Maria Valtorta Readers' Group, March 2025

The Holy See frequently receives requests from both clergy and laity for a clarification about the Church's position on the writings of Maria Valtorta, such as her work, Il poema dell'Uomo Dio (The Poem of the Man-God), now known by the title, L'Evangelo come mi è stato rivelato (The Gospel as Revealed to Me), and other publications.

It should be reiterated that alleged "visions", "revelations," and "messages" contained in the writings of Maria Valtorta—or, in any case, attributed to them—cannot be regarded as having a supernatural origin. Rather, they should be considered simply as literary forms that the author used to narrate the life of Jesus Christ in her own way.

In its long tradition, the Church does not accept as normative the Apocryphal Gospels and other similar texts since it does not recognize them as divinely inspired. Instead, the Church refers back to the sure reading of the inspired Gospels.

Vatican City, February 22, 2025

• The erroneous declaration that Saint Padre Pio's stigmata was "not of supernatural origin," along with the multiple censures of him.

• The initial placement of St. Faustina Kowalska's writings on the Index of Forbidden Books by the Holy Office, a decision later reversed with her canonization and the subsequent affirmation of the supernatural origin of these once-condemned writings.

• The condemnation of the works of St. Thomas Aquinas on January 18, 1277, which was eventually annulled.

• Venerable Mary of Agreda's Mystical City of God, which was examined for fourteen years, placed on the Index of Forbidden Books for three months, then vindicated by Pope Clement XI, who issued two decrees strictly prohibiting its future inclusion on the Index. In the past century, two Popes affirmed her work, even extending Apostolic Blessings to its readers and promoters—an action far removed from the earlier judgment of the Hierarchy, which had placed it on the Index.

• During the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII, the Index of Forbidden Books was revised, and approximately one thousand books were removed, highlighting the fluidity of some of these judgments.

2. There is compelling evidence that Maria Valtorta's work is far more than just a novel. This evidence spans across theological, spiritual, literary, and scientific fields, as well as the immense good it has brought to countless souls. When examined with honesty, it becomes clear that the work cannot simply be attributed to the literary imaginings of a human being, particularly considering the breadth of expertise Valtorta lacked and her severely compromised physical condition at the time of writing. For further details, please refer to the sub-chapter in our e-book titled "Proof by The Poem's Unquestionable Expertise, Deep Knowledge, and Exhaustive Information in Such a Wide Variety of Theological and Scientific Subjects, and the Fact Almost 15,000 Handwritten Pages of Such Was Written in Only 3½ Years Amidst Her Unusually Severe Physical Condition and Illnesses and Even Though She Lacked the Learning, Resources, and Books Required to Write a Work a Tenth as Profound as This."

If this work were merely a well-crafted novel or a human recounting, rather than having a supernatural origin, it is highly unlikely that it would have converted so many people to the Catholic Church, transformed lives, deepened understanding of the Faith, or captivated the hearts and minds of expert scholars, compelling them to investigate and validate various aspects of the writings. Moreover, esteemed figures such as Pope Pius XII, Fr. Gabriel Roschini, Blessed Gabriel Allegra, Archbishop Alphonsus Carinci, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta would not have devoted their time to reading multiple volumes of a mere ordinary novel, nor would they have recommended these books to others with such conviction. Similarly, archbishops, bishops, priests, and religious would not have read—and continue to read—this work to this day unless it played a significant role in their homilies, retreats, and formation.

3. The DDF statement attempts to categorize Valtorta's writings as apocryphal, a mischaracterization that could easily mislead people and is factually incorrect. The term "apocryphal" refers to ancient or early Christian writings that were excluded from the Old and New Testament canons during the formation of the biblical canon in the fourth century. The term is generally associated with writings from the early centuries of Christianity, not modern or contemporary works. Maria Valtorta's writings are private revelations, similar to other mystical works like Venerable Mary of Agreda's Mystical City of God, and should not be considered "apocryphal." St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: "God sends prophets to every generation, not to give a new doctrine, but to remind the faithful what they must do to save their souls" (Summa Theologica II-II, Q. 174, Art. 6). The prophets of every century are not "apocryphal." World-renowned biblical scholar, Blessed Gabriel Allegra, wrote that there is "immense distance that exists between The Poem and the New Testament Apocrypha."

4. Maria Valtorta reported Jesus said to her:³

"[…] For this reason, it is proper to specify that the inspired writer ‘has God as the author.' […] The work which is given to men through [Maria Valtorta] is not a canonical book. But it remains an inspired book, which I am giving to help you understand certain passages in the canonical books, and especially to comprehend what My time [on earth] as the Master was like, and to know Me: I, the Word, in My words. Neither I, nor especially the spokesman [Maria Valtorta] […] say the work would be a canonical book. In truth, however, I tell you that it is an inspired book, since the instrument is not capable of writing pages that she does not even understand unless I Myself explain them to her to take away her fear."

Private revelations are useful

Though they do not add and cannot add anything substantially new to public revelation (already complete in Christ), we should not regard private revelations as useless. In fact, they are very useful to the souls of those they are communicated to. In several ways: they nourish and develop the Church's faith and piety; they promote a greater intelligence of the truth and documents of public revelation. By means of private revelations, God helps us draw a greater profit from public revelation.

The Poem is presented as the completion and explanation of the Gospels… This explanation is justified in part by the words of St. John: "Many other prodigies Jesus did… which are not written in the present book" (Jn 20:30); and: "Many other things Jesus did which, if they had to be written one by one, I think that the whole world could not contain the books to be written" (Jn 21:25). It is a completion and explanation… since from the historical-theological point of view, Revelation was closed with the Apostles… and could at most be the fruit of a particular individual charism.

In summary, the Church has no need of this work to unfold her salvific mission… But the Church can tacitly or publicly recognize that certain private revelations can be useful for the knowledge and practice of the Gospel and for understanding its Mysteries, and hence, She can approve them in a negative form, that is, by declaring that the revelations are not contrary in word to the Faith… In this negative form, the revelations of St. Bridget, St. Matilda, St. Gertrude, Venerable Mary of Agreda, St. John Bosco… have been approved.

I hold that the work [of Valtorta] demands a supernatural origin… I think that it is the product of one or more charisma… It is the property of charisma that they are bestowed by the Spirit of Jesus for the good of the Church… I think that it comes from the Spirit of Jesus. Maria Valtorta's Poem of the Man-God has been published as a novel, but it is not a novel. It is the complement of the four Gospel traditions, and the explanation of them… I myself think that only through a charism of the Holy Spirit, solely with His help, could a poor sick woman of limited biblical culture write, in the space of three years, 20,000 pages which when printed are the equivalent of 10 volumes. And what pages!

I hold that this Work of Valtorta deserves at least that attention which theologians pay to the Mystical City of God of Venerable Agreda… No one could make me believe that a poor, sick woman has written The Poem solely in virtue of her fervent religious feeling. […] Having well determined the nature of the charism of the Spirit and the reality of His action in Maria Valtorta, what attitude ought the Christian to assume in reading these admirable evangelical pages? It seems to me that the same practical conclusion imposes itself for whoever has read and studied the documents of the History of the Apparitions of Paray le Monial, Lourdes, Fatima, Syracuse…. And with the same degree of faith, and in the measure which the Lord Jesus and the Church desire it, I believe in it.

• Does the February 22, 2025 judgment/statement fall under the Church's protection of infallibility?

• Has there been historic precedent for the Holy Office/CDF/DDF making mistakes in such judgments?

• If the judgment expressed in the 2025 DDF statement does not fall under the Church's protection of infallibility, can it be factually incorrect?

• Can a Catholic have doubts about the judgment of the Holy Office/CDF/DDF?

• If a Catholic can have doubts about the judgment of the CDF/DDF under these circumstances, can a Catholic assess whether the judgment is correct or not? Should they?

• Is this a time in the Church where the DDF is led by prelates who publicly endorse errors and heresy and contradict the perennial teachings of the Church?

• In light of this, is it reasonable for Catholics to doubt judgments of the DDF led by Cardinal Fernández?

• In the case of the assessment of the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings, would a Catholic have reason to doubt the judgment of the DDF?

• In assessing the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings, should a Catholic doubt the judgment of the DDF?

• Given that the assessment of the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings by the DDF is doubtful, how should a Catholic proceed with assessing the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings?

• Have bishops, renowned Catholic theologians, prominent Catholic lay faithful, and even beatified or canonized Catholics publicly affirmed their belief in the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings?

• Would it be a sin for a contemporary Catholic to affirm belief in the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings, even after the February 22, 2025 statement by the DDF?

• Does the Maria Valtorta Readers' Group publicly affirm belief in the supernatural character of Maria Valtorta's writings, even after the February 22, 2025 statement by the DDF?

• Is it possible for the statement of the DDF to be reversed?

• Isn't it strange to say faithful Catholics should disobey the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith?

• What should the Catholic Church have done over the past half-century with regard to Maria Valtorta's writings?

• Have clerics of the Catholic Church received punishment from God as a result of rejecting and hindering the publication of Maria Valtorta's revelations?