Private Revelation?

[littlequestion]

What is private revelation? I have a pretty good idea of it as a description of how we can personally perceive the will of God in our lives, but I also see this term used to describe people who act as prophets (which I am skeptic about) and to describe larger events such as the Medugorje Marian phenomena and others which have not been completely accepted by the church…

So, is there a precise definition of this term? Are we supposed to discuss the private spiritual experiences we may have in the course of our lives, or are we supposed to hold them in our hearts?

How can we avoid the occasion of sinning by seeking out mediums and fortune-tellers if we pay attention to people who are claiming to be Charismatic or otherwise messengers within the Catholic Church?

I have seen several threads mentioning different ones who are offering their prophecy/revelation services (for want of a better description) with the blessing of Bishops. This seems inconsistent with Catholic teachings. Perhaps someone out there can enlighten me?

 

[beckycmarie]

You might want to read Catholic blogger Mark Mallett’s post On Private Revelation.

 

[Bookcat]

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

There will be no further Revelation

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."28 Yet even if Revelation is already complete, it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its full significance over the course of the centuries.

67 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. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.

Christian faith cannot accept “revelations” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations”.

 

[fisherman_carl]

It depends what you are talking about by private revelation. There are charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit. One of these is word of knowledge. These are still in use today. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared at Fatima and gave revelations that the church has agreed are valid. The Holy Spirit also reveals things to us in our private prayer and scripture reading. I believe that God is still alive and active today. These private revelations can help us to live and follow Christ in an ever changing world. They can also help unbelievers come to the faith.