| Revision as of 17:57, 4 May 2012 view sourceEldamorie (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,472 editsm →Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: formatting← Previous edit | Revision as of 16:30, 5 May 2012 view source LuckyLouie (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers27,101 editsm sp.Next edit → | ||
| (19 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{pp-semi-indef}} | {{pp-semi-indef}} | ||
| {{POV|date=November 2010}} | |||
| {{Weasel|date=October 2010}} | |||
| {{Lead rewrite|date=March 2012|reason=The lede does not summarize the article}} | |||
| {{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| | name = Vassula Rydén | | name = Vassula Rydén | ||
| Line 15: | Line 12: | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Vassula Rydén''' (born January 18, 1942) is a controversial, self-proclaimed Christian ] living in ] who professes to receive messages from ] and ]. A member of the ], former tennis champion, and fashion model born in ] to Greek parents, Ryden has attracted a devoted following among some Catholics who follow ]. Various priests, bishops, theologians and religious scholars have vouched for the authenticity of her "messages" and she travels around the world giving lectures and providing "healing services". Although two Catholic bishops in ] welcomed her into their cathedrals, the ] issued a statement advising Catholics "not to regard the messages of Vassula Ryden as divine revelations, but only as personal meditations", and some critics have called her a "false prophet" and a "con artist". Ryden's writings and handwritten transcriptions have been published as a series of nine volumes, called "True Life In God" and translated into 31 languages by Trinitas, an ], publishing house and nonprofit organization established to spread her writings in 1991.<ref name="PheonixTimes">{{cite journal|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1996-12-05/news/when-god-talks-vassula-listens/1|title= When God Talks Vassula Listens|publisher= ]|date=1996-12-05|author=Gilstrap P|accessdate=2012-03-23}}</ref><ref name=SFOChronicle>{{cite news|last=Lattin|first=Don|title=Mystic Called Divine Prophet Or Con Artist Catholic churches issue warning before S.F. visit|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1996/12/14/MN37865.DTL|accessdate=23 March 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 14, 1996}}</ref><ref name=LATimes>{{cite news|last=Stammer|first=Larry B.|title=A Divided Message : Spirituality: To her followers worldwide, Vassula Ryden is a faithful purveyor of communications from Jesus and Mary. But theologians question credibility.|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1995-04-29/local/me-60362_1_vassula-ryden|accessdate=23 March 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 29, 1995}}</ref><ref name=LATimes2>{{cite web|last=Stammer|first=Larry B.|title=L.A. Cathedral Disinvites Christian Unity Event: Pastor decides not to allow conference after realizing the role of a self-proclaimed mystic.|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/10/local/me-visionary10|work=January 10, 2006|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=23 March 2012}}</ref> | '''Vassula Rydén''' (born January 18, 1942) is a controversial, self-proclaimed Christian ] living in ] who professes to receive messages from ] and ]. A member of the ], former tennis champion, and fashion model born in ] to Greek parents, Ryden has attracted a devoted following among some Catholics who follow ]. Various priests, bishops, theologians and religious scholars have vouched for the authenticity of her "messages" and she travels around the world giving lectures and providing "healing services". Although two Catholic bishops in ] welcomed her into their cathedrals, the ] issued a statement advising Catholics "not to regard the messages of Vassula Ryden as divine revelations, but only as personal meditations", and some critics have called her a "false prophet" and a "con artist". Ryden's writings and handwritten transcriptions have been published as a series of nine volumes, called "True Life In God" and translated into 31 languages by Trinitas, an ], publishing house and nonprofit organization established to spread her writings in 1991.<ref name="PheonixTimes">{{cite journal|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1996-12-05/news/when-god-talks-vassula-listens/1|title= When God Talks Vassula Listens|publisher= ]|date=1996-12-05|author=Gilstrap P|accessdate=2012-03-23}}</ref><ref name=SFOChronicle>{{cite news|last=Lattin|first=Don|title=Mystic Called Divine Prophet Or Con Artist Catholic churches issue warning before S.F. visit|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1996/12/14/MN37865.DTL|accessdate=23 March 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=December 14, 1996}}</ref><ref name=LATimes>{{cite news|last=Stammer|first=Larry B.|title=A Divided Message : Spirituality: To her followers worldwide, Vassula Ryden is a faithful purveyor of communications from Jesus and Mary. But theologians question credibility.|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1995-04-29/local/me-60362_1_vassula-ryden|accessdate=23 March 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 29, 1995}}</ref><ref name=LATimes2>{{cite web|last=Stammer|first=Larry B.|title=L.A. Cathedral Disinvites Christian Unity Event: Pastor decides not to allow conference after realizing the role of a self-proclaimed mystic.|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/10/local/me-visionary10|work=January 10, 2006|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=23 March 2012}}</ref> | ||
| Since 1988, Rydén has been invited to speak in more than 70 countries and has given over 900 presentations.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} | |||
| ==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
| Line 24: | Line 19: | ||
| ==Claims== | ==Claims== | ||
| ] | |||
| Ryden is known for her writings entitled "True Life in God", a compilation of nearly 2000 messages she claims to have received from God since the year 1985 when she was living in Bangladesh. One day while writing a grocery list, she claims to have suddenly experienced a light electrical feeling in her right hand and an invisible presence. She says she felt led by the presence, "permitted her hand to be guided", and wrote, "I am your guardian Angel and my name is Daniel." Ryden believes she has been called to transmit messages she receives to the world.<ref name="ChristianProphecy"/> Ryden has written messages believed by her followers to have been ]. | |||
| ==Supporters== | |||
| ] | |||
| Father ], Father Robert Faricy, Father Michael O'Carroll as well as Archbishop Frane Franic who are major promoters of ] also actively support Ryden through their public statements and publications.<ref name="GreerMoberg1999">{{cite book|author1=Joanne Marie Greer|author2=David O. Moberg|title=Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=QOa_6HNsp_EC&pg=PA146|accessdate=5 May 2012|year=1999|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-0-7623-0483-7|pages=146–}}</ref> | |||
| Laurentin wrote that Ryden is "one of the most balanced and transparent seers that I know. Nevertheless, she has excited more opposition than any other. As is often the case for mystics, disbelief, fear, opposition and calumny appear in like measure with the graces received."<ref name="GodGivesSign"/> According to O’Carroll, Ryden is "a woman with no theological instruction whatever" that "has profoundly impressed theologians of repute in different countries” and Ryden's writings have “led to very many conversions.” | |||
| Rydén is best known for her writings entitled "True Life in God", which is a compilation of nearly 2000 messages she claims to have received from God since the year 1985 when she was living in Bangladesh. While she was writing a grocery list, she claims to have suddenly experienced a light electrical feeling in her right hand and at the same time, an invisible presence. She says she felt led by this presence and, permitting her hand to be guided, she wrote a line in a very different style from her own with the words: "I am your guardian Angel and my name is Daniel."<ref name="ChristianProphecy">{{cite book |author=Hvidt, Niels Christian |title=Christian prophecy: the post-biblical tradition |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |year=2007 |pages=111-116 |isbn=0-19-531447-6 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> | |||
| Supporters Fr. Edward O’Connor and Niels Hvidt believe that God is using Ryden's messages to "consolidate his church" and bring it into unity, which they feel is the main theme of her books.<ref name="ChristianProphecy">{{cite book |author=Hvidt, Niels Christian |title=Christian prophecy: the post-biblical tradition |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |year=2007 |pages=111-116 |isbn=0-19-531447-6 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> | |||
| Other believers such as Fr. Ferdinand Umana Montoya say that Ryden's writings are of supernatural origin of a type that he calls ‘hieratic’ or ‘sacred’ writing.<ref name="Enigma"/><ref name="GodGivesSign"/><ref name="AnalyseScientifique">{{cite book |author=Philippe Coron |title=J'ai vu écrire Vassula: Analyse scientifique de la vraie vie en Dieu |publisher=F.-X. de Guilbert |location= |year=1994 |pages=21-35 |isbn=2-86839-347-0 |oclc= |doi=|url= |accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="EcumenicalCharism">{{cite book|title=Vassula, Un Charisme Oecumenique pour notre Temps (Vassula, An Ecumenical Charism for our Times)|year=1995|author=Montoya FU|isbn=978-2-88022-071-6 }}</ref></blockquote> | |||
| Fr. Geoffrey Attard believes Pope Benedict is inspired by Rydén's writings in the cause of Christian unity.<ref name="CatholicTimes">Is Pope inspired by writings of an Orthodox seer? No, 613(5895), Page 12, U.K., July 17, 2005, by Fr. Geoffrey Attard, CatholicTimes</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ===Scientific and Theological analysis=== | |||
| Believers such as Fr. Ferdinand Umana Montoya say that the writings are a phenomenon of supernatural origin that he calls ‘hieratic’ or ‘sacred’ writing.<ref name="Enigma"/><ref name="GodGivesSign"/><ref name="AnalyseScientifique">{{cite book |author=Philippe Coron |title=J'ai vu écrire Vassula: Analyse scientifique de la vraie vie en Dieu |publisher=F.-X. de Guilbert |location= |year=1994 |pages=21-35 |isbn=2-86839-347-0 |oclc= |doi=|url= |accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="EcumenicalCharism">{{cite book|title=Vassula, Un Charisme Oecumenique pour notre Temps (Vassula, An Ecumenical Charism for our Times)|year=1995|author=Montoya FU|isbn=978-2-88022-071-6 }}</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ==Skeptics== | |||
| In '']'' longtime investigator ] took an objective look into these purported messages and compared them to alleged communications from Jesus to other women claiming revelations and found, “the contrived handwriting, the linguistic lapses, and the indications of fantasizing all suggest that Vassula Ryden is not in touch with supernatural entities but is simply engaging in self-deception that in turn deceives the credulous. Her automatic writings therefore are not works of revelation but simply of pious imagination.” Furthermore Ryden's personal misspellings and linguistic errors are identical to those written as Jesus, God, Mary, her own invisible “guardian angel, Daniel," and even Satan, which all seem to have the same hand writing and grammar. Nickell suggests, “If God deigns to use the English language, should we not expect it to be rendered accurately?”, although he does acknowledge that discussion about "what a deity might or might not do" would require investment from the imagination. In conclusion, regarding Ryden's artistic and exceptionally neat script when receiving from the entities, Nickell writes, “One suspects that if Ryden were prevented from seeing what was being written, the entities supposedly guiding her hand would be unable to so faithfully follow the lines! I invite Ryden to accept my invitation to perform a scientific test to refute or confirm this suspicion.”<ref> | |||
| In '']'' longtime investigator ] compared Ryden's "messages" to alleged communications from Jesus to other women claiming revelations and wrote, “the contrived handwriting, the linguistic lapses, and the indications of fantasizing all suggest that Vassula Ryden is not in touch with supernatural entities but is simply engaging in self-deception that in turn deceives the credulous. Her automatic writings therefore are not works of revelation but simply of pious imagination.” | |||
| Nickell says that Ryden's personal misspellings and linguistic errors are identical to those claimed to be written as Jesus, God, Mary, her own invisible “guardian angel, Daniel," and Satan, and all seem to have the same hand writing and grammar. Nickell suggests, “If God deigns to use the English language, should we not expect it to be rendered accurately?”. According to Nickell, “One suspects that if Ryden were prevented from seeing what was being written, the entities supposedly guiding her hand would be unable to so faithfully follow the lines! I invite Ryden to accept my invitation to perform a scientific test to refute or confirm this suspicion.”<ref> | |||
| {{cite journal | {{cite journal | ||
| | last = Nickell | | last = Nickell | ||
| Line 49: | Line 51: | ||
| </ref> | </ref> | ||
| ==Activities== | |||
| Rydén had never received any catechetical instruction, or theological formation.<ref name="PheonixTimes"/> A "spiritual zero" before the revelations began, Rydén believes that God chooses those otherwise incapable of such achievements so as to leave no doubt that it is His power at work. She believes that she was chosen for all that she was not. She stated that: "Jesus wanted a nothing", she explains, "in order to prove that I have not invented all this and that it comes from Him. He said it in a message: "All you have comes from Me and is My Work and not yours. Without Me, you are unable to even wink your eyes-so abandon yourself to Me."<ref name="ChristianProphecy"/><ref>{{cite book |author=Ryden, Vassula |title=True Life in God |publisher=Trinitas |location= |year=1991 |pages=24 |isbn=0-9631193-5-4 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1998, Ryden initiated the Beth Myriam (Mary's House) project to feed the poor, sponsored by the True Life In God Foundation.<ref name="Rajdhani">Rajdhani Nepali National Daily, 27 June 2010</ref> | |||
| Other investigations of Rydén's works include that of ] theologian Father ]. He made a serious investigative study of Rydén's case in accordance with the Criteria of Discernment laid down by Rome.<ref name="GodGivesSign"/> He carried out a number of interviews and meetings with Rydén and made an analytical study of her writings.<ref name="Enigma"/><ref name="TLIGVol1"/> He examined all aspects of Rydén's case including the following: Origin of her writings, ], value and credibility of the witness, signs and ], analysis of principal themes of the True Life in God messages, spiritual insights, ]s.<ref name="GodGivesSign"/> He documents his experience and findings in two books he wrote about Rydén's case:<ref name="GodGivesSign"/> ''Qui Est Vassula?'' (Who is Vassula?).<ref name="QuiEstVassula">{{cite book|title=Qui est Vassula ? : essai de discernement|year=1994|author=Laurentin R|isbn=2-86839-365-9|publisher=F.-X. de Guibert|location=Paris|language=French}}</ref> Laurentin carefully examines and addresses the many objections made against Rydén. He states: "Vassula is one of the most balanced and transparent seers that I know. Nevertheless, she has excited more opposition than any other. As is often the case for mystics, disbelief, fear, opposition and calumny appear in like measure with the graces received."<ref name="GodGivesSign"/> | |||
| Another author and theologian, who investigated Rydén's case and closely followed the evolution of her mission, is the late Fr. Michael O’Carroll, CSSp., Member of the ]. He documents his study of Rydénn and her writings in two books he wrote about her case.<ref>{{cite book|title=Vassula of the Sacred Heart’s Passion|year=1993|pages=1-2,119-133|author=O’Carroll M|isbn= 0-9519973-3-5}}</ref><ref name="BearerOfTheLight">, 1994, Chapter 6, by Michael O’Carroll, CSSp, ISBN 0-9519973-6-X</ref> He also references Rydén and her mission in a number of other publications. He states: ”Vassula exemplifies God’s frequent choice of converts to convert the world.”<ref>, 1994, Page 92, by Michael O’Carroll, ISBN 0-9519973-8-6</ref> He mentions the impact of the True Life in God messages on those who read them, highlighting the fact that Rydén's writings have “led to very many conversions”, along with the fact that a woman “with no theological instruction whatever, has profoundly impressed theologians of repute in different countries.”<ref name="BearerOfTheLight"/> He notes: ”The theological analysis of her writings brings into relief themes like: devotion to the Holy Spirit, the ], Christian unity, the conversion of Russia, devotion to the ], the spreading apostasy.” | |||
| Having investigated Rydén's case, both theologians were eager to share their findings with fellow clergy and theologians, including Pope ]. In his book, ''A Priest in Changing Times'',<ref name="PriestInChangingTimes">, 1998, by Michael O’Carroll, ISBN 1-85607-229-0</ref> O’Carroll reports: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| On 24 May 1995, I had the great joy of concelebrating with the Pope in his private oratory. I met the Pope briefly after the Mass and presented to him my second book on Vassula Ryden, in French translation. I had given him a copy of the first in the course of an audience in November 1993. On the same day, 24 May, Fr Rene Laurentin was also a concelebrant at the Papal Mass. He was beside me when the Pope came to speak to each of the concelebrants. With no previous agreement he was also presenting to the Pope his second book on Vassula. When the Pope asked him quite simply: ‘What do you think of her?’, part of his reply was: ‘She is much calumniated’.<ref name="PriestInChangingTimes"/></blockquote> | |||
| ==Christian unity== | |||
| One of the strongest elements in these messages is the gravity of the division between churches and the urgency of the work for unity of the Church and the importance of the ].<ref>The Voice of Delhi, July 2005, Vol XV No 7, by Bishop Anil Couto, p. 17.</ref> | |||
| Therefore, in addition to delivering the message, she also believes she has been called by God to promote Christian Unity.<ref name="VassulaComesToMonastery">Vassula Comes to the Monastery, Published 2005, ISBN 0-948108-13-4</ref> She and many volunteers organize ecumenical pilgrimages every two years where Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, clergy and lay people of all faiths gather and "practice unity" without making distinctions among each other.<ref>http://www.select-sources.com/VassulaRyden.html</ref> | |||
| The ecumenical aspect of Rydén's mission attracts interest and attention.<ref name="PaHoyden"> På Høyden, Norway, January 5, 2007, By Eli Kristine Korsmo</ref> She has been invited to speak and to share the True Life in God message by many ] – Orthodox, Catholic,<ref name="Inquirer"> ], May 13, 2008, by Lira Dalangin-Fernandez</ref> and Protestants alike. There are many references to the Pope in the messages she records where he is often referred to as ]. In his book, ''John Paul II – A Dictionary of His Life and Teachings'', Fr. Michael O'Carroll, in the section on Rydén notes: "This is the first time in nine hundred and forty years that an Orthodox writer has publicly championed the cause of the Roman Pontiff and his universal primacy."<ref>, 1994, by Fr. Michael O'Carroll CSSp, ISBN 0-9519973-8-6</ref> | |||
| She was invited by Fr. Ion Bria, of the ] working for the Ecumenical Council of Churches in ],<ref name="Enigma"/> and by Metropolitan Daniel of Moldavia and Bukovina, to assist at the Congress organized by the ] on Christian Spirituality, held in Iasi; her proposal for discussion of the unification of the dates of Easter was accepted by the closing general assembly.<ref>Vassula and Rome, Published 1996, ISBN 1-899228-03-9; Author: Michael Dore, page 22</ref> | |||
| In 2009, she was invited to speak, along with three other speakers, at the Christian Unity conference "United in Christ" at ], ].<ref>http://s1.e-monsite.com/2009/06/28/56851043flyer-namur-5-6-dec-en-ver-1-word-2-pdf.pdf</ref> The conference took place in the Namur diocese of Bishop ], who attended the conference<ref>http://martinmanou.e-monsite.com/rubrique,welcome,86240.html</ref> and led the celebration of the concluding Eucharistic Liturgy. Reporting later on the gathering on December 6, 2009, he stated: "And from Vassula Rydén's message, I acquired the conviction that in order to reconcile the Christian East and West, it is crucial to decide upon a common date for Easter."<ref> March 10, 2010, </ref> | |||
| ==Prophecies of Rydén== | |||
| Rydén has recorded many ] messages, some believed by her followers to have already been fulfilled.<ref>True Life in God Volume 3, Original Handwriting Edition, (Notebooks 29–41), Vol 3, 1991, page 44, by Vassula Rydén, ISBN 0-9631193-5-4</ref> | |||
| In an article written about Vassula titled "Fascinated by mysterious Jesus blogs", the ] news network ] mentioned that: "This female mystic is different from many other "modern prophets" in that she is orthodox and that many of her revelations concern Jesus, and not the Virgin Mary."<ref name="PaHoyden"/> | |||
| ==Beth Myriam== | |||
| Inspired by a claimed vision of ], Rydén initiated the Beth Myriam (Mary's House) project to feed the poor in 1998. Volunteers from local True Life In God Prayer Groups run the Beth Myriam charity houses which provide free meals to those in need in the local community.<ref name="Rajdhani">Rajdhani Nepali National Daily, 27 June 2010</ref> On March 27, 2002, Rydén recorded a specific message regarding the continued establishment of the Beth Myriams. There are currently 23 Beth Myriams worldwide.<ref name="VassulaComesToMonastery"/> | |||
| This work began in the ] and over time other Beth Myriams were established in other parts of the world. Some Beth Myriams have evolved to also provide clothing and basic education for the poor.<ref name="Rajdhani"/> | |||
| ==Inter-Religious== | |||
| ] | |||
| Ryden has made speaking appearances a ] Temple in ], ] in 1999, in ], ] in 2000, and at a Christian Unity conference "United in Christ" at ], ] in 2009.<ref>http://s1.e-monsite.com/2009/06/28/56851043flyer-namur-5-6-dec-en-ver-1-word-2-pdf.pdf</ref>. | |||
| In 2002, Rydén was invited to an inter-religious meeting in ], Bangladesh where the host was a Muslim Imam. Later that same year, she was asked by the Archbishop of ] Joseph Ti-Kan to give a speech to non-Christians.<ref name="VassulaComesToMonastery"/> | |||
| In February 2003, she was invited by the ] Suddhananda in his ] in Dhaka to honor her with the “Peace Gold Award” for her efforts in propagating peace in the world. She was nominated for this peace award by the ]s as a distinguished personality in recognition of her great contribution and her efforts for establishing inter-religious harmony and promoting world peace among all peoples and faiths. The function was inaugurated by Rev. Michael Rozario, Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Dhaka. Among other guests was the Secretary of the ] in Dhaka, as well as Muslim Professors from various regions of Bangladesh. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and ] were present. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} | |||
| In February 2003, she was invited by the ] Suddhananda in his ] in Dhaka to honor her with the “Peace Gold Award” for her efforts in propagating peace in the world. In 2009 Rydén was presented with a Gold Medal and Certificate for her efforts of propagating “Inter-faith Harmony and Peaceful Co-existence” by the Buddhist community in Dhaka, Bangladesh. {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} | |||
| ==Eastern Orthodox Church's stance on Rydén== | ==Eastern Orthodox Church's stance on Rydén== | ||
| On March 16, 2011 the Greek Orthodox Church and synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a disapproval of her teachings and instructed all Orthodox Christians to not associate with this movement. The Synodical Committee for Matters of Heresy announced on January 13, 2012 that Ryden's "teachings are heretical, and her claims that she communicates directly with Christ are fantastical and outside of the spirit of the experience of the our Church," and went on to cite the Ecumenical Patriarchate's announcement about Ryden.<ref>http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=2129 | |||
| On March 16, 2011 the Greek Orthodox Church (the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) issued a disapproval of her teachings and instructed all Orthodox Christians to not associate with this movement: | |||
| :"Hence, we call upon the proponents of these unacceptable innovations and the supporters who maintain them, who henceforth are not admitted to ecclesiastical communion, not only to not be involved in the pastoral work of the local Holy Metropolis, but also to not preach their novel teachings, to prevent the appropriate sanctions under the Holy Canons."<ref>http://www.ec-patr.org/docdisplay.php?lang=gr&id=1306&tla=gr | |||
| *http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/03/announcement-on-vassula-ryden-by.html Translation | |||
| *http://www.impantokratoros.gr/ecumenical_patriarchate_vasoula.en.aspx | |||
| *http://www.antiochian.org/front_news?page=6</ref> | |||
| The Synodical Committee for Matters of Heresy announced on January 13, 2012 that Vassula's "teachings are heretical, and her claims that she communicates directly with Christ are fantastical and outside of the spirit of the experience of the our Church," and went on to cite the Ecumenical Patriarchate's announcement about Vassula.<ref>http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=2129 | |||
| *http://www.impantokratoros.gr/church-cyprus-vassoula-ryden.en.aspx Translation</ref> | *http://www.impantokratoros.gr/church-cyprus-vassoula-ryden.en.aspx Translation</ref> | ||
| ==Roman Catholic Church's stance on Rydén== | ==Roman Catholic Church's stance on Rydén== | ||
| In 1995, the Catholic Church's ] (CDF) issued a Notification on the True Life in God writings of Rydén.<ref>Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, NOTIFICATION ON VASSULA RYDEN (6 October 1995), published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis AAS 88 (1996) 956–957; OR 23–24.10.1995; EV 14, 1956–1957; LE 5618. </ref> The CDF stated that the "attentive examination of the entire question" had brought up "a number of basic elements that must be considered negative in the light of Catholic doctrine" as well as "several doctrinal errors". It also questioned the "suspect nature of the ways in which these alleged revelations have occurred" and considers the fact that "the aforementioned errors no longer appear in Ryden's later writings is a sign that the alleged heavenly messages are merely the result of private meditations". The Notification concludes by requesting "the intervention of the Bishops" to prevent the dissemination of Mrs Ryden's ideas in their dioceses and "invites all the faithful not to regard Mrs Vassula Ryden's writings and speeches as supernatural". | |||
| In November 1996, following a series of declarations from Ryden's supporters affirming that the Notification was not a valid document, the CDF issued a press release, stating that the Notification "retains all its force" and "was approved by the competent authorities and will be published in the ''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'', the official organ of the Holy See".<ref>http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFRYDN2.HTM</ref> In 1999, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger stated that the notification was a warning, not a condemnation. | |||
| As with anyone claiming to receive messages from a God, Rydén's writings have been the object of much questioning and arguing for and against the authenticity of her experience. Unusual to her case, however, is the extent to which the Catholic Church has engaged in dialogue with a non-Catholic, Orthodox alleged mystic. The Catholic Church took a negative stance. | |||
| In September 2005, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland warned people against going to Rydén's conference in Edinburgh. Referring to the 1995 Notification, he said Rydén "certainly did not" operate with the approval of the Church and that "the advice to Catholics is not to attend her gatherings due to the suspect nature of her alleged revelations, which contain doctrinal errors." | |||
| ===Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith=== | |||
| In 1995, the ] (CDF) issued a Notification on the True Life in God writings of Rydén.<ref>Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, NOTIFICATION ON VASSULA RYDEN (6 October 1995), published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis AAS 88 (1996) 956–957; OR 23–24.10.1995; EV 14, 1956–1957; LE 5618. </ref> The Congregation studied the written daily conversations which she said she had with Jesus and, on October 6, 1995, issued a Notification in response to many Catholic bishops and faithful that had written for guidance regarding Rydén's spiritual writings. The Congregation stated that the "attentive examination of the entire question" had brought up "a number of basic elements that must be considered negative in the light of Catholic doctrine" as well as "several doctrinal errors". It also questioned the "suspect nature of the ways in which these alleged revelations have occurred" and considers the fact that "the aforementioned errors no longer appear in Ryden's later writings is a sign that the alleged heavenly messages are merely the result of private meditations". The Notification concludes by requesting "the intervention of the Bishops" to prevent the dissemination of Mrs Ryden's ideas in their dioceses and "invites all the faithful not to regard Mrs Vassula Ryden's writings and speeches as supernatural". | |||
| In November 1996, following a series of declarations from Ryden's supporters affirming that the Notification was not a valid document, the Congregation issued a press release, stating that the Notification "retains all its force" and "was approved by the competent authorities and will be published in the ''Acta Apostolicae Sedis'', the official organ of the Holy See".<ref>http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFRYDN2.HTM</ref> | |||
| ===Interview with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger=== | |||
| In 1999, theologian Dr. Niels Christian Hvidt interviewed the then president of the CDF, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—now ]. In his interview Hvidt raised the question as to whether the 1995 Notification on Rydén's writings was a condemnation. Cardinal Ratzinger replied: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| You have touched on a very problematical issue. No, the Notification is a warning, not a condemnation. From the strictly procedural point of view, no person may be condemned without a trial and without being given the opportunity to air their views first. What we say is that there are many things which are not clear. There are some debatable apocalyptic elements and ecclesiological aspects which are not clear. Her writings contain many good things but the grain and the chaff are mixed up. That is why we invited Catholic faithful to view it all with a prudent eye and to measure it by the yardstick of the constant faith of the Church.<ref name="ChristianProphecy"/></blockquote> | |||
| When asked by Hvidt if the procedure to clarify the question was continuing, Ratzinger answered: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| Yes, and during the clarification process the faithful must be prudent, maintaining a discerning attitude. There is no doubt that there is an evolution in the writings which does not yet seem to have concluded. We must remember that being able to set oneself up as the word and image of interior contact with God, even in the case of authentic mysticism, always depends on the possibilities of the human soul and its limitations. Unlimited trust should only be placed in the real Word of the Revelation that we encounter in the faith transmitted by the Church.<ref name="ChristianProphecy"/></blockquote> | |||
| ===Dialogue between Rydén and the CDF=== | |||
| After a request was made by Rydén in 2000 to the aforementioned congregation (the CDF), the then Cardinal Ratzinger invited Rydén, in 2002, to answer five questions about her messages and its relation to the Holy Bible and Sacred Tradition. Rydén sent her replies to the Congregation later that same year. At the end of this dialogue, the former president of the CDF, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger—now ], formally requested that Rydén publish the full correspondence between herself and the CDF in the published TLIG books. Later still, the Cardinal wrote a letter, dated July 10, 2004, to five episcopal conferences who had been negative about Rydén and her writings indicating that she had given "useful clarifications regarding her marital situation, as well as some difficulties which in the aforesaid Notification were suggested towards her writings and her participation in the ]". The whole process was concluded with a private audience between Rydén, the then Cardinal Ratzinger and Dr. Niels Christian Hvidt who had first requested the dialogue in 1999.<ref>Dialogue between Vassula Ryden and the CDF - http://www.cdf-tlig.org </ref> | |||
| At the end of 2004, the True Life in God Association published a booklet titled "Clarifications with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith" presenting the written dialogue and suggesting that the Notification was no longer valid.<ref>Clarifications with the CDF - http://www.tlig.org/downloads/en/cdf.pdf</ref> Fr. Geoffrey Attard states in The Catholic Times: ''In a publication entitled ''True Life in God – Clarifications with the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith'', Archbishop ], who is a promoter of Rydén's cause, had this comment to make in September 2004 after the Congregation's removal of any suspicion regarding Rydén's writings:'' "I am extremely happy that Cardinal Ratzinger perfectly mirrors the attitude of the Holy Father whose great obsession, and probably the reason for the life and energy he manifests, is the Unity of Christianity."<ref name="CatholicTimes"/> The booklet was distributed by the local True Life in God associations to Catholic clergy worldwide.<ref>''True Life in God Newsletter'', English edition, circulated by email by the tlig website, January 29, 2005.</ref> | |||
| In 2005, the True Life in God writings were granted a '']'' by Bishop Felix Toppo S.J. (India) and '']'' by Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles (Philippines). | In 2005, the True Life in God writings were granted a '']'' by Bishop Felix Toppo S.J. (India) and '']'' by Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles (Philippines). | ||
| In September 2005, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland warned people against going to Rydén's conference in Edinburgh. Referring to the 1995 Notification, he said Rydén "certainly did not" operate with the approval of the Church and that "the advice to Catholics is not to attend her gatherings due to the suspect nature of her alleged revelations, which contain doctrinal errors." | |||
| In January 2006, the Cathedral of Los Angeles (U.S.) withdrew its invitation to play host to a conference where the main speaker was Rydén. The withdrawal was approved by the archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal ]. Mgr. Kostelnik, pastor of the Cathedral, explained in a press release that the organizers had assured him that Rydén's writings had "been cleared by the Vatican", but that he had discovered that those assurances were "a serious misrepresentation of the current Vatican view of Mrs Ryden's speeches and writings" and that the 1995 and 1996 Vatican statements cautioning Catholics against following Rydén remained "in full force".<ref>Larry B. Stammer. L.A. CATHEDRAL DISINVITES CHRISTIAN UNITY EVENT, Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2006. http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/vassula.htm</ref> | In January 2006, the Cathedral of Los Angeles (U.S.) withdrew its invitation to play host to a conference where the main speaker was Rydén. The withdrawal was approved by the archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal ]. Mgr. Kostelnik, pastor of the Cathedral, explained in a press release that the organizers had assured him that Rydén's writings had "been cleared by the Vatican", but that he had discovered that those assurances were "a serious misrepresentation of the current Vatican view of Mrs Ryden's speeches and writings" and that the 1995 and 1996 Vatican statements cautioning Catholics against following Rydén remained "in full force".<ref>Larry B. Stammer. L.A. CATHEDRAL DISINVITES CHRISTIAN UNITY EVENT, Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2006. http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/vassula.htm</ref> | ||
| Finally, in a letter dated January 25, 2007, the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, William Cardinal Levada, following continued requests for clarifications on the writings and activities of Rydén, wrote to the Catholic hierarchy around the world stating that "the Notification of 1995 remains valid as a doctrinal judgment" of the writings, which should be seen as her own personal meditations and that Catholics should not take part in prayer groups established by Ryden. <ref name="Levada">{{cite web|last=Levada|first=William|title=Letter to Presidents of Episcopal Conferences (25 January 2007)|url=http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cdfrydn4.htm|accessdate=4 May 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ===Ongoing TLIG support from members of the Catholic clergy=== | |||
| {{original research|section|date=May 2012|reason=Citing primary sourced statements and then suggesting it has due weight seems like OR}} | |||
| As a result of the continued confusion and apparent conflict with previous statements from the CDF, many Catholic clergy, including Bishops and Cardinals, have chosen to continue their support for Rydén and even promote TLIG. Cardinal ], in a statement he made to his Archdiocese dated June 2009, said regarding Rydén that she has been called by Jesus.<ref name="ZuluMissions">, www.zulumissions.org</ref> | |||
| Fr. Attard believes Pope Benedict himself is inspired by Rydén's writings in the cause of Christian unity: | |||
| <blockquote> | |||
| ...I would like to consider the possibility that Pope Benedict's enthusiasm for the ecumenical cause may stem from, among other sources, his friendship and ongoing interest in the writings of a Greek Orthodox woman who for the past two decades has been experiencing intimate revelations from Jesus which she puts to paper and which are now even published in book form in various languages. The more I read from Vassula's writings and the more I hear Pope Benedict's plea for Christian unity, the more I come to believe that His Holiness may be finding Vassula's writings quite inspirational for the cause of Christian unity and ecumenism.<ref name="CatholicTimes">Is Pope inspired by writings of an Orthodox seer? No, 613(5895), Page 12, U.K., July 17, 2005, by Fr. Geoffrey Attard, CatholicTimes</ref></blockquote> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 16:30, 5 May 2012
| Vassula Rydén | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Vassiliki Claudia Pendakis (1942-01-18) January 18, 1942 (age 82) Cairo, Egypt |
| Occupation | Author |
| Children | 2 |
Vassula Rydén (born January 18, 1942) is a controversial, self-proclaimed Christian mystic living in Switzerland who professes to receive messages from Jesus Christ and The Virgin Mary. A member of the Greek Orthodox Church, former tennis champion, and fashion model born in Egypt to Greek parents, Ryden has attracted a devoted following among some Catholics who follow apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Various priests, bishops, theologians and religious scholars have vouched for the authenticity of her "messages" and she travels around the world giving lectures and providing "healing services". Although two Catholic bishops in California welcomed her into their cathedrals, the Roman Catholic Church issued a statement advising Catholics "not to regard the messages of Vassula Ryden as divine revelations, but only as personal meditations", and some critics have called her a "false prophet" and a "con artist". Ryden's writings and handwritten transcriptions have been published as a series of nine volumes, called "True Life In God" and translated into 31 languages by Trinitas, an Independence, Missouri, publishing house and nonprofit organization established to spread her writings in 1991.
Biography
Rydén, was born Vassiliki Claudia Pendakis on January 18, 1942, in Heliopolis on the outskirts of Cairoin the daughter of Greek Orthodox parents established in Egypt. She started school in Egypt, and then at the age of 15, she emigrated to Europe.
In November 1966, she married a Lutheran man in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, at a Greek Orthodox Church. She later got divorced in Sweden in November 1980. In June 1981, she married her current husband, Per Rydén, a Swedish Lutheran, at the registry office. On October 31, 1990, she regularized her union in the Greek Orthodox Church and celebrated her religious marriage in Lausanne. Rydén has two adult sons.
Claims
Ryden is known for her writings entitled "True Life in God", a compilation of nearly 2000 messages she claims to have received from God since the year 1985 when she was living in Bangladesh. One day while writing a grocery list, she claims to have suddenly experienced a light electrical feeling in her right hand and an invisible presence. She says she felt led by the presence, "permitted her hand to be guided", and wrote, "I am your guardian Angel and my name is Daniel." Ryden believes she has been called to transmit messages she receives to the world. Ryden has written messages believed by her followers to have been prophetic.
Supporters
Father Rene Laurentin, Father Robert Faricy, Father Michael O'Carroll as well as Archbishop Frane Franic who are major promoters of Our Lady of Međugorje also actively support Ryden through their public statements and publications.
Laurentin wrote that Ryden is "one of the most balanced and transparent seers that I know. Nevertheless, she has excited more opposition than any other. As is often the case for mystics, disbelief, fear, opposition and calumny appear in like measure with the graces received." According to O’Carroll, Ryden is "a woman with no theological instruction whatever" that "has profoundly impressed theologians of repute in different countries” and Ryden's writings have “led to very many conversions.”
Supporters Fr. Edward O’Connor and Niels Hvidt believe that God is using Ryden's messages to "consolidate his church" and bring it into unity, which they feel is the main theme of her books.
Other believers such as Fr. Ferdinand Umana Montoya say that Ryden's writings are of supernatural origin of a type that he calls ‘hieratic’ or ‘sacred’ writing. Fr. Geoffrey Attard believes Pope Benedict is inspired by Rydén's writings in the cause of Christian unity.
Skeptics
In Skeptical Inquirer Magazine longtime investigator Joe Nickell compared Ryden's "messages" to alleged communications from Jesus to other women claiming revelations and wrote, “the contrived handwriting, the linguistic lapses, and the indications of fantasizing all suggest that Vassula Ryden is not in touch with supernatural entities but is simply engaging in self-deception that in turn deceives the credulous. Her automatic writings therefore are not works of revelation but simply of pious imagination.”
Nickell says that Ryden's personal misspellings and linguistic errors are identical to those claimed to be written as Jesus, God, Mary, her own invisible “guardian angel, Daniel," and Satan, and all seem to have the same hand writing and grammar. Nickell suggests, “If God deigns to use the English language, should we not expect it to be rendered accurately?”. According to Nickell, “One suspects that if Ryden were prevented from seeing what was being written, the entities supposedly guiding her hand would be unable to so faithfully follow the lines! I invite Ryden to accept my invitation to perform a scientific test to refute or confirm this suspicion.”
Activities
In 1998, Ryden initiated the Beth Myriam (Mary's House) project to feed the poor, sponsored by the True Life In God Foundation.
Ryden has made speaking appearances a Buddhist Temple in Hiroshima, Japan in 1999, in Benin, Africa in 2000, and at a Christian Unity conference "United in Christ" at Namur, Belgium in 2009..
In February 2003, she was invited by the Venerable Suddhananda in his monastery in Dhaka to honor her with the “Peace Gold Award” for her efforts in propagating peace in the world. In 2009 Rydén was presented with a Gold Medal and Certificate for her efforts of propagating “Inter-faith Harmony and Peaceful Co-existence” by the Buddhist community in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Eastern Orthodox Church's stance on Rydén
On March 16, 2011 the Greek Orthodox Church and synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople issued a disapproval of her teachings and instructed all Orthodox Christians to not associate with this movement. The Synodical Committee for Matters of Heresy announced on January 13, 2012 that Ryden's "teachings are heretical, and her claims that she communicates directly with Christ are fantastical and outside of the spirit of the experience of the our Church," and went on to cite the Ecumenical Patriarchate's announcement about Ryden.
Roman Catholic Church's stance on Rydén
In 1995, the Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued a Notification on the True Life in God writings of Rydén. The CDF stated that the "attentive examination of the entire question" had brought up "a number of basic elements that must be considered negative in the light of Catholic doctrine" as well as "several doctrinal errors". It also questioned the "suspect nature of the ways in which these alleged revelations have occurred" and considers the fact that "the aforementioned errors no longer appear in Ryden's later writings is a sign that the alleged heavenly messages are merely the result of private meditations". The Notification concludes by requesting "the intervention of the Bishops" to prevent the dissemination of Mrs Ryden's ideas in their dioceses and "invites all the faithful not to regard Mrs Vassula Ryden's writings and speeches as supernatural".
In November 1996, following a series of declarations from Ryden's supporters affirming that the Notification was not a valid document, the CDF issued a press release, stating that the Notification "retains all its force" and "was approved by the competent authorities and will be published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official organ of the Holy See". In 1999, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger stated that the notification was a warning, not a condemnation.
In September 2005, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland warned people against going to Rydén's conference in Edinburgh. Referring to the 1995 Notification, he said Rydén "certainly did not" operate with the approval of the Church and that "the advice to Catholics is not to attend her gatherings due to the suspect nature of her alleged revelations, which contain doctrinal errors."
In 2005, the True Life in God writings were granted a Nihil obstat by Bishop Felix Toppo S.J. (India) and Imprimatur by Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles (Philippines).
In January 2006, the Cathedral of Los Angeles (U.S.) withdrew its invitation to play host to a conference where the main speaker was Rydén. The withdrawal was approved by the archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony. Mgr. Kostelnik, pastor of the Cathedral, explained in a press release that the organizers had assured him that Rydén's writings had "been cleared by the Vatican", but that he had discovered that those assurances were "a serious misrepresentation of the current Vatican view of Mrs Ryden's speeches and writings" and that the 1995 and 1996 Vatican statements cautioning Catholics against following Rydén remained "in full force".
References
- Gilstrap P (1996-12-05). "When God Talks Vassula Listens". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved 2012-03-23.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - Lattin, Don (December 14, 1996). "Mystic Called Divine Prophet Or Con Artist Catholic churches issue warning before S.F. visit". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- Stammer, Larry B. (April 29, 1995). "A Divided Message : Spirituality: To her followers worldwide, Vassula Ryden is a faithful purveyor of communications from Jesus and Mary. But theologians question credibility". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- Stammer, Larry B. "L.A. Cathedral Disinvites Christian Unity Event: Pastor decides not to allow conference after realizing the role of a self-proclaimed mystic". January 10, 2006. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
- ^ Neirynck J (2003). The Vassula Enigma]. Trinitas. ISBN 978-1-883225-30-8.
- ^ Rene Laurentin (1993). When God Gives a Sign: A Response to Objections Made Against Vassula's Testimony on True Life in God. Trinitas. ISBN 1-883225-14-0.
- Ryden, Vassula (1991). True life in God: notebooks. Trinitas. ISBN 0-9631193-3-8.
- ^ Hvidt, Niels Christian (2007). Christian prophecy: the post-biblical tradition. Oxford : Oxford University Press. pp. 111–116. ISBN 0-19-531447-6.
- Joanne Marie Greer; David O. Moberg (1999). Research in the Social Scientific Study of Religion. BRILL. pp. 146–. ISBN 978-0-7623-0483-7. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
- Philippe Coron (1994). J'ai vu écrire Vassula: Analyse scientifique de la vraie vie en Dieu. F.-X. de Guilbert. pp. 21–35. ISBN 2-86839-347-0.
- Montoya FU (1995). Vassula, Un Charisme Oecumenique pour notre Temps (Vassula, An Ecumenical Charism for our Times). ISBN 978-2-88022-071-6.
- Is Pope inspired by writings of an Orthodox seer? No, 613(5895), Page 12, U.K., July 17, 2005, by Fr. Geoffrey Attard, CatholicTimes
-
Nickell, Joe (March/April 2011). "Heaven's Stenographer: The 'Guided' Hand of Vassurla Ryden". Skeptical Inquirer. 35 (2). Committee for Skeptical Inquiry: 19–22.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - Rajdhani Nepali National Daily, 27 June 2010
- http://s1.e-monsite.com/2009/06/28/56851043flyer-namur-5-6-dec-en-ver-1-word-2-pdf.pdf
- http://www.churchofcyprus.org.cy/article.php?articleID=2129
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, NOTIFICATION ON VASSULA RYDEN (6 October 1995), published in Acta Apostolicae Sedis AAS 88 (1996) 956–957; OR 23–24.10.1995; EV 14, 1956–1957; LE 5618.
- http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDFRYDN2.HTM
- Larry B. Stammer. L.A. CATHEDRAL DISINVITES CHRISTIAN UNITY EVENT, Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2006. http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/vassula.htm
External links
- Official website of True Life in God
- Criticism of Vassula Ryden's True Life in God messages
- Vatican notification