François-Marie Dermine, a Dominican priest of Canadian origin, is a professor of moral theology at FTER (the Faculty of Theology of Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy), a member of the executive council of GRIS
(Group of Research and Social-Religious Information), consultant to the Italian Bishops’ Conference for questions on alternative religions, co-director of the review Religioni e Sette nel mondo [Religions and Sects in the World], and official exorcist for his own diocese. He is author of numerous articles on alternative religions and of the following publications, of particular importance for the subject of the present investigation: Vassula Ryden – Indagine critica [Vassula Ryden – A Critical Examination] (Elle di Ci, 1995) and Mistici, veggenti e medium – Esperienze dell’aldilà a confronto [Mystics, Visionaries and Mediums – Comparison of after-life experiences] (Libreria editrice vaticana, 2002). He is co-author of L’estasi [Ecstasies] (Libreria editrice vaticana, 2003).

There are two documents of Fr. Dermine‘s on Vassula Ryden at this ministry’s web site:

VASSULA RYDEN-THE REASONS FOR THE CHURCH’S NEGATIVE REACTION 26
NOVEMBER 2012

Vassula said that her first reaction was to think that she was the luckiest person on earth and the only one who could communicate in this way with her angel. In a talk she gave in Marseille in 2011, she also told the audience that when the phenomenon started, she remembered an episode she had experienced in Egypt, hearing a school classmate saying that she could see her angel [http://fr.gloria.tv/?media=222713&connection=dialup, minute 6:00 of the audio].

This invisible manifestation accompanied Vassula several hours per day, even during her tennis practices, and asked her to read the Bible. As during her childhood, she felt another presence, dark and aggressive, which tried “to suffocate” her and against which “her angel” fought.

Three months later [Vassula, 1990, p. ix] and to Vassula’s sorrow, the angel told her that he had to leave her because she had been “purified” and was now ready to meet “Christ”. Then “Jesus” manifested himself by moving Vassula’s hand in the same way and with the same handwriting used by the “angel”.

In these first messages, “Jesus” appeared as a tender, forgiving and loving God, using the lovers’ language. He wanted Vassula to love him and spread the messages he was writing through her and which he called “True Life in God”. Vassula says that those moments of bliss alternated with “attacks from the devil”. She also sporadically received messages from the Virgin Mary, St. Michael Archangel, Father Pio, and also the devil.

Vassula wrote the messages on loose sheets of paper, which she later destroyed or threw away [Mon Ange Daniel, p. 41]. After six months of experiencing the phenomenon, she started to use notebooks to write the messages in an orderly manner.

4. First Reactions – Fr. James Fannan

Although Vassula lived right across the road from a Catholic church [Heaven is Real, p. 37], it is only months after the phenomenon started, that her “angel Dan” instructed her to go to speak with an American priest of the nearby Catholic seminary. She met instead a German priest, Father Karl, whose assessment was that Vassula had some type of mental health problem, and advised her to see a doctor [Heaven is Real, p. 63].

However, Vassula kept on returning, so Fr. Karl consulted with the American priest, Father James (Jim) Fannan [Laurentin, p. 11]. Together they observed Vassula writing down the messages, and Fr. Fannan concluded that the phenomenon could not come from God, that it was probably diabolical, and that she should refuse to write down any further messages [Heaven is Real, p. 64-68].

Disappointed but also disturbed by this, Vassula asked “God” for a sign, and received the following answer: “I will bend him”. She stopped writing messages from “God”, but continued nevertheless the dialogue with the “angel”. During this period of time, the “angel” used Vassula’s hand to draw pictures [Heaven is Real, p.64-68], which were later used as illustrations for the covers of the first editions of the TLIG books. Vassula bought a Koran to read and compare it to the Bible [Mon Ange Daniel, p. 37]. It is also during this period that she started to write the messages in notebooks and show them to her friends to read [Mon Ange Daniel, p. 43].

Vassula returned to see Fr. Fannan, who told her to go to see a Catholic hermit: Fr. Raymond Dujarrier, which Vassula described as a “French, semi-hermit, mystic, Catholic priest, but also Hindu, Moslem and Buddhist. All in one.” [Vassula, 1990, vol.1, p. 59 – http://www.tlig.net/pageflip2/Volume1/files/assets/basic-html/page39.html]. Vassula described her visit to Fr. Dujarrier as an initiatory journey to consult a wise man, who confirmed that she had been “given a gift and must not reject the calling of God.” [Heaven is Real, p. 72].

Publication of the messages

There is little information available on how the first edition of the messages was financed and published. From 1991 to 2006, the messages in English, including the first edition of the facsimile handwritten manuscripts, were published by Trinitas, a publishing house which seems to have been founded specifically for that scope [http://www.trinitaspublishers.com/index.htm].

For the publication in other languages, Vassula was able to secure well-known Catholic publishing houses, such as O.E.I.L. for the French version (also known as Editions F.X. de Guibert [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ditions_Fran%C3%A7ois-Xavier_de_Guibert] – who also published René Laurentin – and EDIBESA for the Spanish one. This ensured that the messages were well distributed in Catholic bookstores, where they could reach her main target audience.

Today, Vassula’s Foundation for True Life in God is becoming the main publisher of her messages. However, her latest book “Heaven is Real, but so is Hell” was entrusted to Alexian Ltd, a publisher of New Age authors [http://www.pseudomystica.info/marketingvassula.htm].

Supporters

Medjugorje promoters

At the insistence of her spiritual director Fr. Fannan, Vassula visited Medjugorje on 25 June 1988 [Vassula, 1990, p. xx]. Following this visit, the TLIG messages started to focus on the theme of Christian Unity, which is one of the main themes of the Medjugorje “apparitions”.

By 1991 Vassula had obtained the endorsement of three prominent Medjugorje supporters: Fr. René Laurentin, Fr. Michael O’Carroll, CSSp (who became one of Vassula’s spiritual advisors) and Fr. Robert Faricy, S.J.; and later Fr. Ljudevit Rupcic, OFM and Archbishop Frane Franic (Croatia).

However, not all Medjugorje supporters shared their enthusiasm and a rift became apparent when Fr. Philip Pavich, OFM – who was in Medjugorje and in charge of translating the “Madonna’s” messages from Croatian to English – got hold of photocopies of the original TLIG messages covered with marginal notes on what to correct, add or delete before publication [Sullivan, p. 274-277] [Dermine].

When the Vatican made public the 1995 Notification pointing out doctrinal errors in Vassula’s writings and asking Bishops not to promote her, several Medjugorje centers and media (in particular Radio Maria Italy) clearly disassociated themselves from her.

To this day, Medjugorje supporters remain divided on Vassula’s case. The latest Medjugorje personality to have endorsed Vassula is Fr. Petar Ljubicic, OFM, who is supposed to reveal the “Ten Secrets” of the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje (not recognized by the Church) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4YvmNyBqu8]. In 2014, Vassula had a meeting with Vicka, one of the claimed “seers” [http://motheofgod.com/threads/vassula-and-medjugorje.6045/ and http://www.tlig.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2147].

Charismatic Renewal

According to Vassula, the first to welcome the messages were a group of the Orthodox Renewal of Rhodes [Vassula, 1991, p. xv]. But the strongest support came from Catholic groups of the Charismatic Renewal movement. Vassula incorporated in her meetings many of their practices, such as healing prayers and being “slain in the spirit”. She often participated in Charismatic Congresses or events, for instance in Canada and the USA in 1991 [http://www.vassula.org/meetings.htm], and in the Philippines in 2008 [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tligfaq.htm#Philippines]

In the ’90s she was endorsed by prominent charismatic leaders such as Fr. Emiliano Tardif [http://www.tlig.org/en/testimonies/christian/catholic/tardif/] and former Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo [http://www.tlig.org/en/news/2000-10-20/291/], before his recruitment into Reverend Moon’s cult [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/13/milingo-rev-moons-legacy-religious-unity/].

She also received the support of Bishops sympathetic of the Charismatic Renewal, such as Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of the Philippines, who also gave her the Imprimatur to the messages [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tlignihilobstat.htm] and Archbishop André-Joseph Leonard of Belgium [http://www.chretiensmagazine.fr/2010/02/communique-de-vassula-27012010.html].

As for Medjugorje groups, not all the Charismatic Renewal groups accept Vassula, and some have publicly warned about her, as is the case in Hungary [http://www.karizmatikus.hu/].

Marian Movement of Priests (MMP)

According to René Laurentin, in 1991 Vassula obtained the endorsement of Fr. Gobbi, founder of the Marian Movement of Priests, in spite of opposition from the MMP Swiss representative [Vassula, 1991] [Heaven is Real, p. 119-121] [http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4152].

Pseudo-Catholic Spiritist/New Age groups – Fr. Guido Sommavilla/Antonio Parodi

Among the supporters listed in the TLIG official website, we find the name of the late Fr. Guido Sommavilla, S.J. [http://www.tlig.org/en/testimonies/churchpos/cdfresources/sommavilla/], close to the Italian pseudo-catholic spiritist association Movimento della Speranza. This group believes that it is possible and compatible with Christian faith to communicate with the dead through automatic writing and audio registrations. Several Italian dioceses have repeatedly warned against the errors of this movement and prohibited the participation of priests in Masses celebrated in that context [Porcarelli, p. 225] [Conferenza episcopale dell’Emilia Romagna] [Vescovi delle diocesi di Pesaro…].

In 1996, Fr. Sommavilla wrote the introduction to the messages of Giampiero Campana, a young man who committed suicide and later allegedly communicated with his family through automatic writing. Fr. Sommavilla wrote in favour of the phenomenon, presenting many of the same arguments usually used to defend Vassula’s case: graphology study, claimed conformity with Catholic doctrine, good fruit and conversions. [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tligsommavilla.htm]

In 1998 Vassula, Fr. Laurentin and Fr. Sommavilla participated in the annual congress of the Movimento della Speranza [http://www.vassula.org/it9809.htm].

Other Vassula supporters who promote the ideas of the Movimento della Speranza are author Marino Parodi and Fr. Antonio Gentili [http://www.defending-vassula.org/reflection-gentili?lang=fr], who has written several books promoting Eastern/New Age practices and beliefs [http://www.campello.barnabiti.net/pubblicazioni.php].

Note on Marino Parodi

An Italian writer, psychologist, therapist, philosopher and proponent of the New Thought movement, which promotes healing through the power of the mind [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Thought].

In 1999, he wrote a book on Vassula Ryden aimed at re-introducing her to the Italian public after the negative effect of the 1995 Notification issued against her by the Vatican. The book’s introduction was written by Fr. Antonio Gentili.

In 2008 and 2009, Parodi published two books on how to communicate with the dead, advocating in favour of this practice. In his latest book, he discusses miraculous healings as the result of the power of one’s own mindset. [http://www.marinoparodi.com/mp-libri.htm]

Finally, he proudly mentions in his biography that he was granted the honour of becoming an “Ambassador for Peace” by the International Federation For World Peace (IFFWP) [http://www.marinoparodi.com/mp-biografia.htm], an emanation of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF). Both were founded by and are affiliated to the cult of Reverend Moon. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Peace_Federation#Universal_Peace_Federation][http://www.upf.org/about].

Support from Catholic and Orthodox Bishops

Both the Catholic and Greek Orthodox authorities have pronounced themselves negatively on the claims of Vassula Ryden. Both Churches consider that her writings are not compatible with their doctrines and have asked the faithful not to participate in her activities. Nevertheless, a few bishops of both Churches publicly support Vassula’s claims [http://www.tlig.org/en/testimonies/churchpos/].

Catholic:

– Brazil: Bishop Emeritus Joao Terra (Brasilia)

– India: Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo (Ranchi); Archbishop Vincent Concessao (New Delhi); Archbishop Anil Couto (Delhi); and Bishop Felix Toppo (Jamshedpur) who gave the controversial nihil obstat to Vassula’s messages [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tlignihilobstat.htm#Bishop].

– Lebanon: Cardinal Sfeir (Emeritus Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All The East).

– Philippines: Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles (Lipa City), who gave the imprimatur to Vassula’s books [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tlignihilobstat.htm].

– South Africa: Cardinal Napier (Durban).

– Venezuela: Georges Kahhale Zouhairaty (Exarch of the Greek-Melkite Catholics of Venezuela).

– Cardinal Prospero Grech, who was the CDF consultant acting as intermediary between Vassula and the CDF during the 2001-2004 dialogue, published a very supportive review of her book Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. He states however that, contrary to what had been previously thought, the answers provided by Vassula to the CDF in 2001 had not satisfied the CDF and that the 1995 Notification continues to be in force [http://insidethevatican.com/magazine/people/vassula-reviewed].

Greek Orthodox:

– Theodorus II, Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa. He seems however to have taken some distance after the Patriarchate of Constantinople declared Vassula’s teachings contrary to the Orthodox faith [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tliggreekorthodox.htm].

– Archbishop Seraphim (former bishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria, Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa). He was one of the bishops who gave Vassula a “certificate of orthodoxy” that was rejected by the Greek Orthodox Bishop of Rhodes and the Patriarchate of Constantinople [http://www.pseudomystica.info/rhodesmetrop.htm]. In 2010, Archbishop Seraphim was transferred to the smaller Archdiocese of Zimbabwe [http://orthodoxwiki.org/Seraphim_(Kykkotis)_of_Zimbabwe].

6. Content of the TLIG messages, Vassula’s teachings, claims of prophecies and miracles

The content of the 1150 pages of published messages (1989-2003) is of a religious nature, combining teachings from Catholic and Orthodox doctrines, mixed with apocalyptic as well as New Age elements.

Jesus is returning – a New Era

The messages request followers to lead a life of conversion and repentance while waiting for the imminent return of Jesus, what will not mean the end of the world, but the end of an epoch and the beginning of a new era. [http://www.vassularyden.com/messages.php]

Chastisement by Fire

According to Vassula, the TLIG messages are a “last minute” call for humanity to convert and believe in God before a “hurricane of fire” destroys “three-fourths of the Earth” [Heaven is Real, p. 167]. This destruction would involve an earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale and she says that “the elements of the earth will catch fire and fall apart” [Heaven is Real, p. 208-209]. She refers to this prophecy as the “Chastisement by Fire”; she claims the Virgin Mary told her that this was imminent and could no longer be avoided “because His [God’s] Message [TLIG] had not been heeded” [Heaven is Real, p. 178-179]

The Chastisement, as well as the other tragedies and catastrophes, are presented as God’s response to people’s lack of faith, sins, division among the Churches, the world’s rejection of God’s Word, atheism, immorality, turning Christmas into a commercial holiday, refusing to believe in the TLIG messages and other private revelations and impeding their spreading. Vassula asserts that the only way to avoid or diminish the effects of the destruction by fire is for people to repent, convert, believe that God talks through the TLIG messages and Churches end their divisions by “uniting around one Altar” [Heaven is Real, p. 166-181].

Prediction of Catastrophic Events

Vassula affirms that the messages have already successfully predicted catastrophic events: the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the 2004 Asian tsunami, the fall of communist Russia and the eruption of the 2011 Icelandic Volcano [Heaven is Real, p. 166-181]. She claims that the latter was mitigated thanks to her prayer groups, which also prevented a meteor from crashing on Earth [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tligmeteor.htm].

Unification of Easter Date

Vassula says that if all Christians agree to celebrate Easter on the same date, God will put an end to wars and natural catastrophes, bringing about a period of peace in the world [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tligcrecan.htm]. In order to attain this goal, her organization launched an international petition called “One Date” [http://www.pseudomystica.info/tligfaq.htm#onedate]

Sharing the Sacraments without doctrinal unity

This is presented as a direct request from God, although it clearly contradicts the Catholic and Orthodox understanding of Sacraments. [http://www.pseudomystica.info/rhodesmetrop.htm#oikonomia]

Claims of miraculous healings

In 1989, Vassula told Fr. Laurentin that people had been physically healed by the messages, cancer in one case and AIDS in another, but she did not provide any medical proof [Vassula, 1990, p. xviii]. In her latest book, she claims to have healed persons who suffered from illnesses such as crippling juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (the only case for which she has a medical record, but it is a condition where spontaneous remissions are frequent), leukemia, mouth cancer, deafness, and other less serious health problems [Heaven is Real, p. 182-184].

Claims of extraordinary phenomena

These involve Jesus’ face superimposed on hers, the sun “dancing”, celestial beings appearing on photographs as luminous forms, “mysterious” glitter, smell of roses and incense, and a phenomenon she calls “shekinah”, described by her as the manifestation of God’s presence which “usually appears in photographs because of the sensitive eye of the camera” (ipse dixit!) [Heaven is Real, p. 134, 140-143]. For a short period of time in the ’90s, Vassula also claimed to “experience the Passion of Jesus” in public [http://www.tlig.pl/pl/spirituality/passion/index.html, http://www.tligvideo.org/passion.html].

The Australian TLIG prayer group has also alleged extreme “supernatural” manifestations including a statue oozing oil, a bottle “miraculously” filling itself with oil, Eucharistic miracles and a member of the prayer group bleeding from her eyes and hands, a phenomenon interpreted by the TLIG group as a manifestation of the Passion of Christ caused by the lack of belief in God communicating with mankind through Vassula and other seers. [http://www.tlig.net/Marianne/]

REFERENCES

1. Biographical Elements

JAMES, Marie-France. 1992. Le Phénomène Vassula – Etude critique. Nouvelles Editions Latines, Paris.

LAURENTIN, René. 1994. Qui est Vassula. François-Xavier de Guilbert – Office d’Edition d’Impression Librairie, Paris.

NEIRYNCK, Jacques. 1997. L’énigme Vassula. Editions Favre, Lausanne.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2013. Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. Alexian Limited, New York / Bath.

2. Early Paranormal Experiences

RYDEN, Vassula. 2001. Mon Ange Daniel. Editions du Parvis, Hauteville/Suisse.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2013. Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. Alexian Limited, New York / Bath.

3. The first written messages

LAURENTIN, René. 1994. Qui est Vassula. François-Xavier de Guilbert – Office d’Edition d’Impression Librairie, Paris.

NEIRYNCK, Jacques. 1997. L’énigme Vassula. Editions Favre, Lausanne.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2001. Mon Ange Daniel. Editions du Parvis, Hauteville/Suisse.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2013. Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. Alexian Limited, New York / Bath.

VASSULA. 1990. La Vraie Vie en Dieu – Volumes 1.Editions O.E.I.L., Paris.

4. First Reactions – Father James Fannan

LAURENTIN, René. 1994. Qui est Vassula. François-Xavier de Guilbert – Office d’Edition d’Impression Librairie, Paris.

NEIRYNCK, Jacques. 1997. L’énigme Vassula. Editions Favre, Lausanne.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2013. Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. Alexian Limited, New York / Bath.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2001. Mon Ange Daniel. Editions du Parvis, Hauteville/Suisse.

VASSULA. 1990. La Vraie Vie en Dieu – Volumes 1 et 2.Editions O.E.I.L., Paris.

5. Publication of the TLIG messages and Supporters

Conferenza episcopale dell’Emilia Romagna. 2000. La Chiesa e l’aldilà. Nota pastorale.

PARODI, Marino. 1996. Intervista di Emilio Tardif. In the October 1996 issue of Il Segno del Sopranaturale, Tavagnacco (Italy).

PORCARELLI, Andrea. 1998. Spiritismo.Cose dell’altro mondo. Edizioni San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo (Milano).

RYDEN, Vassula. 2013. Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. Alexian Limited, New York / Bath.

SULLIVAN, Randall. 2004. The Miracle Detective. Grove Press. New York.

VASSULA. 1990. La Vraie Vie en Dieu – Volume 1. Editions O.E.I.L., Paris.

VASSULA. 1991. La Vraie Vie en Dieu – Volume 4. Editions O.E.I.L., Paris.

6. Content of the TLIG messages, Vassula’s teachings, claims of prophecies & miracles.

RYDEN, Vassula. 2013. Heaven is Real, but so is Hell. Alexian Limited, New York / Bath.

VASSULA. 1990. La Vraie Vie en Dieu – Volume 1.Editions O.E.I.L., Paris.