Theology of Revelation

The Theology of Revelation is the sacred science (or sacred study and knowledge) of God in Revelation, as well as in other revelations which he gives us. This theology deals principally with Revelation, but also with other revelations, known as private revelations. God created man to know, love and serve him, and as such the theology of revelation is so important to every Christian that it is the first sacred science they learn - "I believe in God, the Father Almighty...", "We believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty..." - and is so important to every man that, as part of Revelation, God created the world to reflect his Goodness, created each person with a desire to know the truth, became man to be man's teacher and model and to be the fullness and mediator of Revelation, and commanded the Catholic Church to teach all nations about his teachings.

Divine Revelation
Revelation, also known as Divine Revelation, Public Revelation, Sacred Deposit of the Faith, or the Rule of Faith, is the Sacred Scriptures and Apostolic Tradition, the written and unwritten Word of God, and is Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of God made man.

Revelation is the self-communication of God (Divine) to all men (Public) and is the sum of all divine truths (Sacred Deposit), and the measure of the faith (Rule). Revelation must be lived by all Catholics.

The written Word of God or the Sacred Scriptures or the Bible is the collection of 73 sacred books, which were written by God through human authors and are interpreted by God through the Magisterium. When Jesus Christ or the Apostles speak of the Scriptures in the Gospels and Epistles, they refer to the Old Testament.

The unwritten Word of God or the Apostolic Tradition or the Tradition of the Church is the living transmission of the written Word by God through the Apostles and their successors. The local traditions of particular churches are not Sacred Tradition itself but are a part of Sacred Tradition.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God incarnate, has joined God and man in his Divine Person, has fulfilled the Old Testament, has completed and perfected Revelation, has instituted the New Covenant, and has said everything there is be said about God. He is the fullness and mediator of Revelation, the definitive Revelation.

The Word of God and the Word of God incarnate support and nourish the Church and give it faith and eternal life. They are necessary for salvation and for knowing and understanding more deeply justice, morality, and the truth. In short, they are the preeminent way to know God.

Revelation has Divine Authority, whereby Catholics give the full assent of faith to Revelation. Catholics believe Revelation based on twelve proofs: the creation, the ten commandments, the plan of salvation, the Mercy of God, the creation of man in God's Image and Likeness, the virginity of the Virgin Mary, the new creation, the reality of sin, the Church, miracles and prophecies, the resurrection of the body, and - the definitive Proof - Jesus Christ.

Revelation ended with the death of the Apostles, and there will not be any new Revelation from God. This both means that God now leads the Church into a deeper understanding of Revelation through private revelations, according to his promise of leading the Church into all truths, and means that no private revelation is an obligation, whereby no one can disobey the Church in favor of obeying a private revelation.

Private Revelation
Private revelation, also known as personal revelation, is a message from God, sometimes sent through a saint or an angel, that helps people live more fully by Revelation at a certain time. It can sometimes include prophecies or new devotions, deepen older devotions or emphasize divine truths.

When a message is judged as being worthy of belief by the local bishop, it is a private revelation. A private revelation conforms completely with the Catholic Faith and it may be published and given devotion by the faithful.

Before being judged as worthy of belief, a message is an alleged revelation or supposed revelation. The local bishop, because he has, as the vicar of Christ, the right and duty to judge all material concerning faith or morals, must discern a message according to the practice of Norme Congregationis.

A bishop discerns the fruits of an alleged revelation with divine assistance, and his judgment falls under the Ordinary Magisterium of a bishop, which is authoritive but not infallible yet requires the religious submission of mind and will.

Good fruits include moral certainty, good character (humility, obedience, etc.), conformity to the Catholic Faith, and spiritual fruits (prayer, conversion, charity, etc.). Bad fruits include glaring errors about the event, bad character (sexual immorality, disobedience, etc.), doctrinal errors, monetary pursuit, and mental illness, manipulation, demonic possession, and drug abuse.

Because a private revelation is free of doctrinal errors, it can be an apparition, a vision, a locution, or an inspiration from God. But it cannot be occultism, such as spiritism, automatic writing, psychic powers, palm reading, horoscopes, astrology, Onji boards, voodoo, magic, witchcraft, divinization, or conjuring the dead.

If the local bishop finds any bad fruit, he gives the message a negative judgment: condemnation. A condemned revelation may not be published or given devotion by the faithful, since the faithful are obligated not to endanger their faith or morals. However, the bishop or his successor could overturn a previous judgment, since private revelation has human authority or human faith (that is, a human person received the revelation) and people can make mistakes.

Contrary to popular belief, the Church has not authorized the faithful to publish alleged revelations without the bishop's positive judgment and the Church does not teach that a private revelation is a priority in Christian life. No private revelation is a part of Revelation and no private revelation can equal, replace, substitute, surpass, correct, improve, fulfill, perfect, or complete Revelation, and the Church cannot accept the "revelations" of certain non-Christian religions and cults which claim otherwise.

Universal Approval
These are apparitions which have received the approval of the local bishop and the approval of the Pope, and therefore the full approval of the Church:


 * Our Lady of Guadalupe or Mother of the True God (1531) to Saint Juan Diego.


 * Our Lady of Laus or Refuge of Sinners (between 1664 and 1718) to Servant of God Benoite Rencurel


 * Our Lord of Monial or Sacred Heart (1671-1675) to Saint Margaret Mary


 * Our Lady of Lourdes or Immaculate Conception (1858) to Saint Bernadette Soubirous


 * Our Lady of Fatima or Lady of the Rosary (1917) to Servant of God Lucia Santos and Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto


 * Our Lord of Vilnius or King of Mercy (1930-1938) to Saint Faustina Kowalska