In Christian theology, a private revelation is an instance of revelation, in a broader sense of the term, of divine reality to a person or persons. It contrasts with revelation intended for humanity at large, which is sometimes termed public revelation.
The Catholic Church has an official skeptical predisposition toward accounts of private revelation is maintained. When recognized by the authority of the churchafter their credibility and religious significance has been judged positively by the local Catholic bishopthese messages are considered helpful to believers "in a certain period of history". Still, faith in them is equated to human faith, as opposed to supernaturally bestowed faith, and such beliefs are not dogmatically taught. Private revelations come in a variety of types, such as Marian apparitions and visions. Any such revelation is deemed not to add to or amend the completed revelation, but as a heavenly message that helps its recipients and other faithful live by revelation.
Catholic theology According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, public revelation was complete in New Testament times, but depends on interpretation and deepening understanding of this foundational or "definitive" revelation:
The Catechism teaches that divine revelation was fulfilled, completed, and perfected in Christ. In this sense, Catholics believe that Christ is the fullness and mediator, author and interpreter, purpose and center of public revelation. Hence, public revelation is the deposit of faith and rule of faith and must be lived by all Catholics. Thomas Aquinas taught that all public revelation ended with the death of John the Apostle. Private revelations are believed to be incapable of surpassing, correcting, improving, fulfilling, completing, or perfecting public revelation. The Catechism further teaches that divine revelation, since it is contained in the Word of God and in Christ, also includes the living tradition or sensus fidelium, the magisterium, the sacraments, and Catholic dogma.
As the living tradition and the magisterium are a part of divine revelation, they are both believed to have divine authority. Catholicism teaches that because the sacraments are a part of divine revelation, their natures cannot be changed (for example, receiving Holy Communion without mortal sin) but their ways of celebration can be changed (for example, receiving Holy Communion in the hand or on the tongue).Redemptionis Sacramentum, 10 Catholic dogma is believed to be a part of divine revelation, and therefore immutable.Note with pastoral recommendations for the Year of Faith: "The Council, according to Pope John XXIII, wanted 'to transmit doctrine, pure and whole, without attenuations or misrepresentations,' in such a way that 'this sure and immutable teaching, which must be respected faithfully, is elaborated and presented in a way which corresponds to the needs of our time.'"Address of Pope John Paul II to the Bishops of Korea: "In union with Christ you will ponder again what God’s word demands of the Church in Korea. With the courage that comes only with holiness you will accept the full authentic exigencies of the Second Vatican Council for your dioceses. In prayer you will review the perennial teachings of the faith and the ever relevant newness of the Church’s immutable dogmas. In vital communion with Christ, the life-giving vine, and in union with the universal Church, you will continue to preach the word of faith which depends on hearing and which enables the People of God to confess with their lips that Jesus is Lord, to believe in their hearts that God raised him from the dead, and to be saved (Cf. Rom. 10, 9)). This faith - which is nourished in your own hearts and proclaimed with the special episcopal charism that is yours - is the source of all the insights of the faithful, who are called to believe and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to ponder that belief and live it. " But what truths are dogmas has needed to be clarified by church councils, and the much more numerous doctrines have yielded to varied and increased understanding based on solid study of the Biblical roots and of the history of the topic. For this the work of theologians is indispensable, since the charism of the bishops is not to receive revelations but to determine what is Catholic teaching, the more so in doctrines that are more central to the faith and dogmatically taught. The Second Vatican Council of Bishops maintained a careful line between the "two source" (Scripture and the living tradition) and "one source" explanation of revelation, careful to acknowledge the ultimate priority of the original deposit of faith: "For Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known."Dei Verbum, p. 9, chapter VIII.
In the doctrine of the Catechism, the revelations in the Word of Godsuch as the apparition of the three angels to Abraham and the angel who wrestled Jacob; the burning bush; the theophany on Mount Sinai; the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire; the visions and prophecies of the prophets; Elijah's test at the cave, and his assumption; the revelation to Peter ("You are the Christ"); the apparitions of the risen Christ to the Apostles, including the exceptional and unique apparition to Paul; the various miracles recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles; and the entire Book of Revelationare not private revelations but are public revelation, though their original meaning and relevance for modern Catholicism are subject to interpretation. The apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar to James the Greater is a private revelation, since it depends on facts not contained in the original deposit of faith.
The Catechism maintains that Christ promised that the Holy Spirit would lead the church into every truth, and that therefore God leads the church into a deeper understanding of the original deposit of faith. The magisterium of the Catholic Church, therefore, carefully examines private revelations, to assure that they are in accord with church doctrine. Catholic sources argue that this is necessary because Christ warned that false prophets would come and that the tree will be known by its fruit.
Types of revelation Private revelation, in Catholicism, is a heavenly message that helps people live by divine revelation. Various types of private revelations have been reported in the Catholic Church.Michael Freze, 1993, Voices, Visions, and Apparitions, OSV Publishing;
The Catechism doctrine is that private revelations can come to anyone for so long as God pleases. Some address the visionary, while others address more people. For instance, Our Lady of Laus was said to have appeared to a young shepherdess for many years, while Our Lady of Kibeho apparently addressed the leaders of the nation of Rwanda. The appearances of the Blessed Virgin Mary are usually called Marian apparitions. These generally include a vision of the Blessed Virgin, accompanied by brief messages. These are by far the most widely reported form. Well known examples of approved Marian apparitions include Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fátima. These apparitions are considered private revelations from God through the Virgin Mary.
In Catholic belief, Marian visions do not mean Mary appears as a disembodied spirit, since she has been assumed into heaven. However, it is probable that Mary could appear in bodily form by bilocation.
A number of apparitions of Jesus Christ following his ascension have been reported. Some of these have received approval, as safe for private belief, from the Holy See. For instance, the Vatican biography of Faustina Kowalska quotes some of her conversations with Jesus.
The Catholic teaching is that apparitions of Jesus are not the same as the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, even if they include Eucharistic adoration, because the sacraments are a part of public revelation. The apparitions are also not the same as the Second Coming, because the church believes Jesus "will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead."
There are reports of interior locutions in which inner voices are reported, but no vision of divinity is claimed. The Vatican biographies of both Teresa of Ávila and Mother Teresa of Calcutta refer to their interior locutions, although Mother Teresa often preferred to remain private about them.
Some private revelations produce large amounts of text, while others amount to a few reported sentences. For instance, the priest Stefano Gobbi produced a book of messages attributed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, while Mary of the Divine Heart Droste zu Vischering simply wrote two letters to Pope Leo XIII with a message attributed to Jesus Christ, prompting the Pope to consecrate the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The Catholic Church does not regard spiritism, automatic writing, astrology, fortune-telling, psychic powers, magic, divination, conjuring the dead, etc. as types of private revelations, instead classing them as occultism. The Catholic Church does not regard private revelations as having authority over the Pope or the bishops in communion with him, because Catholicism gives the church, the bishop, and public revelation divine authority as a matter of faith, while teaching that private revelations are not a matter of faith but are believed with human faith. Catholic theologians argue that private revelations neither have divine authority nor can they be believed with divine and catholic faith, offering as evidence the teaching that the Magisterium infallibly interprets the inerrant Word of God,Dei Verbum, 11 & 25: "Therefore, since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully and without error that truth which God wanted put into sacred writings ... It devolves on sacred bishops 'who have the apostolic teaching' to give the faithful entrusted to them suitable instruction in the right use of the divine books, especially the New Testament and above all the Gospels." whereas saints are believed to be capable of making errors about the details of private revelations, since fallen human nature is inclined to sin and error.
Sources of revelation According to the Catholic Church, private revelations come from God, while false revelations come either from human or demonic sources. Just as in exorcism, the Catholic Church is careful to distinguish between supernatural events, mental illness, drug abuse, deception, and demonic activity. The church gathers a team of scientists, theologians, and other experts to test the spirit of the alleged visionary to see if they are genuine, psychotic or manipulative, influenced by drugs, deceptive or deceived, or possessed by demons.