Father Mariano Cordovani and Maria Valtorta

Father Mariano Cordovani

Felice Cordovani (1883-1950) was the eldest son of a large and very modest family. Of keen intelligence, he entered at the age of 14 the Dominican convent Santa Maria del Sasso in Bibbiena (province of Arezzo in Tuscany), where he developed his vocation and completed his studies, receiving the Dominican habit and the name Mariano at the age of 16. He had a brilliant career as a teacher and researcher. He was Dean of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas and provincial prior of the Roman province of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). In July 1936, Pope Pius XI appointed him Master of the Sacred Palace, and Pius XII named him "Theologian ad personam" of the Secretariat of State. The Master of the Sacred Palace is a privileged theological advisor to the Pope—always a Dominican—consulted on complex doctrinal questions and drafting official responses. He was a consultor to the Holy Office, perpetual assistant to the Index. Father Mariano was also called to sit on several Vatican congregations. He published numerous important works on philosophy, theology, the social doctrine of the Church, and spirituality in general.

"Father Mariano Cordovani was without a doubt one of the most emblematic figures of the Dominican Order and the Church of the last century."

He remains an enigma in the Maria Valtorta dossier because his brilliant career does not correspond to the severe judgment given by Maria Valtorta, who described him as the "main opponent of the Work". No source reports the precise action he may have taken or alludes to his opinion.

In Maria Valtorta's Work

His name appears only three times in the entire work of Maria Valtorta: August 16, 1949, mid-April 1950, June 6, 1950.

August 16, 1949

In this dictation found in Notebooks 1945-1950, Jesus vehemently rebukes the deniers of the work who say: "If it is the work of God, He will take care of it and make it triumph." He considers them hypocrites, like "a challenge to charity, wisdom, justice, as well as a screen to hide their will—which is so audaciously, so pridefully, and even so cowardly opposed to Mine."

"Through you, I have provided all the proofs. In you there is no sin of rebelliousness, simulation, or haughtiness. You are the docile victim of their will. You yourself defend their will‑for they are 'the Church'‑from those who would like to trample on it. Because of your crucifixion it is certain that you cannot scrutinize the books of doctors. Because of your cultural background, it is certain that you cannot write those pages. And what else do they want, if this does not suffice for them to say, 'Yes, it is the Spirit of God present here'? There is no dogmatic error there truly is none in the Work.

"If the Spirit has provided lights (lights of grace) to render fully luminous what one school or another has illuminated with a ray in one point over twenty centuries, let them bless God for his grace and not say, 'But we say something different.'

"Who is Wisdom? Is she their servant or queen?

"But in order not to call themselves rebels out of human pride, to conceal these wounds of theirs, they say, 'It is up to God.'

"God has acted and acts. But the prince of the world holds sway in this world, whereas the King of kings reigns in Heaven, and, faithful‑He is faithful‑to the free will He has left to man‑to test, reward, or, quite often, condemn him‑He does not do violence to their will, but awaits them, and soon, in judgment.

"They would do well to meditate on the page in the Gospel where I, the Teacher of teachers, Incarnate Wisdom, Word, and Truth, say that sins against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

"And this truly is a work of the Spirit of the Spirit of God, of the Love of the Father and the Son, of the Spirit who knows all truth and comes to tell it to the men caught in the present whirl wind‑or, rather, whirlwinds‑so that they can defend them selves from the doctrines of hell."

Maria Valtorta then notes:

"This dictation followed upon a text by Father Cordovani on the need for the knowledge of theology among lay people, too, and their request for true and valid theology..."

This sentence, which entrusts God with the task of taking care of the work, seems to be shared by supporters of the work in a positive spirit, because Jesus adds:

"You shall tell your and my true friends never to repeat that statement again. They say this without malice. But I am pained all the same. Children of the Truth, as they want to be, must either keep silent in this regard or tell the truth: 'Jesus cannot triumph with the Work because men do not want this.'"

Mid-April 1950

In an undated letter to Mother Teresa Maria, her spiritual mother, Maria Valtorta writes, in an unusually biting tone:

"I don't know if you know," she writes, "that on Holy Thursday evening, Father Cordovani, Master of the Sacred Palace, theologian of the Secretariat of State, little chief of the Holy Office and 'main' opponent of the Work, suddenly died of a stroke, without even having time to say: 'My Jesus!' The most troubling thing in all this is that the...departure of this 'famous and powerful' Dominican was kept silent. Even the 'Notiziario del mondo cattolico' (Catholic World Bulletin) did not mention it."

June 6, 1950

Two months after the death of Father Mariano Cordovani, Maria Valtorta receives a vision reported in The Notebooks:

"Purgatory. There, with his face emerging from the flames and his monk’s habit and clothing is Fr. Cordovani, with a look of shock and at the same time an imploring look on his face. He is looking at me but can’t say anything. Only his sad, contrite gaze speaks. God speaks for him. He says, «Do you see him? Do you recognise him? He is there. He will be there for a long, long, long time, for only one reason, having fought against Me, you and the Work, acting against Wisdom, Love and Justice. Note briefly and with complete accuracy what you see and what I say. It is the truth for those who see and for many who act or will act like him.»"

Observations and Hypotheses

From what is understood, Father Mariano Cordovani would not have formulated fundamental criticisms but would have given a whitewash to the Holy Office, hostile to this work. The hypothesis that can be proposed is that of an opinion to override the encouragement of Pius XII and to which the theologian responded "If it is the work of God, He will take care of it and make it triumph," thus morally opening the door to the attitude of the Holy Office.

The circumstances of his death were interpreted as a sign. Therefore, the coincidence of the death and a fact must be established to found this belief. It can be seen in Jesus's severity and the very biting tone of Maria Valtorta—an unusual tone. Maria Valtorta includes her remark in the narration of events concerning the visit of the venerable Luigia Sinapi to the Holy Office. She received verbal and physical threats there. The protagonists are anonymous, but the affair caused a great stir to the point that Master Camillo Corsanego and Lorenzo Ferri came separately to report it to Maria Valtorta. Was Father Mariano Cordovani present in this scene? Was he one of the protagonists? Only the archives will one day answer this question.

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