Having it Both Ways with Divine Revelation

Maria Divine Mercy wants to have her cake and eat it, too.

 

The Second Vatican Council taught that "we now await no further public revelation before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Tim. 6:14 and Tit. 2:13)" (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation [Dei Verbum], n. 4).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church took up this affirmation (see n. 66) and continued: "Christian faith cannot accept 'revelations' that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfilment, as is the case in certain nonChristian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such 'revelations'." (n. 67)

We are assured by Maria Divine Mercy that her messages are in line with these standards.  Jesus allegedly tells her: "I call on you now, not to reveal to you new Teachings, as that is not necessary.  You were given the Truth, but now I need to intervene to remind you of the Truth" (July 23, 2013; see also January 14, 2011; May 13, 2011; March 24, 2013; and May 4, 2013).

It would thus appear that, in the area of Divine Revelation, there exists a correspondence between Church teachings and the role of Maria Divine Mercy's messages.  But, we should not take her word for it, because Maria Divine Mercy assigns to her messages a role and status that go far beyond those which the Church has assigned to "private revelation".

The Church assigns the following role to "private revelation": "Throughout the ages, there have been so-called 'private' revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. 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."  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 67)

However, Jesus allegedly told Maria Divine Mercy on June 25, 2013: "The only place you will find the Truth is in the Most Holy Bible and in My Holy Word given to you through these Messages." Not only is this statement incredibly conflated, it is also patently false.  The Church teaches that Sacred Scripture and Apostolic Tradition are the only sources of Divine Revelation (cf. Dei Verbum, nos. 9-10, 21; Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 74-83).  Maria Divine Mercy presumptuously inserts her messages among the sources of Divine Revelation, and omits Apostolic Tradition from "the only place you will find the Truth".

Maria Divine Mercy even then leaves the Bible out of the mix when conveying the role that her messages will have in the lives of the "billions" who will convert through them.  As Jesus purportedly tells her, "My Messages will become their daily food and along with My Most Holy Eucharist, they will need nothing more" (April 6, 2013).  Although the Church teaches that the faithful "should be instructed by God's word and nourished at the table of the Lord's body" (Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy [Sacrosactum Concilium], n. 48; cf. Dei Verbum, n. 21), Maria Divine Mercy presents that her messages would replace Scripture in this role of sustaining the faithful alongside the Holy Eucharist.  And, if these messages do not nourish us now, Maria Divine Mercy assures us, "Many of you will devour these Messages when you are starved of the Truth" (May 24, 2013).

Perhaps the most brazen way in which the role of Maria Divine Mercy's messages is exalted is through the very exaltation of Maria Divine Mercy's own person as the one who delivers the messages.  Her person is amplified by the florid language Jesus uses when he purportedly tells us:

"I guide My daughter Maria. She has been chosen as the end time prophet. I speak through her. Her voice becomes Mine. Her sorrow and pain are Mine. Her Love for others is My Love. Her joy comes from My Sacred Heart. Her hand is being guided by Mine. Her understanding as to how I wish My Word to be heard comes from Me." (February 23, 2013)

Maria Divine Mercy is also assigned the lofty titles of "end time prophet" (January 17, 2012; February 8, 2012; February 12, 2012; February 18, 2012; February 19, 2012; February 21. 2012; February 23, 2012; March 8, 2012; April 24, 2012; July 13, 2012; July 15, 2012; August 13, 2012; August 21, 2012; September 6, 2012; October 7, 2012; April 6, 2013; July 19, 2013; July 27, 2013), "last prophet" (October 16, 2012; December 7, 2012), and "final prophet" (May 25, 2013; July 19, 2013).  Never mind the fact that Sacred Scripture and Catechism of the Catholic Church identify John the Baptist as the last prophet (Luke 1:67, 7:26; Matthew 11:13, CCC n. 523).

And, the consequences for not accepting Maria Divine Mercy or her messages fall way outside the bounds for the role that private revelation may play in the lives of the faithful.  As the Church expresses, private revelation is not part of the deposit of faith, or the whole body of public revelation which was completed in Christ.  One would wonder then, why such warnings would be applied to those who do not accept Maria Divine Mercy or her messages:

"They refuse to believe that My Father could possibly send into the world, in their time, His final prophet. By doing so, they are denying the Holy Gospel of God" (May 25, 2013).

"And while My Word may seem like heresy today, as it was during My times on Earth, many of you will devour these Messages when you are starved of the Truth, when the antichrist will control your nations. You will crawl on your stomachs and scream out for Me. You, who blasphemed against Me, will want to cut out your tongues, for you will realise then how your words have insulted Me. I await this day patiently, but should you stand before Me and prevent Me from reaching out to souls, I will cut you down. Should you continue to blaspheme against Me, by declaring My Messages to be the work of the devil, then you will never be forgiven. For this is the greatest sin against God."  (May 24, 2013, bold print in original)

It is outrageous that such scare tactics are being used to manipulate people into clinging to the messages of Maria Divine Mercy.  One cannot be denying the "Holy Gospel of God" or "never be forgiven" for not accepting any private revelation, since such do not belong to the deposit of faith.  And, in claiming such status for themselves, the messages ironically betray themselves, because they contradict Church teaching by saying that such calamities would befall individuals for rejecting private revelation, which, according to the Church, no one is required to believe.

Besides the clear contradictions of Church teachings, perhaps a more indicative sign of the fraudulent nature of the messages of Maria Divine Mercy are the way in which the messages exalt themselves.  Whereas St. Faustina spoke of God's mercy and Our Lady of Fatima spoke of the importance of conversion, Maria Divine Mercy cannot seem to complete a message without reminding the reader of her or her messages' importance.

While Maria Divine Mercy tries to assure her readers that her messages fall within the bounds of private revelation in that there is "nothing new" about them (see January 14, 2011; May 13, 2011; March 24, 2013; and May 4, 2013; and July 23, 2013), she nonetheless assigns them the status proper to the public revelation which was completed in Jesus Christ, and of which, the Church assures us, we await no further public revelation (see Dei Verbum, n. 4).  But, Maria Divine Mercy can't have it both ways.