people causing schisms..
Hey, you're not now going to come out and say you are a prophet too now? You have the credentials and many will believe you!
Shhhh, don't tell anyone ,I heard a voice last night I thought it said "Peter the Roman". Turns out I fell asleep listening to a NY Yankee game and the announcer said " Jeter hita Homerun " ! WOW, that was close ,LOL !!!
Anyone can be a prophet. You can make a damn good living from it too. But seriously. People prefer to listen to 'false prophets' than to scripture or the saints. Now, that is sad. Todays Gospel reflects that. (When I say today, we are into Thursday here) Ok. Now I have to post Thursdays Gospel Reading.
As a professional lay theologian who has observed this forum with interest for some while, and whose research has been dealing with latter-day Christian mysticism, I feel in the interests of accuracy that I have to offer some nuance on the comments that have been made on Vassula Ryden (I'm not a spokesperson for 'True Life in God' ministries, I would like to emphasize, but an independent academic with no particular vested interest in defending her). It is of course common knowledge that Mrs Ryden was the object of a 'Notification' from the CDF in 1995, reproduced on this forum, discouraging Catholics from participating in her meetings, and that this was re-iterated by Cardinal Levada in 2007. However, it also has to be said that there was a substantive process of dialogue between her and the CDF during the period 2001-2004 (which needs to be studied in its entirety by anyone wishing to provide informed analysis) during which several of the 1995 questions raised by the CDF were given clarifications of considerable, indeed impressive theological subtlety. It was at the time of this process that the photograph of the then Cardinal Ratzinger and Mrs Ryden was taken. It is undeniable that the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate has taken a strongly critical position regarding her, but this is to some extent understandable given that her locutions include much material which is in tension with Eastern Orthodox theology (e.g. on the existence of Purgatory and a strong emphasis on the role of the Pope). However, to say that Vassula Ryden is a 'condemned' visionary is an over-simplification of her relationship to Roman Catholicism. The truth is that Cardinals and Bishops are divided in terms of their opinions on the messages contained in 'True Life in God' (the 1550 printed pages of which I read in their totality in the course of a comparative study of other alleged mystical writings including those of Ottavio Michelini and Stefano Gobbi, together with critical analysis of reports of exorcists and near-death experiencers). While some have indeed been strongly negative in their pronouncements, others have publicly taken the opposite view, even subsequent to Cardinal Levada's statement of 2007. These include Cardinal Telesphore Toppo (much-interviewed on Church matters by the international press during the pre-Conclave period) and Bishop Jozef Punt of Haarlem-Amsterdam (who gave official Church approval to the apparitions of Ide Peerdeman), while others unafraid to be associated with True Life in God's work include Cardinal Napier of Durban, twenty Indian bishops and the now Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, who blessed a TLIG children's home in 2002. Vassula Ryden's participation in two ecumenical meetings in Belgium was moreover welcomed by the now Cardinal André Leonard of Brussels. René Laurentin's support for Mrs Ryden has, as is well-known, been consistent and unwavering over a period of 25 years. Concerning the idea that the 'True Life in God' messages are formally incorrect from a doctrinal perspective, this is open to contestation, given that the 'True Life in God' complete 2005 edition was given a Nihil Obstat by Bishop Felix Toppo and an imprimatur by Filipino Archbishop Ramon Arguelles. The statement that the eschatology contained in Vassula's messages is straightforwardly heterodox therefore need to be regarded as a theological opinion rather than an irrefutable definition of the boundaries of doctrinal orthodoxy on the Last Things, given that there is clearly no unanimity on this subject. Furthermore, for those who take a positive stance towards Medjugorje, it is worth noting that Fr. Petar Ljubicic, to whom Mirjana will reveal her secrets, has gone on video record as affirming the messages given to Vassula Ryden as 'authentic revelation'. This occurred while he was participating in a 'True Life in God' Ecumenical pilgrimage in Rome in 2011, and is available on YouTube. That this is obviously problematic for those supporters of Medjugorje who reject Vassula Ryden's messages can be seen from the fact that Fr. Ljubicic's words concerning Mirjana have been reproduced verbatim by www.mejdugorjeusa.org without reference to the context in which they were made and omitting his expressions of support for Mrs Ryden. That this constitutes a patent case of intellectual dishonesty ought to be self-evident for anyone who compares the two documents: http://www.medjugorjeusa.org/fatherpetarinterviewsept2011.htm Naturally, none of the above constitutes in itself a 'constat de supernaturaliter' regarding the locutions received by Vassula Ryden. That is a separate discussion which needs to be pursued carefully with the usual tools (rigorous theological, literary and phenomenological analysis). As with any unapproved private revelation, the logical possibility cannot be ruled out that all supporters of 'True Life in God', however eminent, may be mistaken. Two things can nonetheless be established on the basis of objective fact. Firstly, Vassula undoubtedly still commands a degree of high-level support on the part of individuals within the Catholic hierarchy, in spite of the Notification, and that this has not led to disciplinary measures against the Cardinals and Bishops in question. Secondly, Vassula Ryden has been the object of substantial disinformation, at least some of it deliberate, and that many of the critiques levelled against her have been based on half-truths and distortions. Peter B.
Hello Peter, At the end the day. Vassula is NOT approved, so I stay away. I prefer to stay obedient to what the church says. You also pointed out this next paragraph.... Furthermore, for those who take a positive stance towards Medjugorje, it is worth noting that Fr. Petar Ljubicic, to whom Mirjana will reveal her secrets, has gone on video record as affirming the messages given to Vassula Ryden as 'authentic revelation'. I don't believe in Medjugorje. But I don't want to even talk about that. But you have pointed out how Fr Petar isn't obedient to the church by him affirming Vassula being authentic.
Welcome Peter! I only have to say, if you take the time to read about her and read even a couple of her messages, you will condemn her out of hand. Not even worth an arguement about.
Vassula walks right up and receives Holy Communion in The Roman Catholic Church, it is certainly NOT God telling her to do that.
Peter B: While I have absolutely no familiarity with Vassula or her messages, and therefore I do not have any informed opinion myself, I can really appreciate what you have tried to explain here for the purposes of discerning private revelations in general. My comments are relative to your approach and the insights you provided in general, and not a defense of her, since I have never read any of her publications. There is very little of this level of investigation being brought forth here overall, and often a lot of "despising of prophecy" (which is against scripture), and sometimes emotional attachments for or against certain private revelations, sometimes based on limited knowledge or even misinformation, and sometimes very well informed and thoughtful. I especially appreciated your reminder that statements concerning eschatology of private revelations can often only rise to theological opinion "given that there is clearly no unanimity on this subject" as you stated. In that area, there has been much debate here lately about authority of specific cardinals, succesive popes, the church fathers, and those that have published ideas (and received imprimaturs), and what that really means... I think we can risk being cafeteria consumers of prophecy, and can tend to gravitate to, and rationalize those which with we already agree.
Am I missing something in all of this "false pope" talk. Is this Pope not the last Pope according to tradition/St. Malachy? If so, is he not the Pope who has to lead his flock through the tribulation? Why are people saying he is an Anti Pope. It seems to me that time will show this to be true or not - if he stands up for the Blessed Virgin and declares her Advocate, Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix, then he must be a true Pope? Am I right on this? I always throught that if any Pope attempts to dilute the Mass or declare it not a sacrament (but merely bread and wine), then that Pope by his actions cannot be anything but against God.... I'm giving myself a headache here, but I hope you understand.
I hear she brought her own theologians to Rome with her to argue her case. Do you know if this was true Peter? I think it s false. I always look for obedience, obedience like one dead in a mystic.
