What guidance do my local hierarchs offer re Vassula Ryden?

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I am assuming, correct me if I am wrong, that these are authentic documents of the CDF:

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/cdfrydn.htm

In addition to the warnings addressed to the faithful about Mrs. Ryden, there seems to be a January 25, 2007 instruction issued by the CDF to the Presidents of the various Episcopal Conferences, the hierarchs are allowed to make “a case by case prudential judgment” about the faithful reading her writings.

My own eparchy is the Ukrainian Catholic eparchy in Parme, Ohio - stjosaphateparchy.org/

What case-by-case prudential judgments, if any, have the hierarchs in my eparchy, and above, reached about letting the faithful read Mrs. Ryden’s works?

I ask this because someone in an adjacent eparchy (not a bishop) has recommended these works to me.

I am operating under the assumption that if my own local hierarchs, or their superiors, have not authorized me to read and study this material, then I should avoid doing so. But I don’t know what prudential judgments they have reached.

Any assistance is prayerfully requested and gratefully accepted.
 
Reminds me of shows I’ve seen concerning the quatrains of Nostradamus.

Interesting, but as specific as a fortune cookie.
 
Lilburne said:
I am assuming, correct me if I am wrong, that these are authentic documents of the CDF:

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/cdfrydn.htm

In addition to the warnings addressed to the faithful about Mrs. Ryden, there seems to be a January 25, 2007 instruction issued by the CDF to the Presidents of the various Episcopal Conferences, the hierarchs are allowed to make “a case by case prudential judgment” about the faithful reading her writings.

My own eparchy is the Ukrainian Catholic eparchy in Parme, Ohio - stjosaphateparchy.org/

What case-by-case prudential judgments, if any, have the hierarchs in my eparchy, and above, reached about letting the faithful read Mrs. Ryden’s works?

I ask this because someone in an adjacent eparchy (not a bishop) has recommended these works to me.

I am operating under the assumption that if my own local hierarchs, or their superiors, have not authorized me to read and study this material, then I should avoid doing so. But I don’t know what prudential judgments they have reached.

Any assistance is prayerfully requested and gratefully accepted.
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Stay away from any writings of Vasula. Both the catholic and orthodox churches have ruled her writings are contrary to the faith.
 
Thank you very much to everyone who answered.

I regret sounding legalistic, but the question I asked was of a fairly narrow nature. I wanted to know how the hierarchy in my own Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy (in Parma, Ohio) had exercised the limited discretion conferred on them by the CDF - specifically, the authority to exercise “a case by case prudential judgment” about the faithful reading these works.

It was not my purpose to engage in a broader discussion of Ms. Ryden, because that would have the potential to get, I’m afraid, into the realm of “more heat than light” and bring me no closer to helping me on my specific question.

Thank You,
Lilburne
 
It seems to me that a “case-by-case” judgement would be just that, each regarding an individual requesting to read her writings. I don’t see why any such judgements would be made public since they would involve confidential personal details. You don’t mention whether you want to do this, but if you are seeking guidance for yourself, you should probably heed the above advice and ask your hierarchs.
 
I suppose the reason I haven’t asked my local hierarchs is that I’ve already asked for their guidance on an unrelated question - thus establishing myself as a pest and a nuisance, a reputation which I could only enhance by troubling them a second time. Not to mention that the bishop is sick and needs the help of an auxiliary bishop in an eparchy covering several states. If they keep getting inquiries from me, they might be tempted to subject my correspondence in the episcopal equivalent of a spam filter. Worse, the very fact of asking might get me classified as a Vassula supporter. After all, I do not know anybody connected with the hierarchy - I had hoped there would be people on this forum with better connections who might know the eparchy’s general line of policy.

Plus there is the fact that I am skeptical about the purported revelations - precisely because they’re too good to be true. I would like the purported revelations to be true (I am ex-Orthodox and still have associations with Orthodox people) - so when a prominent person in a neighboring Ukrainian eparchy tells me that these are genuine revelations which I should study - revelations about Christ’s personal plans for ending the Great Schism - of course it picqued my curiosity. But maybe I’m not confident enough in these revelations to risk getting on my own bishops’ “crank file” (assuming I’m not there already).

My current policy is to put the Vassula ‘revelations’ in storage and not read them - since the Vatican has specifically warned against them, and I am not aware of any exercise of discretion by by hierarchs allowing these works to be read. Even if they were to permit the reading of these works, I am confident that they do not require it, and that my sould will be quite safe if I take the cautious approach of simply not reading these works at all. In ordinary circumstances, I would be content to end my inquiries at this point.

But, out of respect for the sincere (and quite prominent) person from a neighboring Ukrainian eparchy who recommended these writings to me, I thought I should seek some guidance - hence my resort to this forum. If anyone on the Internet has local knowledge about the Ukrainian Eparchy of Parma, then they would likely as not be here. It is a compromise between not asking any knowledgeable person, on the one hand, or pestering my busy bishops on the issue, on the other hand. It’s possible that I’m wrong. If I wasn’t aware of that possibility, I wouldn’t be seeking guidance of any kind.

I have no special motive for looking at these works beyond what I have already said - no unique circumstances requiring that I ask for any kind of dispensation. At best, reading these works is a matter of permission, not a requirement, which (as I understand it) it is always spiritually safe to take the option of not reading them at all! The latter alternative is what I have been doing so far, and (despite Vassula’s bloodcurdling warnings) I don’t think this course would imperil my soul. But I could be wrong about that, too.

Pardon the length of the reply - I appreciate the patience of anyone who reads it, but this is a forum specifically for Catholics with questions about their faith. I’m not sure my own bishops (who have so many duties in so many states) would appreciate this sort of drain on their reserves of time and patience. But I might be wrong about that, as well!
 
Have you considered asking your spiritual father concerning these matters?

Also technically we don’t currently have a Bishop of Parma. Bishop John is the Eparchial Administrator as Bishop Moskal has retired and the Holy See has not seen it fit to assign us a new one within the last year…

I would recommend politely asking Bishop John. I have met with him before and he came off as a very kind and patient Bishop. I am sure you would not be considered a nuisance if you have a sincere inquiry.

Edit*
Though if the Vatican has condemned these works then that should raise a red flag as to avoid them. I don’t know anything about this issue and to be honest I don’t think any modern “seers” are necessary for salvation and should just be avoided anyways. The wisdom of the Church fathers and great spiritual fathers should be far more then enough for anyone, then to focus on modern seers of a questionable origin.
 
Since you have actually met my Bishop, you have a distinct advantage over me. Would you mind very much showing him my questions and the answers on this thread and asking him for his comments? It is obvious that I am not the only Ukrainian Catholic who has encountered True Believers in Vassula Ryden, so the bishop’s answer might be of use to others, as well.

Without going into my personal situation, I will say that asking spiritual questions of strangers on a Catholic Web site is not exactly my first choice. I would prefer to have a talk with my parish priest or spiritual father, who could in doubtful cases refer to the question to the Bishop. In fact, it is my understanding that this how things are supposed to work in the Church. But (sparing you the details) sometimes it happens that conscientious and wise parish priests are working two jobs, live at quite a distance from their church, have a wife and young children to care for (they’re Eastern priests, after all), and perhaps don’t have time to give detailed answers to complex questions from bothersome new parishioners.

If, in fact, it were always possible for lay Catholics to get their questions answered by their , then I doubt the Catholic Answers Web site would exist in the first place!
 
Lilburne said:
Since you have actually met my Bishop, you have a distinct advantage over me. Would you mind very much showing him my questions and the answers on this thread and asking him for his comments? It is obvious that I am not the only Ukrainian Catholic who has encountered True Believers in Vassula Ryden, so the bishop’s answer might be of use to others, as well.

Without going into my personal situation, I will say that asking spiritual questions of strangers on a Catholic Web site is not exactly my first choice. I would prefer to have a talk with my parish priest or spiritual father, who could in doubtful cases refer to the question to the Bishop. In fact, it is my understanding that this how things are supposed to work in the Church. But (sparing you the details) sometimes it happens that conscientious and wise parish priests are working two jobs, live at quite a distance from their church, have a wife and young children to care for (they’re Eastern priests, after all), and perhaps don’t have time to give detailed answers to complex questions from bothersome new parishioners.

If, in fact, [if] it were always possible for lay Catholics to get their questions answered by their ?], then I doubt the Catholic Answers Web site would exist in the first place!
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Call me skeptical or a Devil’s Advocate, but reading between all the lines of your posts leaves me a bit puzzled. You’ve asked your hierarchy ONE question. You haven’t asked your spiritual father ANY questions. And, you’re sparing US details. What are we missing here? I can’t imagine your hierarchy hasn’t made public its stand on this issue. If you’re concerned about the spiritual welfare of another person, that’s one thing. I’d take the advice of all the other posters and drop it. Just don’t get involved with this “seer” business. Unless, of course, there’s something else.
 
If you have to ask about a group that isn’t claiming to be part the Church, then odds are you should probably just avoid them.

Applies to any form of mysticism, fraternal order, or prayer group.

In the case of someone the CDF has said “case by case” about, you should probably just ignore their existence as much as possible, and seek spiritual reading elsewhere.
 
Well, I’ve put the works in my attic, and there they will stay unless my bishop tells me otherwise (or I relocate it to another storage site). I certainly do not intend to read them without authority.

I only raised the issue with the members of this forum, instead of figuring it out for myself, because a very high-ranking official in a neighboring Ukrainian eparchy recommended Vassula’s works to me. I was naturally curious about what my own bishop had to say on the matter.

However, being duly rebuked for even raising the issue, I will drop it.
 
Incidentally, it is easy on an internet forum to speculate on my hidden motives and secret agenda - and I imagine that it is much easier to “read between the lines” than to pay attention to what I have actually written - and, lacking information about my situation or motives, to proceed to adopt the least charitable interpretation possible.

Of course, a detailed discussion of my personal situation might cause a conflict with Rule 5 of the Forum rules of conduct: “Messages should be short.”
 
I doubty a bishop will make a public statement as the Vatican has already seemed to rule.

What the Vatican is allowing for is for a bishop to allow a person to read such works but that is on a case by case basis. So lets say that I live within your eparchy and the bishop has granted me the permission to read the works, that does not mean that you, or anyone else, can or should read them.

This is such an individual thing that if you want to read them I would first discuss it with your spiritual father and then, if he agrees, you take the request to the bishop.

It does not matter what a “high ranking” individual satys as they are not the bishop and have no authority in this matter especially if they are outside of your eparchy.
 
Sic et non:

To sum up the answers I have received on this forum, or in private messages responding to my question.

(a) “I don’t see why any such judgements [sic] would be made public since they would involve confidential personal details.”

(b) “I can’t imagine your hierarchy hasn’t made public its stand on this issue.”

I hope the two individuals who posted these two mutually-contradictory statements would get together in a room somewhere and fight it out.

Then, of course, there are the promoters of pro- and anti- Vassula Web sites, both of whom took the time to contact me to explain that Vassula either is or is not a prophet who will save the world, and that she either is, or is not, a cult leader.

How on earth does someone resign from this wretched and useless Web site?
 
“It does not matter what a “high ranking” individual satys as they are not the bishop and have no authority in this matter especially if they are outside of your eparchy.”

Really? I had no idea! I would never have known this if you hadn’t taken the trouble to explain it. Thank you so much for explaining these matters to a simple believer like myself.
 
Again, what is the procedure for resigning from this “Catholic non-answer” Web site?
 
Lilburne said:
Since you have actually met my Bishop, you have a distinct advantage over me. Would you mind very much showing him my questions and the answers on this thread and asking him for his comments? It is obvious that I am not the only Ukrainian Catholic who has encountered True Believers in Vassula Ryden, so the bishop’s answer might be of use to others, as well.

Without going into my personal situation, I will say that asking spiritual questions of strangers on a Catholic Web site is not exactly my first choice. I would prefer to have a talk with my parish priest or spiritual father, who could in doubtful cases refer to the question to the Bishop. In fact, it is my understanding that this how things are supposed to work in the Church. But (sparing you the details) sometimes it happens that conscientious and wise parish priests are working two jobs, live at quite a distance from their church, have a wife and young children to care for (they’re Eastern priests, after all), and perhaps don’t have time to give detailed answers to complex questions from bothersome new parishioners.

If, in fact, it were always possible for lay Catholics to get their questions answered by their , then I doubt the Catholic Answers Web site would exist in the first place!
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Well I only met him once several months ago. I am not in any better a position to ask him then yourself. I don’t live anywhere near Parma so.

I am well aware of the issues of parish priests being very busy, but surely quickly asking during confession or even before/ after liturgy, or even dropping them an email/letter could suffice in a pinch. One of the primary responsibilities of any priest is to be a spiritual guide for his parishioners, both his old and his new ones. I would go ahead and just ask him. If he doesn’t have time then I am sure he will be polite about it, and if he does have time to answer then I imagine he will. He may even be aware of what Bishop Robert may have said concerning it before he retired or perhaps may have the chance to ask Bishop John.

I do not really know much about this particular seer and before I read this thread I had never heard of her. I would venture to say that if the Vatican has condemned her writings then I have a strong feeling that Bishop John would not have a conflicting opinion concerning her works. This is just what my gut tells me though, so I could be completely wrong.

Edit*

I don’t mean to seem nosy or that I am stalking you, but I looked through some of your old posts and if you are in the Mid Atlantic deanery (since you mentioned you were in the south) I could ask some of our local clergy about this issue for you.
 
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