Personal revelations and Personal Devotions

The question was asked: "how does the church come to approve of personal revelations as well as devotions?

First, the visions will be approved only if the person really lives the life of a saint and the messages proves trustworthy many years after the visionary’ death. The devotions can be fostered as well outside the realm of visionaries. Such as the sacred heart devotion was developed first by the Jesuit Fathers and then Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque had visions of the sacred heart, as in this devotional painting.

But what is private revelation?

Private revelation is just that “private.” God speaks to the heart of his faithful through scripture, words of the saints, sometimes through motions of the heart and the life experience of the faithful and the church. But private revelation goes further. It is the Lord who reveals divine mysteries to the mind and this happens sometimes through what is called “inner locutions”. This is the direct knowledge that God grants to the person, and/or the Lord’s voice being heard by the person. Even further than inner locutions is the vision of Christ appearing to the person and speaking to the person, such as saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the visions of the sacred heart.

The church is always skeptical of people who state they have received a message from the Lord, partly because usually they say their message is for the whole world and that everyone is in danger especially the pope etc… Their message is no longer private but for the public, and when things are in the public sphere the church has a responsibility to protect the faithful from error. As you know there are many who say they receive messages and many of these people are psychologically unbalanced. So when someone like Sister Faustina comes around and all of a sudden her messages are being read and are spread, it is because it has gone through a process of church scrutiny.

Here is a simulation of what could happen to bring about public devotion from a private revelation. First she/he/the visionary recorded her messages in a diary, (usually under obedience to a superior) then the superior or spiritual director having read it and knowing the holiness and integrity of the said visionary, gives permission to make the vision public, but usually only to some in the community (some saints their community never knew). Then a bishop may hear of the said visions or messages usually from the mother superior or abbot of the community who directed the bishop to the visionary. Of course the messages of the visions are scrutinized as well to make sure that it is absolutely clear of any heresy and doctrine contrary to the church’s teaching. Once this is established, the pope might hear about it through the bishops or cardinals who have been in contact with the community. With Sister Faustina the Pope being polish and sister Faustina as well, He knew of her and saw that what she wrote was holy and good so the devotion of the Divine Mercy eventually became public in the universal church, although this devotion was already being practiced for many years but only privately. There are many local devotions that never really make it to the universal level of the church.

All this being said, the church is very cautious about making public personal revelation. Is it really for the public? Or is it just for the person receiving the message? This is why places like Medjugorje are never approved while the visions are still happening. The church cannot risk taking a stand in things like this since something could occur that doesn’t coincide with truth and church doctrine. The church is very wise and always takes its time with such things. lastly even when the church declares the messages of a saint approved the faithful are not compelled to believe in it. For example: we do not have to believe in the devotions or revelations that happened to the children of Fatima in Portugal, even though the church has approved of the occurrence and the children were beatified.