A-6 Rome, 26th June 2002 Most reverend Fr. Prospero Grech Collegio Sta Monica Via Paolo VI, 25, I-00193 Rome Answer of Vassula Rydén to the letter of Father Prospero Grech, written on behalf of H.E. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and dated 4th April 2002. Dear Fr. Prospero Grech, First of all, I wish to thank you for granting me the opportunity of responding to the questions you have to my writings and my activity, expressed most respectfully in your letter of 4th April 2002, and that reiterate the points of critique contained in the “Notification” of 1995. I am aware of the task and responsibility assigned to your most holy congregation of “trying the spirits” (1. Jn 4:1). I have somewhat realized, during these years, the complexity of this task of discernment and how delicate it is, as I myself have met along my way many people who approached me claiming they had divine experiences as well, which they wanted to mingle with mine. For prudence and for reasons of responsibility I have made it a principle not to notice any of them. Therefore, I do appreciate the importance of your work of protecting the faithful from any harm and keeping the faith pure from unauthentic experiences, but equally to safeguard the true charisms that could benefit the church. I am also grateful to you that you are giving me the opportunity to clarify and shed light on certain expressions that might appear unclear as they are written in imagery and poetic or symbolic style. I am equally aware that my speaking to Catholic Christians though being Greek Orthodox is unusual, but rather than seeing it as disorder, I humbly desire this to be my small contribution to the healing of the dissentions between Christian brethren. And so, I will respond the best I can to the questions you have deigned to present to me in complete honesty and lucidity, assured equally of your generosity, good will and comprehension towards my limitations in expressing the full panorama contained in the 12 volumes of the books entitled True Life in God (TLIG). Question 1: Relationship between TLIG and Revelation. You know very well that, for both Catholics and Orthodox there is only one Revelation that of God in Jesus Christ, which is contained in the Holy Scriptures and in Tradition. Within the Catholic Church even accepted “private revelations” as in Lourdes or Fatima, although taken seriously, are not matters of faith. In which sense, therefore, do you define your writings as revelations and how should they be accepted by your hearers and readers? I never had any lessons of catechism let alone theology, nor did I know of any theological nuances as the ones mentioned above at the beginning of my call and my conversion. I was taught these differences gradually as the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit proceeded. In the very beginning of this call, I was very confused and early, during the manifestation of my angel, this is what I said: “But I can’t understand. We have already the Bible, so why do we need messages?” My angel replied: “So
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