Nuclear Weapon Detonation on Luisa Piccarreta's Kingdom of the Divine Will Cult
Nihil Obstat Not Granted, Cause Suspended, Theological, Christological, and Anthropological Difficulties
Bishop Benoît Bertrand Wednesday 24 January 2024 Bishop of Mende [France]
President of the Doctrinal Commission
To the Bishops of France
My Lord, Dear Friend,
The writings of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta are spreading throughout our dioceses. Their detailed and thorough examination, without prejudging the exemplary conduct of Luisa Piccarreta's life and virtues of Luisa Piccarreta's life and exercise of her virtues, has led us not to grant the Nihil Obstat for the continuation of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization.
The difficulties identified in the writings are both theological (an overly mechanical and obsessive conception of the Divine Will is too mechanical and obsessive, leaving man no room for free free will), Christological (a doctrine of reparation and victim spirituality that does not spirituality that fails to integrate the primacy of God's merciful, undeserved and unconditional love and unconditional love of God, which risks annulling or relativizing the free and gratuitous offering of the Redeemer), and anthropological (a spirituality marked by a pessimistic view of human nature with few references to Christ's resurrection, Christian hope, sanctifying grace sanctifying grace, the goodness of creation and ecclesial communion).
On the basis of information received from the Holy See, and in view of the difficulties outlined above, it will be necessary to enlighten the consciences of believers to avoid possible confusion.
In this instance, the spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta needs to be presented from the perspective of the mystery of glory and merciful love, in order to avoid heterodox and misleading interpretations of the Christian message. The cross itself must be viewed, contemplated and welcomed from the perspective of the resplendent mystery of Christ's resurrection, ever victorious over evil and death, and giver of the Spirit "without measure".
On behalf of the Doctrinal Commission, I assure you of our availability, and ask you to accept, Your Excellency, dear friend, my fraternal greetings in Him who is the Shepherd of shepherds.
+ Benoît BERTRAND
Bishop of Mende, France ___________________________________
Thank you for sharing this @Live Mike I've always had grave doubts about it. I could never understand why her writings were being dealt with separately to her cause. I think it's always been the case that all writings were checked and given a nihil obstat/imprimatur before the person's cause went ahead.
Well said, English Catholic. I hadn't heard much about this person, but the shortcomings in her writings, as cited in the letter from the Doctrinal Commission, are clearly problematic, to say the least.
@Scapular I wasn't writing about that, I was questioning this more recent development: "January 2020. The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints continues its review of the documentation on the heroic virtues of Luisa, but is doing so without consideration of her writings. The writings (in 36 volumes) are being studied separately. A critical edition in Italian (translated from the local dialect …More
@Scapular I wasn't writing about that, I was questioning this more recent development: "January 2020. The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints continues its review of the documentation on the heroic virtues of Luisa, but is doing so without consideration of her writings. The writings (in 36 volumes) are being studied separately. A critical edition in Italian (translated from the local dialect of the Servant of God) is completed and in review. Upon review they will be submitted to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for approval. Translation from this typical critical edition into other languages will be under the authority of the Archbishop of Trani." Luisa Piccarreta & the Divine Will | EWTN So it seems the writings have been submitted for approval and failed to pass muster. Also, even canonised Saints are not given the charism of infallibility in all their decisions and declarations.
You actually think all that lurid material on Jesus and Luisa in bed together sharing sustenance from each other's breasts is "too Catholic"? What are you, nuts?
Cardinal Ratzinger rehabilitated Luisa's writings in the 1990s. A fair number of Mystics' writings were "condemned" for years prior to eventual approval (St. Margaret Mary, St. Faustina etc). Time will tell.
@Luke 817 The point is that many private revelations were initially strongly resisted by Church authorities and rightly so as they should be thoroughly examined. Taking the "Caiaphas" approach, "if Luisa's revelations are not divine, they will die as many other private revelations have, but if they are of divine origin, you may find yourselves fighting against GOD." As stated, it is best to reserve …More
@Luke 817 The point is that many private revelations were initially strongly resisted by Church authorities and rightly so as they should be thoroughly examined. Taking the "Caiaphas" approach, "if Luisa's revelations are not divine, they will die as many other private revelations have, but if they are of divine origin, you may find yourselves fighting against GOD." As stated, it is best to reserve judgement as time will tell.
I'm not sure I completely get their explanation (problem with translation?), but it seems there were actually more theological problems than those noted. A diocesan exorcist I know said the devotion is actually diabolical. In fact, the "spirituality" seems to imprison the soul in clearly false notions and modalities of spirituality, and makes some incredibly extravagant claims about Luisa's place …More
I'm not sure I completely get their explanation (problem with translation?), but it seems there were actually more theological problems than those noted. A diocesan exorcist I know said the devotion is actually diabolical. In fact, the "spirituality" seems to imprison the soul in clearly false notions and modalities of spirituality, and makes some incredibly extravagant claims about Luisa's place in the God's plan for salvation and redemption and the sanctification process.
Without a doubt, perfect union with the Will of God is the summit and pinnacle of the spiritual life and is explained by many great mystical theologians in their discourses on the Unitive Way. However, that it not what Luisa's teachings set forth.
Thanks Scapular this is all good because it justifies the condemnation of the writings of Luisa Piccareta back in 1938. (Acta Apostolicae Sedis, t.30, 1938; page 318) Acta Apostolicae Sedis - A.A.S. || vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS-30-1938-ocr.pdf DECREE of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office Condemning and Placing on the Index of Certain Books Wednesday, July 13, 1938, in the general …More
Thanks Scapular this is all good because it justifies the condemnation of the writings of Luisa Piccareta back in 1938.
DECREE of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office Condemning and Placing on the Index of Certain Books
Wednesday, July 13, 1938, in the general Reunion of the Supreme Sacred Congregation, the Most Eminent and Reverend Cardinals concerned with the defense of the faith and good morals, after the prior advise of our Reverend Consultors, have condemned and ordered inserted in the Index of Prohibited Books the following writings written by other persons:
1) Watch of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ with a Treatise on the Blessed Virgin; 2) In the Kingdom of the Divine Will; 3) The Queen of Heaven in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.
The following Thursday, July 14, Our Holy Father, Pius XI, Pope by Divine Providence, in the usual Audience accord the Most Excellent and Reverend Assessors of the Holy Office, has approved the decision of the Most Eminent Cardinals that had been submitted to him, and has confirmed it and ordered it published.
Given in Rome, at the Palace of the Holy Office, August 31, 1938. Romulus Pantantetti, Notary of the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office
Editor's Note: The Church, at that time, was unable to review all of her volumes as Church authorities were never given all of Luisa's writings for review. "Volume 35 was overlooked or hidden by someone, because the Church never obtained it. Volume 36 was written by Luisa after the other books were placed on the Index of Forbidden books." - Richard Salbato
Yes true. But remember the only volumes 3 (of 39)in total that went on the index, Luisa agreed they should be on the index as those weren’t Jesus’s words to her. Her spiritual director Fr Calvi changed sentences to what he thought was correct.
And potentially 5 could have been condemned as "volume 35 was overlooked or hidden by someone, because the Church never obtained it and volume 36 was written by Luisa after the other books were already placed on the Index of Forbidden books." - Richard Salbato
Thanks Live Mike this is all good because it means they can all sit down and thrash it out. I think the level of scholarship in the 1920’s when imprimatur’s were issued was superior to what is available today.
