Source: Tom Nash, Catholic Answers via catholic.com
Reprinted with permission.
Author: Tom Nash has served the Church professionally for more than 35 years, including as a theology advisor at the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He is a contributing apologist for Catholic Answers, and a contributing writer for both the National Catholic Register and Catholic World Report. Tom appears as a periodic guest host for Kresta in the Afternoon and has appeared as a regular guest apologist on Catholic Answers Live for more than a decade.
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Question:
Is the flame of love movement locutions from Elizabeth Kindelmann approved by the holy see?
Answer:
First, private revelations typically aren’t reviewed by the Holy See. They’re always reviewed first by the local diocesan bishop. If judged worthy of belief by the local bishop, the faithful are free to publicly promote widely such ecclesiastically approved revelations and related persons.
Given their fruit, some locally approved private revelations also receive additional affirmation by the Holy See, including visits by Popes on their apostolic trips around the world. Examples would include the Marian apparitions of Fatima, Lourdes and Guadalupe.
Regarding Hungarian Elizabeth Kindelmann (1913-85), she reportedly received private revelations from Jesus and Mary from 1961-82. However, we have seen nothing that confirms her local bishop found her reported revelations worthy of belief.
Cardinal Peter Erdo of Budapest has reportedly given an imprimatur to Kindelmann’s related spiritual diary, but that is not an affirmation of her reported revelation themselves. That simply means that a competent Church official has judged there are no doctrinal errors in her spiritual diary. Evaluating the supernatural character of reported revelations is different, though, related matter. Similarly, various writers receive imprimaturs for their books from their local bishops. That doesn’t mean their written words are the product of authentic private revelations, faithful though their presentations are.
Consequently, we urge caution regarding the related “Flame of Love” movement. One should not attribute a supernatural character to Kindelmann’s reported private revelations when Church authorities haven’t. And our relationships with Jesus and the Blessed Mother should never be contingent upon reported revelations, lest they be undermined when such reported revelations do not receive Church approval. Further, as noted, there are a good number of Church-approved private revelations and related movements which one can support.
For more information on private revelation, please see our tract on the subject and also other online resources.
Header image: flameoflove.wordpress.com
