Against a popular private revelation--part one

Two months ago, I wrote of the dangers of private revelation. Today, I have learned of another person who is into a false prophet online who publishes items about the Second Coming. In 45 minutes, I found 22 errors, including serious doctrinal errors. Catholics who cannot be bothered to spend time reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or encyclicals, or commentaries on The Creed, seem to be drawn to private revelations which are based on a protestant theology and which fall into Gnosticism. Gnosticism is one of the most prevalent heresies alive and well in our times. The need for some people to feel holy, to want secret or arcane knowledge, or who would rather seek out seers and people seeing apparitions presents a problem for the Church, especially in England and Ireland. For some reason, this tendency to follow false prophets seems more prevalent here than in other countries. To seek out false seers is a sin of pride. To desire secret knowledge is a form of pride.

The website is full of errors. I have several sheets of errors which I have passed out to four people, and now I find another person has fallen into the seduction of looking for revelation outside the Catholic Church.

I am going to list only four of the serious errors. If anyone wants to entire list, I can e-mail it to them.

First, there is no further revelation from God after the last word of the Book of Revelation. This is a teaching of the Catholic Church found in the CCC in section 65, 66 67, and Lumen gentium 12, with regard to private revelations. We call the set revelation in the Catholic Church "the deposit of faith". 


Secondly, the Second Coming happens at the end of the world and does not introduce a time, such as a thousand years of peace. I can refer readers to the Catholic Encyclopedia online and to the early Councils of Florence, Trent,   Also, we have Scripture clearly stating "Knowing this first, that in the last days there shall come deceitful scoffers, walking after their own lusts, Saying: Where is his promise or his coming? for since the time that the fathers slept, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they are wilfully ignorant of, that the heavens were before, and the earth out of water, and through water, consisting by the word of God. But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of the ungodly men. The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance. But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with great violence, and the elements shall be melted with heat, and the earth and the works which are in it, shall be burnt up." 2 Peter 3:3-5,7,9-10


and "The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there are two comings of the Son of God: the one when He assumed human flesh for our salvation in the womb of a virgin; the other when He shall come at the end of the world to judge all mankind. This latter coming is called in Scripture the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord, says the Apostle, shall come, as a thief in the night; and our Lord Himself says: Of that day and hour no one knoweth." Catechism of Council of Trent, The Creed, Article VII


Also, the CCC 1040 on the Second Coming is clear.


A third point concerns sacramental theology. The seer claims that Christ gives a seal to those special people who listen to her and follow Christ. Yes, Christ does give a seal and it is given in the Sacrament of Confirmation. We are then sealed, if we are confirmed in the Catholic Church, with an indelible mark as Catholics. From the CCC, which refers to the Catechism of Council of Trent. The seer consistently undermines sacramental theology by speaking of such things as seals and grace outside of the sacramental life of the Church. This is a protestant view. I shall do one more later.

1295

By this anointing the confirmand receives the "mark," the seal of the Holy Spirit. A seal is a symbol of a person, a sign of personal authority, or ownership of an object.¹⁰⁶ Hence soldiers were marked with their leader's seal and slaves with their master's. A seal authenticates a juridical act or document and occasionally makes it secret.¹⁰⁷