Private revelation

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: 97 "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God" in which, as in a mirror, the pilgrim Church contemplates God, the source of all her riches.66 "The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive Covenant, will never pass away; and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ."

It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history.

In this sense, Catholics believe that Christ is the fullness and mediator, author and interpreter, purpose and center of public revelation.

[7] 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.

[11] 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).

[13][14] 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.

[17][18] 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.

[26] In Catholic belief, Marian visions do not mean Mary appears as a disembodied spirit, since she has been assumed into heaven.

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.

Catholic theologians argue that private revelations neither have divine authority nor can they be believed with divine and catholic faith,[22] offering as evidence the teaching that the Magisterium infallibly interprets the inerrant Word of God,[38] whereas saints are believed to be capable of making errors about the details of private revelations,[39] since fallen human nature is inclined to sin and error.

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.

[45] The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Holy See, which is the official authority for approving private revelations on behalf of the Catholic Church, did not declare Ravasio's writings heresy.

One source of false revelations, according to Catholicism, is pareidolia, where people see visions or hear voices where there are none.

The most famous case is Magdalena de la Cruz, through whom Satan is supposed to have uttered false prophecies and fabricated miracles, including uncreated light, stigmata, levitation, ecstasy, and extraordinary fasting (she allegedly survived solely on the Eucharist).

[60] Judgment on private revelations falls under a bishop's ordinary magisterium, which is authoritative but noninfallible and requires religious submission of intellect and will.

[63] A private revelation that is not worthy of belief can either be more fully investigated or, if bad fruits are found, condemned.

[69][70] For instance, reports of Our Lady of Surbiton appearing every day under a pine tree in England were flatly rejected by the Vatican as a fraud.

The founder of the movement Joseph Smith, Jr. used the example of the Lord's revelations to Moses in Deuteronomy to explain the importance and necessity of continuous revelation to guide "those who seek diligently to know [God's] precepts": God said, "Thou shalt not kill" Deuteronomy 5:17 at another time He said, "Thou shalt utterly destroy."

Deuteronomy 7:2; 12:2; 20:17 This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted-by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed.

Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire .

As God has designed our happiness-and the happiness of all His creatures, He never has – He never will – institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of his law and ordinances... for all things shall be made known unto them in [His] own due time, and in the end they shall have joy.Both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the Community of Christ, the two largest denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement have a tradition of continuing revelation and have added modern public revelations to their canon of scriptures.

In the LDS Church, in addition to teaching the importance of studying the words of both ancient and modern prophets, the church also emphasize the necessity of private or personal revelation from God by the power of the Holy Ghost as the only pathway to true knowledge of Jesus Christ: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

"Recently the Council of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles issued a statement alerting members of the Church to the dangers of participating in circles which concentrate on doctrine and ordinances and measure them by the intellect alone.

"[89]LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball also emphasized the importance of personal revelation versus the analytical approach in understanding the message of Jesus Christ: "It should also be kept in mind that God cannot be found through research alone, nor his gospel understood and appreciated by study only, for no one may know the Father or the Son but 'he to whom the Son will reveal him'.

[90] The skeptic will some day either in time or eternity learn to his sorrow that his egotism has robbed him of much joy and growth, and that as has been decreed by the Lord: The things of God cannot be understood by the spirit of man; that man cannot by himself find out God or his program; that no amount of scientific or philosophical research nor rationalizing will bring a testimony, but it must come through the heart when compliance with the program has made the person eligible to receive that reward.