The Stance of the Catholic Church and Luisa Piccarreta
Is Luisa Piccarreta and the Book of Heaven approved by the Catholic Church? Facts and dates are offered in this downloadable document. Moreover, videos by Father Celso and Father Ianuzzi, and an article are included below.
Archbishop D’Ascenzo's Communication
2/7/2024
On Wednesday, March 4, 2020, in the Church of Santa Maria Greca, Archbishop Leonardo D’Ascenzo presided over the Eucharistic Celebration to commemorate the death of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, which took place 73 years ago. At the end of the Holy Mass, he announced that he had written a COMMUNICATION addressed to all the faithful interested in the Servant of God “to propose a few indications and perspectives”.
The members of the Public Association of the faithful "Luisa Piccarreta - Little Children of the Divine Will" wish to express their gratitude to the Archbishop for His paternal encouragement. They make their own the words of the Archbishop in the Communication, considering them as valuable indications not only for the work of Association in Corato but also for all the other groups of the "Divine Will",throughout the world, that want to keep their belonging to the Church alive.
On that occasion, the Archbishop also spoke of his conversation with Cardinal Luis Ladaria, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, during which he was told that by examining the writings of the Servant of God "the Congregation found some difficulties, some theological ambiguities not related to the life and virtues of the Servant of God"and therefore the Congregation did not consider it appropriate to grant the Nihil Obstat. Then, the Archbishop added: "A path opens, it can be an opportunity, that is, to examine in depth these writings with the help of expert scholars".
The news aroused discouragement in many people who found spiritual nourishment in these writings. At the same time, we wish to respond to the call of the Archbishop "to availability, commitment and patience" with the obedience that characterized Luisa herself in her unconditional love for the Church. We will advance along the path that opens before us, as we have always done, first of all with the strength of prayer and with perseverance in the activities that will be necessary. As the Archbishop in the Communication urged us to do, we will continue to read the writings paying “more attention to the author’s intention, in greater faithfulness to the teaching of the Church and above all in the awareness that the Divine Will is the Heavenly Father’s merciful appeal addressed to the free will of the men and women of our times”.
We highlight the opportunity of the invitation that the Archbishop addresses in his Communication to the leaders of the groups of the "Divine Will" in the world "to commit themselves to making unity with the sisters and brothers of other groups ever more visible," joining the service structure named "Family of the Divine Will ". We are sure that the time has come when walking together is the most effective way to guarantee the formation and diffusion of the doctrine of "living in the Divine Will".
The Archbishop concluded the Celebration by saying: "May this blessing at the end of the Mass help us, support us and accompany us along this new path which from this evening opens before us and which requires goodwill, patience and commitment from everyone. May the Lord help us and support us in all this”. Fiat
Mrs. Vincenza Arbore
President of the Association
Don Sergio Pellegrini
Ecclesiastical assistant
COMMUNICATION n. 4
Regarding the Servant of God LUISA PICCARRETA
Trani, March 4, 2020
3/4/2020
In continuity with the care my Predecessors have shown for the reputation and spirituality of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, and making my own what they have written to all the faithful involved, I would like to propose a few indications and perspectives.
Redazione
DOCUMENT (4th March 2020- Archbishop Leonardo D'Ascenzo)
WRITTEN BY ALEJANDRA ACUNA
My greetings to all of you in the Divine Will. I have been asked if Luisa's Cause 1 has been paused or suspended. The Cause is still in the Vatican and has not been definitively suspended … it continues in the Vatican. However, it is currently paused, for various reasons. It is not being given the follow-up that the Cause should have, and the reasons were given by the Archbishop of Trani Leonardo D'Ascenzo in his last statement number 4 of March 4, 2020.
The Vatican has already ruled on Luisa's writings, saying that they contain no errors. Although there are no theological errors, the Dicastery in charge has determined that a deeper study of the writings by experts and theologians is required to clarify some ideas and terms that lend themselves to misinterpretation. They have not yet appointed the theologians who will be part of this team of specialists who will be commissioned by the Church to carry out this specialized study. Currently, the Cause is on pause.
Another problem is the misinterpretations that spread among groups in various parts of the world. Also, anti-testimonies that have arisen. What are the misinterpretations that have been made, and why IS the Vatican CURRENTLY skeptical about continuing Luisa’s cause? The problem is that the writings are being used to incite division in the Church, to foment rebellion against the authority of the Pope in the Church. Some groups have used the writings to separate themselves from the sacramental life, to stop frequenting the sacraments, to excuse themselves from participating in the life of the parish, isolating themselves instead of integrating with the whole, thus becoming a counter-witness. There are also groups that do not recognize or submit to the authority of the Pope while claiming to follow Luisa. This is a bad application of the writings; this is not understanding that we must follow the will of God in everything that we do. If we want to live in the Divine Will, it is essential -- a requirement -- to do the Will of God in all possible aspects. Hence, we must be docile and humble in doing the will of God in all things: Unity with the Church, with the Holy Father, with certain persons of authority -- for example, as regards Luisa: submit to the authority of the Archbishop of Trani and the Vatican authorities who oversee the cause – And then each person in their local Church must obey the parish priest, the bishop of the diocese, etc.
Let us be in good standing with the Church. It is important to pay attention to everything we have mentioned. In the same document, the Bishop says that Luisa's writings should not be used and presented as a threat to the modern world. Indeed, some misguided persons use the writings with emphasis on the threats of Chastisement... They like to use those types of threats on people and relate apocalyptic ideas to our present times. But most of what they proclaim has no clear basis in the Magisterium of the Church, no basis in the Gospels. It was not our Lord or Luisa’s intent -- when mentioning chastisement -- that it be used to threaten souls: “...if they don't behave, if they don't listen to me, or if they don't accept what I say, then things will go badly for them...” No, this is not the reason for mentioning chastisements, but rather because of the status of Luisa as victim-soul, so that Luisa would accompany Jesus in His pains, share those sorrows with him, and help him save souls, acquire more graces to be able to convert, save and even sanctify souls. Thanks to Luisa's office as a victim-soul united to Jesus and Mother Mary, God has mitigated many chastisements, and has called and forgiven all of us. It is because of His great love -- and not by threats -- that He has called us to receive this Immense Gift.
We in turn must present it to others as what it is -- and Jesus says it -- it is “The Book of Heaven: The Call of the Creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose for which He was Created by God.” And it’s for the Kingdom of the Divine Will to reign here, on earth. Hence, it is a total call of Love given to us in these times to convert, to sanctify ourselves, in the most sublime and highest way, in Jesus. In this document the Archbishop ends by saying that in addition to the above-mentioned, the writings must be presented as a call of Love, which invites us to read the writings always being attentive to and observing the Magisterium and Teachings of the Church; and that we apply what we read guided by those Teachings, and in this way give life to the Life of the Divine Will as it has been done in Luisa. How Luisa lived it is the model for us: respecting the Church and the Pope, frequenting the sacraments, and placing emphasis on the main theme, which is the Will of God, and not the chastisements. How good it is to do the Will of God … how good the wonderful effects it produces in us. In Luisa’s letters, you can see how she spread the knowledge and the Kingdom of the Divine Will lovingly. We must see this as a call to purify ourselves more intensely: if we truly want to live in the Divine Will and have a much purer interpretation of the writings, let us adhere to what is written and interpret it in the light of the Magisterium. Do not give interpretations that cause confusion and deviations, which in many cases have formed a counter-witness, an anti-testimony of rebellion against the Church and/or between groups … because you only follow a specific person who leads one group or another, etc.
But it is quite the opposite, we must unite … we must be united following Jesus in His teachings that He deposited in His Church and in Luisa. Luisa is the one who forms us, and no one else gives us an example in these times of how to live in the Divine Will. The rest of us are mere instruments; and it’s not that only this one or another should be followed, as if all the others are wrong. On the contrary, we must behave like brothers and sisters in a very loving family where charity, humility, etc. reign. This is the testimony that is needed for the Cause to continue, so let us not allow disunity to be the reason for delaying the Kingdom of God on earth. How is this going to happen? Jesus has already said it: that He did it through Luisa and the confessor, depositing this work in His Church, in the local Church of Trani and from there it has gone to the Vatican, and from there it has reached us. And He did not give it to us so that only certain particular groups could promote it, no! He placed it in the Universal Church, and we must all be united to the Universal Church, to the Catholic Church, and not form groups that seem like sects. If we are not united, what is going to happen? If Luisa's case is not going to bear good fruit in the Church, then the cause of beatification will not continue...do you understand? And I repeat, in Luisa, God respects the authority that He himself has given to the Church and the procedures that He himself has inspired in the Church. The procedure given in Luisa’s cause is not only the study of the writings but also the good they produce in the people of God. Let us then be good witnesses, let us set a good example … and not only so that the Cause may favorably continue, but so that we may truly become good fruits in the Divine Will.