Apparitions True and False - Public Revelation and Private Revelation

02-16-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

The Church teaches a distinction between public and private revelation. Public revelation is defined as follows: God, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, chose to reveal Himself to mankind; in accord with God’s divine plan of salvation, Jesus Christ– true God who became also true man, the Word of God incarnate– perfectly and fully revealed the Father to us in union with the Holy Spirit.

St. Paul in the Letter to the Hebrews (1:3), taught exactly this definition: “In times past, God spoke in fragmentary and varied ways to our fathers through the prophets; in this, the final age, He has spoken through His Son, through whom He first created the universe. This Son is the reflection of the Father’s glory, the exact representation of the Father’s being, and He sustains all things by His powerful word.

”No new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” This revelation God has given to all people for all ages is preserved in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Sacred Scripture– or the Bible– is God’s word recorded in writing by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit; no book or verse will be added to or deleted from the Bible. Sacred Tradition is the handing over of the Word of God, which Jesus entrusted to the apostles and their successors, guided and enlightened by the Holy Spirit. An example of Sacred Tradition is the Nicene Creed, the Creed we profess at Mass. Together, Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition form one deposit of revelation, for both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one reality and move towards the same goal the salvation of souls, seeing God face to face in Heaven.

In these definitions, an important point is emphasized: While the deposit of revelation is complete, “it has not been made completely explicit; it remains for Christian faith gradually to grasp its significance over the course of the centuries” (Catechism, #66; also confer #74-83). Herein lies the role of the teaching authority of the Church, as the authentic guardian, interpreter, and teacher of revelation which is guided and protected from error by the Holy Spirit. All faithful Catholics are bound to accept these revealed truths with a divine faith. Divine Faith means believing God Who has revealed these truths, Who can neither deceive nor be deceived. To deny these revealed truths would be considered heresy (false teaching); such as denying the mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord, the Real Presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, or the existence of Hell.

Private revelations occur
God may, and sometimes does, grant revelations to private individuals. But the Church never imposes on Catholics the obligation of believing anyone’s private revelations, even those of the great saints. The Church gives her approval to private revelations only when she is satisfied after rigorous examination of their spiritual utility and of the evidence on which they depend.

The Catechism
The Catechism of the Catholic Church at #67 says: "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. … 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."

The power of the devil
Very few people are aware of the devil’s full powers, and his ability to deceive. It is knowledge of diabolical trickery which makes the Church cautious in the area of private revelation. The devil has superhuman intelligence and is very clever, and to pretend that you can definitively judge in favor of something’s authenticity, without help, is presumptuous. To know if something is false, it suffices to know that it says something contrary to the teaching of the Church. Hence, it is easier to pronounce against visionaries than in their favor. But the mere absence of doctrinal error is not enough. There have to be other positive indicators.

Signs of God
"The following characteristics are general signs of the divine spirit:

1. Truth. God is truth and cannot inspire anything but truth in a soul. If a person believed to be inspired by God, therefore, maintains opinions that are manifestly against revealed truth, the infallible teaching of the Church, or proven theology or philosophy or science, it must be concluded that the individual is deluded by the devil or is the victim of excessive imagination or faulty reasoning.
2. Gravity. God is never the cause of things that are useless, futile, frivolous, or impertinent. When his spirit moves a soul it is always for something serious and beneficial.
3. Enlightenment. Although one may not always understand the meaning of an inspiration from God, the effect of any divine movement or impulse is always enlightenment and certitude rather than darkness and confusion. This is true both for the effects on the individual who receives the inspiration and its effects on others.
4. Docility. Souls that are moved by the spirit of God accept cheerfully the advice and counsel of their directors or others who have authority over them. This spirit of obedience, docility, and submission is one of the clearest signs that a particular inspiration or movement is from God. This is especially true in the case of the educated, who have a greater tendency to be attached to their own opinions.
5. Discretion. The spirit of God makes the soul discreet, prudent, and thoughtful in all its actions. There is nothing of precipitation, lightness, exaggeration, or impetuosity; all is well balanced, edifying, serious, and full of calmness and peace.
6. Humility. The Holy Spirit always fills the soul with sentiments of humility and self-effacement. The loftier the communications from on high, the more profoundly the soul inclines to the abyss of its own nothingness. Mary said, ‘I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say’ (Lk 1:38).
7. Peace. St. Paul speaks frequently of the peace that comes from God (Rom 15:33, Phil 4:9), and Jesus mentions peace as one of the manifestations of his spirit (Jn 14:27). This is a quality that always accompanies communications from God; the soul experiences a profound and stable serenity in the depths of its spirit." (pp. 402-3)

Fr Jordan Aumann O.P. mentions other signs also: Confidence in God, Flexibility of will, Purity of intention, Patience in suffering, Self-abnegation, Simplicity, Liberty of spirit.

Signs of the diabolical spirit
"…[S]ince the devil may disguise himself as a good spirit and even cause what appears to be authentic mystical phenomena, it is helpful to mention briefly the various signs of the diabolical spirit.

1. Spirit of falsity. The devil is the father of lies, but he cleverly conceals his deceit by half-truths and pseudomystical phenomena.
2. Morbid curiosity. This is characteristic of those who eagerly seek out the esoteric aspects of mystical phenomena or have a fascination for the occult or preternatural.
3. Confusion, anxiety, and deep depression.
4. Obstinacy, one of the surest signs of a diabolical spirit.
5. Constant indiscretion and a restless spirit. Those who constantly go to extremes, as in penitential exercises or apostolic activity, or neglect their primary obligations to do some personally chosen work.
6. Spirit of pride and vanity. Very anxious to publicize their gifts of grace and mystical experiences.
7. False humility. This is the disguise for their pride and disordered self-love.
8. Despair, lack of confidence, and discouragement. A chronic characteristic that alternates with presumption, vain security, and unfounded optimism." (p. 412)

Fr Aumann mentions other signs also: Impatience in suffering and stubborn resentment; Uncontrolled passions and strong inclination to sensuality, usually under the guise of mystical union; Hypocrisy, simulation, and duplicity; Excessive attachment to sensible consolations, particularly in their practice of prayer; Lack of deep devotion to Jesus and Mary;