Why was the Divine Mercy suppressed at first?

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6glargento

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When the divine mercy came out, it was originally supressed and Sr. Faustina’s book “Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul” was placed on the index of forbidden books. Why was this? Did the divine mercy contain unorthodox teaching? I haven’t read the entire book. Can someone fill me in on the details of why the divine mercy was originally suppressed
 
One of the reasons I heard was that the Vatican office that originally reviewed the writings recieved very poor translations that placed their orthodoxy in doubt. When better translations were made, those issues went away.
 
6glargento said:
When the divine mercy came out, it was originally supressed and Sr. Faustina’s book “Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul” was placed on the index of forbidden books. Why was this? Did the divine mercy contain unorthodox teaching? I haven’t read the entire book. Can someone fill me in on the details of why the divine mercy was originally suppressed
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I think it was due to inacurate translations of her diary.
 
Here’s what I’ve found:

from circleofprayer.com/divine-mercy-history.html
  • On the 6th March 1959, the Holy See, acting on information that was innacurately presented, prohibited “the spreading of images and writings advocating devotion to the Divine Mercy in the form proposed by Sr. Faustina.” As a result, there followed almost twenty years of total silence.
On the 15th of April, 1978, the Holy See, after a thorough examination of original documents previously unavailable to it, completely reversed its decision and again permitted the devotion. The one man principally responsible for the reversal was Karol Wojtyla, the Archbishop of Sr. Faustina’s home diocese.*

A dissenting opinion from: en.allexperts.com/q/Catholics-955/Devotions.htm

Written by a Fr. Jerome, whose profile reads:
Expertise: A traditional Catholic priest who provides forthright answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism, including theology, the Bible, Church history, the Latin language, liturgy (especially the Traditional Latin Mass), and music (especially Gregorian chant), and current events in the Catholic Church from the traditional perspective.

He writes:
A local devotion under this title of Divine Mercy, which is associated with one Sr. Faustina and a chaplet of the Divine Mercy, was approved by the Ordinary of Vilnius, Poland, in 1936 and from there spread rapidly, especially after World War II in the United States.
It appears that Sr. Faustina could not write, except for a few lines phonetically. Most of her “diary” was concocted by her sisters after her death. Because of the incongruities of the dairy (different handwriting, different use of terms), the devotion was suppressed, and the book of her diary was placed on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum [Index of Forbidden Books]. This decision was upheld by Pope John XXIII in 1958/59.
In early 1978, a Polish cardinal petitioned the Vatican to remove the suppression of the devotion, which was being practiced without sanction in his diocese, and the Vatican replied in the negative, confirming the suppression. By this time the original devotion had been illegally replaced by an oecumenized version framed in New Order terminology – with substantially changed prayers to promote non-Catholic beliefs and the heresy of universal salvation. Later in 1978 a Polish pope was elected, and the now modernized version, twice condemned, was now entered onto the Novus Ordo liturgical calendar on the Octave of Easter.

He provides no sources for the statements about different handwriting, the sisters “concocting” the diary, etc.

I’ve heard that the outbreak of WWII meant that there wasn’t time to go over the writings as carefully as they needed to be, and so the devotion was suppressed until such time as the Church could properly review it. Just like Fr. Jerome, I have no documentation for this, so I’ll go see what I can find.
 
+J.M.J+

The statement “the now modernized version, twice condemned” makes no sense. It would have been the original version which was twice condemned, not the “now modernized” one.

…if he’s right about a “new” version of the devotion, that is.

I’ve actually found and read old books (such as Mercy is Forever) and pamphlets on the Divine Mercy that were printed before 1958. The info they contain doesn’t differ that much from more modern resources (mostly a few translation differences, such as the ending of the Chaplet being rendered: “Holy God, Holy Omnipotent, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us and on the whole world”). I just don’t see where the alleged modernist and universalist additions are; it sure looks like the same devotion with which we’re all familiar.

Also, the book Mercy is Forever indicates that St. Faustina could write, though not very well since she only had two years of formal schooling. It confirms that her writings contain errors of “language and grammar,” yet the book pretty much says that she did indeed write the diary under obedience to her spiritual director.

Where did Fr. Jerome get his information? It’s very dubious stuff, IMHO.

In Jesu et Maria,
Rosemarie
 
I follow the Divine Mercy devotion. The graces promised are just absolutely amazing. Divine Mercy Sunday comes up the week after Easter. Anyone who does not avail themselves fully of this extraordinary feast day is really doing themselves a serious spiritual injustice. Those going to confession and receiving eucharist and doing acts of mercy are guaranteed to be forgiven of all sins AND all punishment (its a guarantee of attaining the hard to realize full plenary indulgence that normally requires a state of perfect grace).

Back on topic - I think there is secondary concern within the rosary devotional community that the Divine Mercy Chaplet which is said on an ordinary rosary is going to compete with the various rosary devotionals (e.g. Fatima, Immaculate Heart of Mary etc.) since it can be said so quickly. The Divine Mercy prayers are so short and simple that the entire chaplet can be said reverently in only a few minutes. This makes it an ideal devotional for those who want to do it at work or home during what is called the “hour of power” - the time when Christ died on the cross at 3PM and Sister Faustina tells us that no request of Mercy will be denied. This is a great devotional to use for the conversion of those sinners with hardened hearts and for our non-Catholic friends who refuse to come into the Church and are thereby unable to receive sacramental forgiveness of their sins.

Divine Mercy Info
Feast of Divine Mercy

James
 
I am reading the edition published by Marian Press, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, 1987. The Prefaces and Introduction go into great detail about the diaries and the poor translation done by a Nun. The Preface states that “her transcription was neither accurate nor scholarly, since the copyist thought it proper to add or delete certain little words and make grammatical changes; in addition, through human oversight, she omitted some of the words.”

It also goes on to say that the former transcripts, as compared to the original, omitted entire pages, left out whole sentences, changed the wording, and substituted words. It then gives some examples of the errors.

The whole thing was then retranslated from the original manuscripts, which also had been microfilmed.

I found the history of these diaries quite fascinating.

But it is taking me a long time to read the diaries (there are 4 books) and they drive me a little crazy. I don’t find them an easy read, and have to read them in short sessions. I can only imagine how difficult they must have been to translate.
 
It is a known fact that the actual blood sisters of St. Therese of Lisieux “edited” and “fixed” her autobiography. It was only later that it was published and translated directly from the original.

I don’t think anyone would say that this spiritual classic should be called into question. Far too often we have a tendency to judge former times by contemporary mores.

St. Faustina’s Diary could easily have gone through similar “editing”. Blessed Katharine Emmerick’s works were “edited” by the editor’s wife and brother-in-law after the editor died.

Not all things are perfect nor are we.

Jesu ufam tobie!
 
What I find very edifying is that over and over throughout the Diary, Jesus told Faustina that she should do her best to continue the work He committed to her, and He would convince His ministers that it truly comes from Him. Had this not been true, I doubt the devotion would have been approved by the Church. In some hidden way, the Holy Spirit, who always guides the Church in all truth, made the work manifest as God’s own inspiration.
 
The Divine Mercy devotion is beautiful, reverent, and
THOROUGHLY ORTHODOX.
Where this traditionalist “Fr. Jerome” got the notion that it
promotes Universal Salvation is beyond imagining.
Repeatedly in the DIARY, Jesus tells Saint Faustina that
the period of Mercy he is granting is the PRELUDE
to his letting fall his hand of unrelenting justice.
That certainly doesn’t promote any sort of “universal salvation.”
It is both a blessing to us and a WARNING to all mankind
to repent and repent FAST.

Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
 
Jaypeeto4 said:
The Divine Mercy devotion is beautiful, reverent, and
THOROUGHLY ORTHODOX.
Where this traditionalist “Fr. Jerome” got the notion that it
promotes Universal Salvation is beyond imagining.
Repeatedly in the DIARY, Jesus tells Saint Faustina that
the period of Mercy he is granting is the PRELUDE
to his letting fall his hand of unrelenting justice.
That certainly doesn’t promote any sort of “universal salvation.”
It is both a blessing to us and a WARNING to all mankind
to repent and repent FAST.

Jaypeeto4
+JMJ+
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Agree. I tremble at the notion of anyone having to face God’s Justice on their own merits without being able to appeal to Mercy.
I won’t offer my insights on what I think is coming. But I wish more Catholics would take up the Divine Mercy devotion - and quickly.

James
 
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