The recent document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
(DDF), issued as a “press release,” makes the unsubstantiated
claim that Maria Valtorta’s writings are simply “literary forms”
used by the author, and are therefore not supernatural. However the
DDF fails
to provide
any proof or documented facts that her works are just literature.
Further
the DDF fails
to provide
any attempted refutation of the many proofs and documented facts that
show that her works must be of supernatural origin.
Therefore
the DDF press release can be described as the mere personal opinion
of its author(s), since it lacks any supporting evidence. As such it has no binding force on anyone.
No
human being, without divine inspiration, could have known so many facts that were presented for
the very first
time
in The
Gospel as Revealed to Me
(written in the 1940’s), that have since proven to be true by
scientists, geologists, Israeli archaeologists, astronomers,
historians, ecologists, geographers, linguists and so on.
To
dismiss off-hand in a few paragraphs the 15,000 pages written by a
bed-ridden Roman Catholic victim soul is an insult to the possibly
hundreds of thousands of Valtorta readers throughout the world.
This
untruthful and false official Vatican declaration and judgment that Maria's works are not supernatural and divinely inspired, but are simply literature, cannot go unchallenged. Therefore I hereby petition that this declaration be revoked.
DICASTERY
FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
Press
Release
Regarding
the Writings of Maria Valtorta
The
Holy See frequently receives requests from both clergy and laity for
a clarification about the Church’s position on the writings of
Maria Valtorta, such as her work, Il
poema dell’Uomo Dio (The
Poem of the Man-God),
now known by the title, L’Evangelo
come mi è stato rivelato (The
Gospel as Revealed to Me),
and other publications.
It
should be reiterated that alleged “visions”, “revelations,”
and “messages” contained in the writings of Maria Valtorta—or,
in any case, attributed to them—cannot be regarded as having a
supernatural origin. Rather, they should be considered simply as
literary forms that the author used to narrate the life of Jesus
Christ in her own way.
In
its long tradition, the Church does not accept as normative the
Apocryphal Gospels and other similar texts since it does not
recognize them as divinely inspired. Instead, the Church refers back
to the sure reading of the inspired Gospels.
Vatican
City, 22 February 2025
In
the latest statement from the Vatican, dated February 22, 2025, the
Dicastery for Doctrine of the Faith declares that Maria Valtorta’s
The
Gospel as Revealed to Me cannot
be considered of supernatural origin, but is rather is simply a
literary work by the author. This is the same work that was once
entitled The
Poem of the Man-God.
(The
statement comes from the Dicastery that also issued Fiducia
Supplicans, which
has been interpreted in practice as the blessing of same-sex
relationships.)
At
least it is a step forward compared to the Vatican’s placing The
Poem of the Man-God
on the now defunct Index of Forbidden Books in 1960 for being
published without an Imprimatur, and describing it then as a “badly
fictionalized” life of Jesus.
Thus,
while it is no longer condemned and forbidden to be read, according
to the Dicastery, one can now safely read it as long as it is
considered a mere literary creation. A tiny step forward. But the
assertion that it “cannot be considered of supernatural origin”
nor of “divine inspiration” is not entirely truthful. The part
that is true is that the Vatican can make those considerations and
judgments. The part that is false is the assertion that her work is not of
supernatural origin and of divine inspiration.
In
fact The
Gospel as Reveled to Me
is
of divine inspiration, and was willed by the Lord to be written by
Maria Valtorta. I have
100% human faith upon
this belief. In her other works, when she specifies that certain
revelations
are from the Lord, the
Father, the Holy Spirit,
His Blessed
Mother,
various saints or angels, I also accept the truth of them. I
have more faith in the writings of Maria Valtorta than in the
writings of Dicasteries of the Vatican.
Therefore,
I encourage people to read not only The
Gospel as Revealed to Me,
but the three “Notebooks”
and the other works written by Maria Valtorta. In fact I consider
her
Notebooks
to be only one tiny notch of lesser importance than The
Gospel as Revealed to Me.
Feb.
22, 2025. Doctrine of Faith reiterates that Valtorta's writings
not supernatural but a literary production of hers. Translation
below from Google.
DICASTERY
FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH Communiqué About the writings of Maria
Valtorta:
The
Holy See often receives requests from both clergy and lay people for
clarification regarding the position of the Church regarding the
writings of Maria Valtorta, such as the work Il poema dell’Uomo
Dio, today known as L’Evangelo come mi è stato svelato, and other
publications. In this regard, it is reiterated that alleged
“visions”, “revelations” and “communications” contained
in the writings of Maria Valtorta, or in any case attributed to them,
cannot be considered of supernatural origin, but must be considered
simply literary forms used by the Author to narrate, in her own way,
the life of Jesus Christ. In its long tradition, the Church does not
accept the apocryphal Gospels and other similar texts as normative,
as it does not recognize their divine inspiration, referring to the
safe reading of the inspired Gospels. Vatican City, February 22, 2025
The following article by Austin Ruse appeared on February 28 on the website of Crisis Magazine. It is entitled The Trumpian Pope. It pretty much summarizes what I personally would like to see happen in the Church.
--------------------------------------------------------
A
meme is making the rounds:
a bull in a china shop has destroyed every plate, saucer, and cup. We
are asked, “Is this what you voted for?” As a matter of fact, it
is.
It
is also what I voted for in 2016. The problem in 2016 was that
politicized Democrat Deep Staters in the FBI, DOJ, military, CIA,
federal judiciary, and Congress were in that china shop and illegally
prevented the bull from doing his work. And they were cheered on by a
thoroughly corrupted gutter press.
This
time around, however, the bull has neutered and/or taken over all
those agencies, including the media, and hired a lot of lesser bulls,
but bulls who know precisely what to do. These bulls have a plan, and
they are moving fast and breaking things, and, in the words of Pope
Francis, making a mess.
And
as we pray for the Holy Father in his final agony, we wonder who the
next pope will be and pray he will be a Trumpian pope, a bull in the
china shop who will “make a mess.”
What
would this coming Trumpian pope do?
Recreate
the Pontifical Council for the Family the way it was created.
Recreate the Pontifical Academy for Life in the way it was intended.
The
rise of Francis and “who am I to judge” gave courage to heterodox
professors, especially on the gay thing at pontifical universities.
They giddily identified themselves. We know who they are. Fire them
all within days of the conclave.
This
will get a lot of attention. Ignore the shrieks from the usual
suspects around the world. Proceed with your work with all due
dispatch.
There’s
more, much more.
Synodality?
It’s over. Thanks for your work.
Any
bishops must be chosen from those ordained to the priesthood in the
last 10-15 years.
Abrogate
the motu proprio that gutted personal prelatures, restoring the
harmony and existence of personal prelatures as they existed when
Francis became pope. Make the prelate of Opus Dei a bishop again.
Immediately
rehire the very talented holy men the pope fired, including and
especially Cardinal Müller, Cardinal Burke, and Cardinal Sarah. Give
Burke back his stipend and Roman apartment. Give them all their old
jobs immediately.
Take
the boot off the neck of the Knights of Malta and Communion and
Liberation.
Immediately
begin an investigation—inquisition?—into the homosexuals in the
Vatican. Fire them. Laicize them.
Turn
your attention to the wider Church.
Reestablish
the Traditional Latin Mass everywhere. Everywhere. No priest needs
permission. It is open to all priests and all dioceses.
Immediately
cancel Amoris
Laetitia.
Immediately cancel same-sex blessings. Immediately take
“inadmissible” out of the catechism on the question of the death
penalty. What did that mean anyway? Excommunicate a number of
politicians who support abortion.
While
you are at it, cut the USCCB in half.
Make it clear that the committees of the USCCB do not speak for the
Church. The USCCB is not in the hierarchy. Let the bishops speak to
us once or twice a year when they meet as a body.
Expand
the number of dioceses in the United States. We need 400 of them or
more. How can a bishop be a shepherd to 500,000+ souls? For instance,
four hundred would still be far fewer bishops per Catholic than in
Italy.
Close
any office or program called “Justice and Peace.” Justice is
good. Peace is good. But together, not so much.
Institute
an annual collection for pro-life. Make it two.
Close
some seminaries in the United States. Any whiff of the gay thing, or
other heterodoxies, close them down. Send some of our seminarians to
Africa. Bring 1,000 African priests to the United States.
Fire
every bishop who ignored credible reports of priest sex abuse. We all
know of at least one who would qualify.
I
am out of breath just writing this. I wake up every morning in
Trump’s America, and it’s Christmas every day. He fired the head
of the Kennedy Center. Whoa! Who even thought of that? He appointed
Dan Bongino as number two at the FBI. I don’t even like Dan
Bongino, but it’s fantastic.
What
Trump understood was that there was a permanent bureaucracy lying in
the deep weeds, waiting to stop any and all reforms. The only way to
beat them is to move fast, flood the zone, make everything so fast
and furious that they cannot catch their breath, cannot really mount
a response. Make a mess.
Who
would be able to do such things? Who
would be a Trumpian pope? I am not a prognosticator. Others are. We
have a small pool of cardinals who would be considered. Maybe the
conclave needs to go beyond the College of Cardinals. I don’t know,
but whoever thought Trump would be president? Hardly anyone. Pick a
bishop hardly anyone knows. Pick Msgr. Shea from University of Mary
in North Dakota. Don’t know him? Look him up.
I
remember when the last conclave met. I was at a Holy See meeting at
the U.N. when the white smoke rose. As we sat around a conference
table, our phones started to buzz. I caught the eye of the Nuncio. We
exchanged meaningful glances. Later, in the U.N. cafeteria, all the
lefties were in a tizzy about who this Bergoglio might be. Early
reports were that he was solid on gay and marriage.
None
of us were prepared for what happened. We spent years explaining the
pope. “Well, he may have said something like that, but what he
meant was….” Some of us gave up after a few years. I tried to
adopt the role of a 13th-century peasant: There is a pope somewhere
far off. I love and pray for him, but I don’t know what he does or
says. I have my priest and my bishop.
Many
of us are still confused about certain things that happened under the
reign of Francis. Do we really have to give religious assent to the
scientific claim of “climate change?” How is it possible that
something that was a sin on Monday—taking Communion in a sinful
relationship—becomes perfectly fine on Tuesday? How is it possible
that something perfectly fine on Monday—the death penalty—becomes
a sin on Tuesday? None of this really affects me, but it is
confusing.
Pray
for two things: That our beloved Pope Francis experiences a holy and
happy death and is welcomed into the Beatific Vision. And pray for
the coming of a Trumpian pope.
Austin
Ruse is a contributing editor to Crisis
Magazine.
He is president of the Center for Family and Human Rights in New York
and Washington DC. He is the author of several books including, Under
Siege: No Finer Time to be a Faithful Catholic
(Crisis Publications). He can be reached at austinruse@c-fam.org.
