A friend whom I shall call Mary has asked for my thoughts on two "saints" of the Catholic Church in connection with the devotion known as Divine Mercy which came through supposed appearances of Our Blessed Lord to the Polish nun, Sr. Faustina, who is of the same nationality as Pope John Paul II.
I have chosen to answer in this blog as it would be too lengthy for the platform we were using to correspond.
For the unfamiliar, the writings of Faustina detailing the appearances of Jesus to her [circa 1930"s], were placed on the Index Of Forbidden Books by Pope Pius XII as dangerous to the faith. Even Pope John XXIII forbade images of Divine Mercy to be displayed in churches. Following a petition from Polish bishops, including the future John Paul II, Karol Vojtyla, to reconsider the revelations, writings and devotional of Divine Mercy, these were approved after the Vatican II Council.
Source: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=gq2KCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=who+approved+writings+of+sr+faustina&source=bl&ots=tCK3et29GI&sig=ACfU3U1NBxiCl0RBGjL-rUAW6vcoQb9elQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwimzq66_rfpAhU3yzgGHbrYCIkQ6AEwEXoECA0QAQ#v=onepage&q=who%20approved%20writings%20of%20sr%20faustina&f=false
Personal Note: The devotional didn't appear to become popular in Australia for sometime. Indeed I had never come across it in the few parishes I had lived in until 2009 where my newest parish had the icon prominently displayed and after the first mass that I attended the devotional prayers were recited. Not only did I find the icon with its laser beams off-putting but I was shocked that rosary beads were used in the prayers. It was as if the rosary was being replaced.
Faustina's revelations and writings were not something that I intended to spend time on, but as time went by I did do a some research. I was motivated then because this cult was associated with other matters I was looking into, viz.: the heresies of Vatican II and the dubious encyclicals and behavior of John Paul II [not to mention other persons of high office].
It is best at this point if I set down some of Sr. Faustina's own words and let the reader judge for themselves. For me, I find these and other passages quite antithetical to Catholic beliefs and contradictory to accepted theology.
On page 23 of the book Divine Mercy in My Soul (The Diary of Sr. Faustina), it says: “… and the host came out of the tabernacle and came to rest in my hands and I, with joy, placed it back in the tabernacle. This was repeated a second time, and I did the same thing. Despite this, it happened a third time…”1
On page 89 of the book Divine Mercy in My Soul, it says: “When the priest approached me again, I raised the host for him to put back into the chalice, because when I had first received Jesus I could not speak before consuming the host, and so could not tell Him that the other host had fallen. But while I was holding the host in my hand, I felt such a power of love that for the rest of the day I could neither eat nor come to my senses. I heard these words from the host: I desired to rest in your hands, not only in your heart.”2
On page 168, it says: “The moment I knelt down to cross out my own will, as the Lord had bid me to do, I heard this voice in my soul: From now on, do not fear God’s judgment, for you will not be judged.”3 (From Feb. 4, 1935)
On page 176, “Jesus” says to her: “You are a sweet grape and a chosen cluster; I want others to have a share in the juice that is flowing within you.”4
On page 191, “Jesus” says to her: “For your sake I will withhold the hand which punishes; for your sake I will bless the Earth.”5 (Also see page 378.)
On page 247, “Jesus” says: “And know this, too, My daughter: All creatures, whether they know it or not, and whether they want to or not, always fulfill my will… My daughter, if you wish, I will this instant create a new world, more beautiful than this one, and you will live there for the rest of your life.”6
On page 260, “Jesus” says: “For many souls will turn back from the gates of Hell and worship My mercy.”7
On page 374, “Jesus” says: “If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity.”8 On page 382, “Jesus” says: “I desire that My mercy be worshipped.”9
On page 288, “Jesus” says: “That is why I am uniting myself with you so intimately as with no other creature.”10
On page 400, “Jesus” says: “I see your love so pure, purer than that of the angels, and all the more so because you keep fighting. For your sake I bless the world.”11
On page 417, we read that “Jesus” supposedly gave Sr. Faustina this instruction: “Tell the Superior General to count on you as the most faithful daughter in the Order.”12
On page 583, we read that Sr. Faustina said: “When I took the Messenger of the Sacred Heart into my hand and read the account of the canonization of St. Andrew Bobola, my soul was instantly filled with a great longing that our congregation, too, might have a saint and I wept like a child that there was no saint in our midst. And I said to the Lord, ‘I know your generosity, and yet it seems to me that you are less generous towards us.’ And I began again to weep like a little child. And the Lord Jesus said to me, ‘Don’t cry. You are that saint.’”13
Source: https://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/41_Dmercy.pdf
Now we come to John Paul II. At one point I considered him a true man of God, holding much admiration for him. I served at his mass in 1984 along with many other acolytes. Subsequently, however, I had occasion to look into his life and was stunned to find that he had, only a month previously, been the architect of the infamous Assisi interfaith celebrations. I wonder today about the motivation for his canonization so soon after his death [ and throw John XXIII into that bucket too].
Part of my readings on him were his first encyclical. I found it in tune with, and as heretical as, Nostra Aetate, a document of Vatican II which was so appeasing and accepting of contrary beliefs held by pagans and Jews. In the following you may note how his words accord with Francis' attitude to relativism and to paganistic tenets.
John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis (# 13), March 4, 1979: “We are dealing with each man, for each one is included in the mystery of the Redemption and with each one Christ has united Himself forever through this mystery.”3 ystery of ion and with each one Christ has united himself forever
John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio (# 4), Dec. 7, 1990: “The Redemption event brings salvation to all, ‘for each one is included in the m the Redempt through this mystery.’”4
John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis (# 6), March 4, 1979: “Does it not sometimes happen that the firm belief of the followers of the non-Christian religions – a belief that is also an effect of the Spirit of truth operating outside the visible confines of the Mystical Body…”10
In contrast, on just this particular matter, here is the standard teaching of the Church ......
Pope Pius XI, Mortalium Animos (# 2), Jan. 6, 1928: “For which reason conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians, even those who have unhappily fallen away from Christ or who with obstinacy and pertinacity deny His divine nature and mission. Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy, since they all in different ways manifest and signify that sense which is inborn in us all, and by which we are led to the obedient acknowledgment of His rule. Not only are those who hold this opinion in error and deceived, but also in distorting the idea of true religion they reject it, and little by little, turn aside to naturalism and atheism, as it is called; from which it clearly follows that one who supports those who hold these theories and attempt to realize them, is altogether abandoning the divinely revealed religion.”
Pope Pius VIII, May 24, 1829: “Against these experienced sophists the people must be taught that the profession of the Catholic faith is uniquely true, as the apostle proclaims: one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
For a full treatment of the heresies of John Paul, see ......
https://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/16_JohnPaulII.pdf
Finally, what originally motivated me to even look into this man's words and actions? The answer is that I had been researching one of the most evil presbyters I had come across - Fr. Marcel Marciel. While that is another story, that lead to the man - the pope JPII - who refused to act against Marcel. Along with this matter, I was no less impressed later, when I had cause to write about the new age movement along with Gnosticism. That topic revealed the role of Fr. Teilhard de Chardin in spiritual heresy and who had been reprimanded by the Vatican and became some what outcast - that was until he was welcomed back, with adulation, largely thanks to JPII.
Into the future, perhaps Faustina will be put on a level with the mystics. Maybe that would be more fitting. I don't know.
I don't know either how JPII will be viewed in the next century. I know, as many do, of his work to overcome Communism. Regarding "sainthood" - Catholics are not required to believe just as they are not required to believe in private revelations or even public revelations.
Their status makes no difference to me Mary, but those are some things I have learnt along the way.
in JMJ.
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