Hi. I’m and Irish blogger who has been studying the Italian Mystic Maria Valtorta. She wrote from 1943 to early 1950s some of the most incredible work, most famous for the work the Poem of the Man-God which is currently published with the Title the Gospel as revealed to me. I would like to know if there are Irish Catholics interested in forming a Maria Valtorta Association to study and promote her work. checking to see who is interested. https://chat.whatsapp.com/E2Pv5aCe3KBHfAPxZQ2EXO
I'd say there would be many people around here interested in that. Welcome to Our Lady's Home in Ireland/cyberspace!
At one time they were, but not anymore. To my limited knowledge, the index of forbidden books was eliminated after Vatican II. Poem of the ManGod is some of the most incredible writing.
no, there are several ecclesiastical imprimaturs and nihil obstats for her writings and their translations. So definitely not condemned. The debate over their supernatural origin is ongoing.
I haven't read it, but my sister finds this kind of literature edifying, especially The Man-God. I had also never heard of this book being condemned by the church. But it´s true - what I found was that Pope Pius XII probably said in 1948 ‘publish it, whoever reads it will understand’, John XXIII put it on the index, later this was confirmed. I have heard priests say that it is simply important to judge something like this correctly. Of course you shouldn't put it on the same level as the gospels - as a historical fact - but if it promotes piety, there's nothing to be said against reading it. Such literature brings people closer to Jesus and ultimately to the Catholic Church, so there is nothing to be said against it. The situation is similar with Medugorje, for example. The new ecclesiastical norms for judging alleged supernatural phenomena, from May of this year - ‘Even if no certainty is expressed about the supernatural authenticity of the phenomenon, many signs of the work of the Holy Spirit are recognised...’ This can also apply to The Man-God.
When I mentioned it here a year ago...I got my head chopped off. St Padre Pio also recommended it, but I do know that Pope Benedict Strongly forbid it. If you investigate it, it really is still condemned, but I know at this point with the Church, we are kind of on our own. Things sure have changed. Lol
The church has changed drastically hasn't it. One interesting thing is how protestant converts to Catholicism have a huge voice in the church these days.
If you do read it, you must know that it is like a novel. It must not be read as facts from God's mouth. If you go down the rabbit hole, you will also find a book that mariia valorta wrote of an angel's words to her. But the angel is a name other than our 3 archangels. Right there is a sign to me that it truly isn't kosher. I learned these things from my mom who died 40 years ago, whose faith and knowledge was above most. And she only had an 8th grade education due to needing to work during bad times.
Agnes, I agree with you on all counts. It has been condemned. There is impurity in it, just a sample of what is in it. I’ve had my head chopped off for saying the same thing as you have. My gut instinct is to run.
I commented on this topic yesterday without having really thought about it. Now that I have spent a little time researching, I can only say that it is difficult for me to have a clear opinion on this. There are arguments against reading these books, but also in favour of them. Firstly, one could say that the church banned it, that would be a clear argument. I found the reasons why it was on the index at the time, explained in the ‘Osservatore Romano’, comprehensible and relevant. But the index has been abolished, so this clear argument no longer applies. Then one could refer to clerical authorities. In his time as Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict took a stand on the Man-God in two letters. I found and read the first letter from 1985. In his capacity as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Ratzinger was asked to make a statement. In this letter he argues with the ‘Osservatore Romano’ from the times of the index where the aim was to ‘protect the less well-armed faithful from the damage that the publication of such a work can cause.’ In Ratzinger's second letter in 1993, he wished to add for future publications that ‘the visions and dictations are the author's literary form for telling the life of Jesus in her own way’ and ‘that they cannot be taken for supernatural origin’. On the other hand, there are several clerics, bishops and Padre Pio, who gave the books a favourable assessment. There are also various statements made by laypeople. I haven't read the books, just a few short extracts, which I personally would take a somewhat critical view of. On the other hand, lay people report how this reading has brought them closer to Jesus or to the Blessed Mother and how biblical stories have become more understandable as a result. So as it stands now, I would not allow myself to advise anyone against reading The Man-God, nor to encourage them to do so. Perhaps one should first study the Bible intensively. But somehow I don't believe that it can lead people down the wrong path.
May the Lord bless your efforts Robert and bring you good honest people to join your group. Here are a couple encouraging talks for you, interviews with the great Bible scholar Frances Hogan on the end times. In the first link below, she talks of the importance of forming home groups just like was done after the death of Christ. Frances has read Maria Valtorta and mentions her as one of God's chosen victim souls (in the 1st link below at 23:13). She has always said, including in these interviews, that she is such a fervent Bible scholar that she will walk away immediately from anything that has a smidgeon of going against it. She also gets into the reasons for the confusion in the Church now too. They are wonderful interviews.
Just for more input - I did read the books more than 30 years ago prior to knowing anything about them. Once my mother cautioned me, I continued reading mainly the novel part and not the commentaries where I believe Mary and Jesus would explain more in depth the incidents with theological/ religious explanations. She was fine with me reading it if I read it with the ideal of a fictional novel as I did find it an engaging story - somewhat along the same lines as I now watch The Chosen but do recognize that what is being shown is not the fullness of truth and may contain error.
My take on it. I read it about thirty years ago and really enjoyed it. I watch The Chosen and enjoy it. Both do not replace the Bible.
My own thoughts are, I've no issue with her writings, being used as helpful personal private meditations/visualisations of the gospels, like someone's pious oil painting and visual depiction of a Gospel scene, but I would be very concerned by anyone in Ireland or elsewhere promoting them, innocently or otherwise, and with perhaps the best of misguided intentions, as being of likely supernatural origin, and therefore some type of assured divine Scripture/Catechism ++, and a so called divine filling in of alleged "gaps" and "knowledge" in Scripture and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Just as I would if someone tried to claim the same about any painting depicting a gospel scene. All good private revelation should point us back on track to Jesus, prayer, the sacraments, etc. and reading the actual word of God, and not off looking for it elsewhere from someone else in what might appear to be a more colourful version.
