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 which 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 could now look only to the past and be condemned to sterile repetition. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says on this subject: 'Although Revelation is complete, it has not been completely explicated; it will remain for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries' (CCC §. 66)."

This explication to which private revelations contribute finds its origin

"in the last discourse of Christ, when, bidding farewell to the disciples, He said to them: 'I still have 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)."

Echoing 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, who flows from the heart of the risen Christ, acts 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."

Private revelation, which spreads in our history through the Holy Spirit, therefore finds its degree of legitimacy in its orientation to Christ and to Public Revelation.

Selected videos on the subject

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 - May 17, 2024

These private revelations belong to the very many mystics who punctuate the History of the Church, but they also cross the multitude of believers where they blend with their humanity. Therefore, discernment is necessary.

Although "these manifestations have often produced a great abundance of spiritual fruits, there is nevertheless 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 spread by communication means, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith decided no longer to rule on the supernatural character of a private revelation but on a Nihil obstat — in other words, a certification that "the presumed supernatural phenomenon" contains nothing contrary to Catholic faith or morals.

This addresses a reality recognized by the Dicastery:

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

We find the authority of this sensus fidelium expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which assigns to the Magisterium 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 welcome what in these revelations constitutes an authentic call of Christ or His saints to the Church."

The "six possible prudential decisions"

The Church’s discernment in this field is subject to determined procedures in which the Dicastery intervenes only in the final phase.

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

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

• Conclusion phase (articles 18 to 27): At the end of the preliminary investigation and its evaluation phase, the diocesan bishop writes a report on the presumed phenomenon taking into account all facts, positive and negative. He drafts a personal Votum on the issue, 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 stands in the way" (to publication or dissemination)): Even if no certainty is expressed regarding 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 taken into account"): Although significant positive signs are recognized, there are also elements of confusion or possible risks that require the diocesan bishop to exercise careful discernment.

• 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 a wide dissemination of the phenomenon and a presence of verifiable spiritual fruits related to it. 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 raised are not linked to the phenomenon itself, which is rich in positive elements, but to a person, a family, or a group of people who abuse it. A spiritual experience is used to obtain particular financial advantage and induces, committing immoral acts or conducting pastoral activity parallel to that already present in the territory of the Church, without accepting the indications of the diocesan bishop.

• 'Prohibetur et obstruatur ("It is forbidden and must be prevented"): Even in the presence of legitimate requests and some positive elements, the critical points and risks seem serious. Therefore, to avoid new confusion or even scandals, the diocesan bishop publicly declares that adherence to this phenomenon is not permitted and at the same time reorients legitimate spiritual concerns.

• Declaratio de non supernaturalitate ("Declaration of Non-Supernaturalness" (official judgment indicating that a phenomenon or a private revelation does not have divine origin)): In this case, the diocesan bishop is authorized by the Dicastery to declare the phenomenon 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 that allow uncovering falsification of the phenomenon, misleading intention, or mythomania.

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

Remarks on the Dicastery communiqué (2025)

The communiqué of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Maria Valtorta dated February 22, 2025 was taken too hastily by some media, especially French, as a finding of non-supernaturalness. Upon reading the procedural norms, it is easy to see that this communiqué does not refer to it as usual, that it is not motivated by any prior procedural investigation and does not bear the official decision "Declaratio de non supernaturalitate". The various Valtortian organizations thus publicly communicated their interpretation, more consistent according to them with the encouragements given by the diocesan bishop or contained in the letter of Pope Francis.

Authority of Private Revelations

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

He qualifies the value of private revelations by their destination: Public Revelation. However, even when recognized, they only have personal authority: "Cardinal Prospero Lambertini, future Pope Benedict XIV, said about this in his classic treatise, which later became normative for beatifications and canonizations: 'A assent of Catholic faith is not due to revelations approved in this way (= "recognized"); it is not even possible. These revelations rather require an assent of human faith in conformity with the norms of prudence, which present them as probable and credible in a spirit of devotion."

This principle can be found in the Communiqué of the Dicastery of February 22, 2025: The writings of Maria Valtorta "cannot be considered of supernatural origin (cannot receive a Catholic faith assent)" but "must be considered as literary forms that the author used to narrate, in her own way, the life of Jesus Christ (but must receive an assent of human faith in accordance with the rules of prudence)."

One can summarize the distinction as follows:

• Public Revelation (the Bible) demands our faith, private revelations require our assent.
• One is of universal scope, the others of particular scope.
• The first grounds faith, the second help us live it.
• In the first, God Himself speaks to us; in the second, 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 completely holy for having resisted sin, and supporters of a Most Holy Mother of God for having been conceived without sin. It was the subject of a very long controversy when Mary of Agreda (1602-1665) reported the affirmation of the Immaculate Conception in her visions. This took such importance 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 devotion to the Sacred Heart, took care to specify that it did not find its source in the visions of Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690), but in the tradition of the Church. The revelations of Paray-le-Monial thus added nothing but 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 much attention to the visions of Mary of Agreda and published a series of conferences to demonstrate their pertinence and correct the bitter opposition they had caused, notably at the Sorbonne in Paris. In one of the very first, he stressed the interpenetration, in the life of the Church, of the two levels of revelation:

"It will not be out of place to establish certain 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 and systematically rejected or that they are given exaggerated confidence. Both are reprehensible, precisely because of their excess; it is therefore important to establish the doctrine that governs this matter."

A statement that remains relevant today.

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 over 4,000 articles and books, he inspired, as a theological expert (peritus) the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum on Divine Revelation (November 18, 1965) and the pastoral constitution Gaudium et Spes on the Church in the world of this time (December 7, 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 historical and cultural needs of 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 of how Christendom should act in the face of a given historical situation."

According to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

In its procedural norms of May 17, 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, who flows from the heart of the risen Christ, acts 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 recognizes: "in certain 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 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, undue reductionism in the presentation of the evangelical message, the spread of a sectarian spirit, etc., appears.'"

It thus subjects these private revelations to a normative discernment that frames (more than governs) the sense of faith of the faithful and tries 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 recalls the historical position of the Church and extends it theologically. He then did so in his post-synodal exhortation Verbum Domini. § 14 summarizes the place and role, not negligible in the strict sense, of private revelations:

"Private revelation is an aid to faith, and it shows itself credible precisely because it refers to the one Public Revelation. This is why ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation essentially indicates that the message conveyed does not contain anything contrary 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 can introduce new expressions, bring forth new forms of piety or deepen ancient ones. It can have a certain prophetic character and can be a valid help for understanding and living the Gospel better today. Therefore, it must not be neglected."

It is therefore by these criteria that the work of Maria Valtorta should be evaluated. However, it is also beneficial to continue reading this exhortation, notably in §§ 34 to 36 which echo the reasons for the gift of the work to our time. Benedict XVI denounces the risk of an interpretation (hermeneutics) of Scripture that is too secularized. This leads to:

• a) "to make 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 produce damage in the life of the Church, spreading doubt about the fundamental mysteries of Christianity and their historical value."

Maria Valtorta’s work takes the opposite view by demonstrating the actuality of the "eternal Gospel" and of the Church. Neither the first nor the second are a human construct but a divine construction entrusted to men. Faith and reason do not oppose each other; they cooperate in the unified man for whom nothing is more natural than the supernatural and nothing more supernatural than the natural.

According to Pope Francis

Pope Francis in March 2013

Pope Francis has especially focused on promoting and rehabilitating popular piety. The link with private revelations lies first in the sensus fidelium which grounds it under the action of the Holy Spirit, but also because of the condescension to which these forms of spirituality are subject: private revelations, like popular piety, are sometimes regarded as spirituality of the uneducated craving marvelous stories.

But Pope Francis has perfectly defined popular piety as "a theological place to which we must pay attention" and he noted, fittingly, that it attracts "those who are far from the Church." This is particularly verified with the converting power of the Work of Maria Valtorta. Pope Francis does not have an isolated view on this: he reprised the attention that his predecessors had already given to popular faith. That is why private revelations, initiatives of Heaven in our time, are important even if they do not belong to the formal deposit of Faith.

In his letter of encouragement, Pope Francis speaks of Maria Valtorta’s literary work but encourages deepening and dissemination of the work, which he blesses, "for the good of the Church and society." And he adds: "Forward!". He thus has an attitude very similar to that of Pope Pius XII.

Progressive consideration of private revelations

The flourishing of private revelations

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

Dom Guéranger noted this constancy of private revelations, "the luminous trace in the acts of the saints" throughout the history of the Church 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 to the end of the 20th. Those of Medjugorje continue into the 21st century. Indeed, this is a time of trials and generalized apostasy. Dom Guéranger linked the rise of private revelations to the growing role of rationalism which removes Transcendence while private revelations, on the contrary, manifest it materially.

Beyond Marian apparitions, the increase of private revelations (of which Maria Valtorta is part) also manifests in our time. Pierre Adnès noted the renewed interest in these revelations at the time of the Second Vatican Council. Of the 56 reference works on the period 1866-1988 that he listed, two-thirds date from 1937-1965. Private revelations are thus a phenomenon of scope often connected to prophecy concerning the end times.

But not all are equal in this domain. This is why the Magisterium has progressively delineated the outlines of private revelations. Three popes have been particularly significant in this area:

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

Clarification

Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (Urban VIII) by Caravaggio

Faced with the rise of popular fervor that the golden age of the Spanish mystics (16th century), then the French School of Spirituality (17th century), had raised, Pope Urban VIII Barberini (1623-1644) found it appropriate to channel the proliferation of initiatives. To this end, he promulgated three decrees aimed at drawing a boundary between official devotions 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 warning to readers, called a "protestation," specifying that: the events reported in this book have only private authority and cannot acquire true authenticity except after having been approved by the judgment of the Supreme Pontiff.

One could describe miracles, revelations, and edifying lives meeting the usual criteria of holiness, on condition that it be specified that:

• This was only a personal opinion.
• Which did not precede nor exceed the prerogatives of the ecclesiastical Authority.
• To which one submits in advance.

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 one of the eight popes to defend those of Mary of Agreda, subject of great controversies. The work he published on beatification and canonization of saints is still referenced today. The codification of private revelations is naturally explained by their presence in the life and vocation of many mystics, proof, if any were needed, that they are inspired by the Holy Spirit and must neither be ignored nor despised.

Cardinal Lambertini’s merit was to more precisely define the authority of private revelations:

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

Which is taken up by Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, 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 later by the Italian Episcopal Conference regarding the writings of Maria Valtorta: they must not be read as of divine origin (Catholic faith), but as the expression of Maria Valtorta (human faith). It is indeed a recommendation to the reader and not an opinion on the Work which they requested to place at the beginning of the book.

Cardinal Lambertini’s new contribution lies in the codification of criteria for discernment of private revelations:

"Divine visions and apparitions are recognized: - according to the person to whom they occur, - according to the manner in which they took place, - 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 diverts from God; rather, if everything relates to divine worship; if after the visions and apparitions, humility, obedience, and other Christian virtues not only persevere in the person who experienced them, but rise to an even higher degree, then there is no way to doubt their supernatural and divine quality: Of their supernatural and divine quality, there will be no doubt whatsoever.."

This codification was also later taken up.

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

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 drafting of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which addresses it,
• then because he made, at John Paul II’s request, a theological commentary on the subject on the occasion of the 3rd secret of Fatima,
• finally writing a post-synodal encyclical dealing with the question.

He also had to pronounce on the case of Maria Valtorta: initially with great reluctance (1985), favorably later, after studying 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. See 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 presumed apparitions or revelations. This Preface of Cardinal Levada introduces the text on the same subject, issued in 1978.
• 2024: These provisions are replaced by new norms. They have been detailed in their spirit and letter throughout this article.

For further reading

• La révélation privée de Maria Valtorta

• Discussion on the Valtorta forum

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