Private Revelations and the Church

For Cardinal Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) "the concept of 'private revelation' refers to all visions and all revelations that occur after the conclusion of the New Testament". That is to say, all authentic manifestations from Heaven that took place after the closing of the Bible defined as the 'Public Revelation', immutable and universal.

Basis of private revelations

According to Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, the completion of Public Revelation does not imply its layering:

"This does not mean that the Church can now only look to the past and is thus condemned to a sterile repetition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says about this: "Though Revelation is already complete, it has not been completely explicit; for there will remain a growth in the understanding of the faith throughout the centuries" (CCC § 66)."

This explicitation, in which private revelations participate, finds its origin

"in the last discourse of Christ, when, giving his commandments to the Disciples, he said to them: 'I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own [...]. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you' (John 16:12-14)."

Taking up these teachings, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) summarizes, in its new "norms for the Discernment of presumed supernatural phenomena", the basis of private revelations with these introductory words:

"God is present and active in our history. The Holy Spirit, flowing from the Heart of the risen Christ, operates in the Church with divine freedom and offers us a great number of precious gifts that help us on the path of life and stimulate our spiritual maturation in fidelity to the Gospel."

The private revelation, which spreads in our history by the Holy Spirit, thus finds its degree of legitimacy in its orientation toward Christ and Public Revelation.

Selected videos on the topic

2025 - Prophets: A Story of Revelation - Timon Wacogne Depierre
Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data. Privacy Policy ContinueDismiss	Public and private revelation, links between them. Their theological value. Discernment of several cases including that of Maria Valtorta.

Recognition of private revelations

Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith - Procedural norms for the Discernment of presumed supernatural phenomena - 17 May 2024

These private revelations belong to the very many mystics who dot the History of the Church, but they also traverse the multitude of believers where they blend with their humanity. Discernment is therefore necessary.

If "these manifestations have often produced a great richness of spiritual Fruits, a growth in faith, devotion, fraternity, and service, and in some cases gave rise to various sanctuaries spread around the world which today form part of the Heart of popular piety of many peoples." says the Church, there is however a variety of spiritual Fruits ranging from authentic pastoral value to negative consequences on faith or morals.

Faced with the multiplication of these manifestations and their rapid dissemination by means of communication technologies, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith decided no longer to pronounce on the supernatural character of a private revelation but on a Nihil obstat, that is to say on the certification that "the presumed supernatural phenomenon" contains nothing contrary to the Catholic faith or morals.

This addresses a state of affairs recognized by the Dicastery:

"Most sanctuaries, which are today privileged places of popular devotion of the People of God, have never known, in the course of the devotion expressed there, a declaration of the supernatural character of the facts that have prompted this devotion. The sensus fidelium has sensed that there was an action of the Holy Spirit, and no major critical points appeared that required the intervention of the Pastors."

We find again the authority of this sensus fidelium expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which attributes to the Magisterium the Discernment and to the faithful, thus enlightened, the recognition of the authenticity of a private revelation: "Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sense of the faithful knows how to discern and Homily what in these revelations constitutes an authentic Call from Christ or his saints to the Church."

The "six possible prudential decisions"

The Church's Discernment in this area follows defined procedures in which the Dicastery intervenes only at the final stage.

• Preliminary investigation phase (articles 7 to 12): Initiated by the diocesan bishop who carries out the necessary investigations. In the case of Maria Valtorta, this is the Archbishop of Lucca. It is to be noted that, in this case, the examination of the sanctity of Maria Valtorta as a person is distinct from her "alleged 'visions', 'revelations' and 'communications' contained in the writings of Maria Valtorta" which alone fall under private revelations. Also note that the term "alleged" here does not have the connotation of falsification, but that of claimed as such, without assuming at this stage the truth or falsehood of these visions.

• Evaluation phase (articles 13 to 17): This consists in the evaluation, by the diocesan bishop assisted by those involved in the investigation, of the positive and negative criteria leading to a final report.

• Conclusion phase (articles 18 to 27): At the end of the preliminary investigation and its evaluation phase, the diocesan Bishop drafts a report on the presumed phenomenon taking into account all the facts, positive and negative. He drafts a personal Votum on the matter, proposing to the Dicastery his final judgment. In light of the examination, the Dicastery will confirm or reject the decision proposed by the diocesan Bishop among the six "prudential decisions".

These are:

• Nihil Obstat ("Nothing opposes" (to publication or dissemination)): Even if no certainty is expressed as to the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon, many signs of an action of the Holy Spirit "in the midst" of a given spiritual experience are recognized, and no particularly critical or risky aspect has been detected, at least so far.
• Prae oculis habeatur ("Must be taken into consideration" or "Must be accounted for"): While significant positive signs are recognized, there are also elements of confusion or possible risks requiring attentive Discernment by the diocesan Bishop.
• Curatur ("Must be taken care of" or "Must be supervised" by an ecclesiastical authority): Several critical or significant elements are noted, but at the same time there is already wide diffusion of the phenomenon and the Presence of spiritual Fruits linked to it and verifiable. The diocesan Bishop is invited not to encourage this phenomenon, and to seek other expressions of devotion.
• Sub mandato ("Under mandate" or "Under authorization" (subject to specific authority)): The critical points identified are not related to the phenomenon itself, which is rich in positive elements, but to a person, a family or a group who abusively use it. A spiritual experience is used to gain particular financial or undue advantage by committing immoral acts or conducting pastoral activity parallel to that already present in the Church territory, without accepting the indications of the diocesan Bishop.
• Prohibetur et obstruatur ("Is forbidden and must be blocked"): Even in the Presence of legitimate requests and some positive elements, the critical points and risks seem serious. Therefore, to avoid further confusion or even Scandals, the diocesan Bishop publicly declares that adherence to this phenomenon is not permitted and, at the same time, redirects legitimate spiritual concerns.
• Declaratio de non supernaturalitate ("Declaration of non-supernaturalness" (official judgment indicating that a phenomenon or private revelation is not of divine origin)): In this case, the diocesan bishop is authorized by the Dicastery to declare that the phenomenon is recognized as non-supernatural. This decision must be based on concrete and proven facts and evidence. For example, when a presumed seer admits to lying, or when credible witnesses provide judgment elements allowing discovery of falsification, wrong intention or mythomania.

The Dicastery concludes recalling (article 23) that "neither the diocesan Bishop, nor the Episcopal Conferences, nor the dicastery, as a rule, will declare that these phenomena are of supernatural origin", and only "the Holy Father can authorize a proceeding in this regard".

Remarks on the Dicastery’s statement (2025)

The statement of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Maria Valtorta of 22 February 2025 was interpreted too hastily by some media, especially French, as a finding of non-supernaturalness. Reading the procedural norms one easily sees that this statement does not refer to them at all as is usual, that it is not motivated by any prior procedural investigation and does not bear in any way the official decision "Declaratio de non supernaturalitate". The different Valtortian organizations thus publicly made known their interpretation more consistent, according to them, with the encouragement given by the diocesan bishop or contained in the letter of Pope Francis.

Authority of private revelations

The domain and respective authority of Public and private revelations was defined by Cardinal Ratzinger in the already cited text. For this, he recalls the texts of the Magisterium: "Throughout the centuries, there have been so-called 'private' revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. [...] Their role is not [...] to 'complete' the definitive Revelation of Christ, but to help live it more fully at a certain time in history" (CCC § 67).

He qualifies the value of private revelations by their destination: Public Revelation. However, even recognized, they only have personal authority: "Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, future Pope Benedict XIV, says on this subject in his classical treatise, which later became normative for beatifications and canonizations: 'An assent of Catholic faith is not due to revelations approved in this way (= "recognized"): this is not even possible. These revelations rather require an assent of human faith according to the rules of prudence, which present them as probable and credible in a spirit of piety."

It is this principle that is found in the Dicastery's Statement of 22 February 2025: The writings of Maria Valtorta "cannot be considered of supernatural origin (cannot receive an assent of Catholic faith)" but "must be considered as literary forms that the author used to tell, in her own way, the life of Jesus Christ (but must receive an assent of human faith according to the rules of prudence)".

One can summarize the distinction as follows:

• Public Revelation (the Bible) demands our faith, private revelations require our assent.
• The former is of universal scope, the others of particular scope.
• The former grounds faith, the latter help us live it.
• In the former, God himself speaks to us; in the latter, he inspires "an authentic Call to the Church (§ 67)".

Value of private revelations

The Immaculate Conception long divided theologians between supporters of a Virgin Mary All-holy for having resisted sin; and supporters of a Most Holy Mother of God for having been conceived without sin. This was the subject of a very long controversy when Marie d’Ágreda (1602-1665) reported the affirmation of the Immaculate Conception in her visions. This took such an extent that Pope Benedict XIV Lambertini decided in 1754 to suspend her beatification cause. A century later, the Dogma was proclaimed and four years later the Virgin of Lourdes confirmed it.

However, this is not proof that authentic private revelations replace the Church. On the contrary: Pius XII, proclaiming the devotion to the Sacred Heart, took care to specify that it did not find its source in the visions of Marguerite-Marie Alacoque (1647-1690), but in the tradition of the Church. The revelations of Paray-le-Monial therefore added nothing, but they gave this devotion its visibility and popularity.

According to Dom Prosper Guéranger

Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875)

Blessed Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875) was the restorer of the Benedictine order in France and the promoter of the Liturgical Movement which was like the "passage of the Holy Spirit in his Church" according to Pius XII. He paid a lot of attention to the visions of Marie d’Ágreda and published a series of conferences to demonstrate their relevance and to correct the violent opposition they had created, notably at the Sorbonne in Paris. In one of the very first, he emphasizes the interpenetration, in the life of the Church, of the two levels of revelation:

"It will not be out of place to establish some principles on private revelations, and on the importance that one can and must attribute to them in the economy of Christianity. For lack of being sufficiently enlightened on this point, which Catholic theology has nevertheless not left in the dark, it often happens that all these revelations are too lightly rejected systematically, or that they are given exaggerated trust. Both are reprehensible, precisely because of their excess; it is therefore important to establish the Doctrine which governs this matter.

This statement remains relevant.

According to a contemporary theologian

Karl Rahner in 1974

Jesuit Karl Rahner (1904-1984) was one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the 20th century. Author of more than 4,000 articles and works, he inspired, as a theological expert (peritus), the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum on Divine Revelation (18 November 1965) and pastoral constitution Gaudium et spes on the Church in the world of this time (7 December 1965).

Karl Rahner adheres to the classical teaching of the Church on private revelations but emphasizes that they can have pastoral and spiritual importance. They actualize elements of Public Revelation according to the historical and cultural needs of the times. They can thus awaken attention to a neglected aspect of faith or encourage a more fervent spiritual response. He notably said:

"Private revelations are by their nature an imperative of conduct, a command on how Christendom should act in a given historical situation."

According to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

In its procedural norms of 17 May 2024, the Dicastery includes private revelations among the gifts of the Holy Spirit to his Church:

"God is present and active in our history. The Holy Spirit, flowing from the Heart of the risen Christ, operates in the Church with divine freedom and offers us a great number of precious gifts that help us on the path of life and stimulate our spiritual maturation in fidelity to the Gospel. This action of the Holy Spirit also includes the possibility of reaching our Hearts through certain supernatural events, such as Apparitions or visions of Christ or the Blessed Virgin and other phenomena."

But at the same time it notes that: "in some cases of presumed supernatural origin events, there are very serious problems to the detriment of the faithful and in these cases the Church must act with all its pastoral solicitude. I refer, for example, to the use of such phenomena to obtain 'profit, power, fame, social notoriety, personal interest' and that 'on the occasion of such events, the possibility of doctrinal errors, induced reductionism in the presentation of the evangelical message, dissemination of a sectarian spirit, etc.' appear."

It therefore subjects these private revelations to a normative Discernment that frames (more than regulates) the sense of the faith of the faithful and attempts to distinguish the action of the Holy Spirit "in the midst" of these phenomena.

According to Benedict XVI

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2005

The Pope, then Cardinal Ratzinger, first spoke on the subject in his theological commentary on the secret of Fatima. He recalled the historical position of the Church and extended it theologically. He later did so in his post-synodal exhortation Verbum Domini. § 14 summarizes the not negligible place and role of private revelations:

"Private revelation is a help for faith, and it shows itself credible precisely because it refers to the one Public Revelation. That is why the ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation essentially indicates that the message it relates contains nothing opposed to faith and good morals. It is permitted to make it public, and the faithful are authorized to adhere to it prudently. A private revelation may introduce new expressions, bring forth new forms of piety or deepen old ones. It may have some prophetic character and it can be a valuable aid for understanding and better living the Gospel today. It must therefore not be neglected."

It is on the basis of these criteria that the work of Maria Valtorta must be evaluated. However, it is also worthwhile to continue reading this exhortation, notably in paragraphs 34 to 36 which resonate in the reasons for the gift of the work to our time. Benedict XVI denounces the risks of a (hermeneutic) interpretation of Scripture that is too secularized. This leads to:

• a) "making Scripture itself a text of the past"
• b) "a secularized hermeneutic, positivist, whose fundamental key is the conviction that the Divine does not appear in human history."
• c) "Such a position can only cause damage in the life of the Church, spreading Doubt about the fundamental mysteries of Christianity and their historical value."

Maria Valtorta's work runs counter to these currents by demonstrating the actuality of the "eternal Gospel" and the Church. Neither the former nor the latter are human constructions but a divine construction entrusted to men. Faith and reason do not oppose each other; they cooperate in the unified man for whom there is nothing more natural than the supernatural and nothing more supernatural than the natural.

According to Pope Francis

Pope Francis in March 2013

Pope Francis has primarily focused on promoting and rehabilitating popular piety. The link with private revelations rests first on the sensus fidelium which founds it under the action of the Holy Spirit, but also on the condescension towards which these forms of spirituality are subject: private revelations, like popular piety, are sometimes considered a spirituality of unbelievers in need of marvelous stories.

But Pope Francis has clearly defined popular piety as "a theological place to which we must pay attention" and he pertinently noted that it attracts "those far from the Church." This is particularly evident with the power of conversion of the Work of Maria Valtorta. Pope Francis does not have an isolated view on this point: he reaffirmed the attention his predecessors already paid to popular faith. That is why private revelations, initiatives of Heaven in our time, are important even if they are not part of the formal deposit of Faith.

In his letter of encouragement, Pope Francis speaks of Maria Valtorta's literary work but encourages further study and dissemination of the work, which he blesses, "for the good of the Church and society." And he adds "Forward!". His attitude is thus quite similar to that of Pope Pius XII.

The progressive consideration of private revelations

The profusion of private revelations

Private revelations begin as early as apostolic times: Paul received particular revelations directly from Heaven, including for the Gospel he proclaimed. They were, subsequently, a constant in the life of the Church because they are inherent to the life of the saints.

Dom Guéranger noted this constancy of private revelations, "the luminous trace in the acts of the saints" throughout Church history and from the beginning. But he also noted their increase in his time "as if God wanted by this means to support the mystical element threatened by the approaches of rationalism." One can note the multiplication of Marian Apparitions (Mariophanies) from the mid-19th century until the end of the 20th. Those of Medjugorje continue into the 21st century. It is indeed an era of Trials and generalized apostasy. Dom Guéranger linked the rise in private revelations to the growing place taken by rationalism which excludes the Transcendence whereas private revelations, quite the opposite, manifest it materially. Beyond Marian Apparitions, the increase in private revelations (including Maria Valtorta) is also evident in our time. Pierre Adnès noted the resurgence of interest in these revelations at the time of Vatican II. Of the 56 reference works he lists on the period 1866-1988, two-thirds date from 1937-1965. Private revelations are thus a significant phenomenon sometimes linked to prophecy on the end times. But in this area, not all is equal. That is why the Magisterium has progressively defined the contours of private revelations. Three popes were most significant in this area:

• Urban VIII Barberini,
• Benedict XIV Lambertini,
• Benedict XVI Ratzinger.

The clarification

Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (Urban VIII) by Caravaggio

Faced with the rise of popular fervor that the golden age of Spanish mysticism (16th century), then the French School of Spirituality (17th century), had raised, Pope Urban VIII Barberini (1623-1644) deemed it necessary to channel the proliferation of initiatives. For this, he promulgated three decrees aimed at setting a boundary between official worships and private recognitions which he did not reject however: He only conditioned them on the final opinion of the Church. He requested that such private publications be framed with a disclaimer to readers, called "protestation," specifying that: the facts reported in this book have only private authority and can acquire true authenticity only after having been approved by the judgment of the sovereign pontiff.

One could describe miracles, revelations and edifying lives meeting the usual criteria of holiness, provided it was specified that:

• It was only a personal opinion.
• Which neither preceded nor exceeded the prerogatives of Ecclesiastical Authority.
• To which one submitted in advance.

The codification

Benedict XIV Lambertini

In the following century, Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, later Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758), took great interest in private revelations. He was also one of eight popes to defend those of Marie d’Ágreda, the subject of great controversies. The work he published on the beatification and canonization of saints is still a reference. The codification of private revelations naturally results from their Presence in the life and vocation of many mystics, proof, if needed, that they are stirred up by the Holy Spirit and that they must neither be ignored nor despised.

Cardinal Lambertini's merit was to define more clearly the authority of private revelations:

"An assent of Catholic faith is not owed to revelations approved in this way (= "recognized"); it is not even possible. These revelations rather require an assent of human faith according to the rules of prudence, which present them as probable and credible in a spirit of piety."

Which Cardinal Josef Ratzinger reprises, as we have seen above.

The necessity of this human faith concerning all Apparitions or revelations, even the most recognized, appears in the position taken by the Italian bishops' conference regarding the writings of Maria Valtorta: they should not be read as of divine origin (Catholic faith), but as expression of Maria Valtorta (human faith). It is indeed a recommendation to the reader and not an opinion on the Work which they asked to place at the head of the book.

The new contribution of Cardinal Lambertini lies in the codification of Discernment criteria for private revelations:

"Divine visions and Apparitions are recognized: - by the person to whom they occur, - according to the manner in which they occurred, - and according to the effects they produce. If the person who experienced them is filled with Virtues, if there is nothing in the vision or apparition that turns away from God; moreover, if everything relates to divine Worship; if, after visions and Apparitions, humility, obedience, and other Christian Virtues not only persist in the person who experienced them but rise to an even higher degree, then there is no doubt about their supernatural and divine quality: There will be no doubt in any way about their supernatural and divine quality.."

This codification was also later reused.

Pius X, in his encyclical on modernism, then Pius XII in his encyclical on devotion to the Sacred Heart, reaffirm the subjection of private revelations to Public Revelation but without ever excluding them or denying the action that the Holy Spirit exercises through them.

The legislation

Cardinal Josef Ratzinger in 1988

Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, later Benedict XVI, had to synthesize the Doctrine of the Church on this subject:

• first by supervising the writing of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which addresses it,
• then because he made, at the request of John Paul II, a theological commentary on the subject on the occasion of the 3rd secret of Fatima,
• finally, because he wrote a post-synodal encyclical that deals with the question.

He also had to pronounce on the case of Maria Valtorta: with much reluctance initially (1985), later favourably, after he studied the Work himself in the 1990s highlighting the absence of doctrinal errors and authorizing its dissemination.

Summary

At this stage, the Magisterium texts are:

• 1992: Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§ 66-67.
• 2000: Theological commentary on the 3rd secret of Fatima. Go to the end of the document.
• 2010: Post-synodal encyclical Verbum Domini on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church, notably § 14, second part.
• 2011: Thought taken up and cited in the Preface of the Procedural Norms for the Discernment of Apparitions or supposed revelations. This preface by Cardinal Levada introduces the text on the same subject, edited in 1978.
• 2024: These provisions were replaced by new norms. They were detailed, in their spirit and in their letter, during the course of this article.

To go further

• The private revelation of Maria Valtorta

• Discuss on the Valtorta forum

• Search in the Valtorta index
• Karl Rahner S.J. - The Theology of Private Revelations

Manifestation of the Holy Spirit after the Bible to a person or particular group. It is individual and relative.

Second part of the Bible, from the coming of Jesus Christ until the Apocalypse.

The whole of truths revealed by God to humanity through the Bible. It is complete and definitive in the Christian faith.

In-depth research on God, faith, religious Doctrine.

Authority in matters of faith and morals exercised over the Catholic faithful by the pope and all bishops in communion with the pope.

Also called "ordinary of the place", he has the authority to judge the authenticity of private revelations occurring in his territory. His prior discernment is required by the Church to pronounce.

Preliminary stage to canonization recognizing that a deceased person can be called Blessed because of their holiness.

In a Christian sense, study concerning God and divine things in the light of Revelation.

Solemn document of the pope or a council defining essential points of the Catholic faith.

Solemn document of the pope or a council applying the teachings of the Church to the social, cultural, and economic realities of its time.

Official document of the pope summarizing and developing guidelines for the Church resulting from the conclusions of a synod of bishops.

Action of a person (called an "apostate") who renounces their Religion and faith, who publicly abandons their Religion (to adopt another or not). It thus announces their choice to religious representatives.

Official declaration that a person is holy and may be universally venerated.

Gift conferred by divine Grace for the common good.