Vassula Rydén and True Life in God
What does the church say?


Communication has taken place between the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and Vassula Rydén regarding the messages of True Life in God. This communication has modified the situation that emerged after the Notification published by the CDF in 1995.

Per the request of Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict the XVI, the dialogue between Vassula and the CDF, which addresses the basis of the concerns of the CDF which triggered their 1995 Notification, is published in the latest volumes of the True Life in God messages. To view this dialogue in its entirety, click here.

Vassula and Cardinal Ratzinger

Fr. Lars Messerschmidt
Vicar General of The Catholic Church in Denmark

On July 10th 2004, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Cardinal Ratzinger, sent a letter to a number of bishops concerning the same Congregation's judgment of Vassula Rydén who visited a number of Nordic countries from 2nd to 11th October 2004.

A short presentation of Vassula for those who do not know her: She is born in 1942 in Egypt of Greek parents belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church. After having been married to a Swede she traveled the world belonging to the higher social classes. She was not a practicing Christian. In 1985, while living in Bangladesh, she met God in a special way which was the beginning of a deep Christian life. Jesus truly entered her life and she started writing down her daily conversations with him. Vassula hears Jesus? voice, but the strange thing about this communication that continues to this day is that Jesus at the same time guides her hand, i.e. he writes his messages by using her hand. This is seen very clearly in the handwritten manuscripts that have been published. Several renowned theologians have written about this hand-writing that as a phenomenon on a number of points differs from the so-called ?automatic writing?. Since then she has traveled the world and evangelized on the basis of her writings that carry the name True Life in God.

The 6th of October 1995 the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith issued a Notification in response to many Catholic bishops and faithful that had written for guidance. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith at the time decided to warn the faithful not to consider Vassula's writings as supernatural and questioned certain dogmatic expressions in them. The Notification raised a storm of protestation from renowned theologians who were convinced of the authenticity of the writings. The last couple of years an ongoing communication has taken place between the Congregation and Vassula resulting in a document to a number of bishops' conferences that had expressed particular concern to have the Congregation's opinion of Vassula clarified. The document is signed by Cardinal Ratzinger himself. He mentions in the letter that Vassula in her answers to the Congregation printed in the latest volume of "True Life in God" has supplied "useful clarifications regarding her marital situation, as well as some difficulties which in the aforesaid Notification were suggested towards her writings and her participation in the sacraments".

This statement sounds rather laconic, but on the basis of the 1995 Notification it means that the Congregation is satisfied with her answers and no longer holds on to the dogmatic reservations against her. Understandably, the Congregation abstains from concluding whether she is truly God?s instrument, but rather leaves it to the individual bishop, priest or believer to make their own judgement, only, the document says that bishops if necessary should give indications for the ecumenical prayer groups that Vassula organizes.

There are abundant testimonies from different denominations and even from non-Christians indicating that people have come to a real and deep faith in Christ by reading and listening to Vassula. Jesus says that spiritual things are to be judged by their fruits. There can be no doubt that the fruits of Vassula's activities are good, but every one has to discern, whether she is one of Jesus Christ's instruments today. On the basis of Cardinal Ratzinger's short letter it is now without the shadow of doubt that a Catholic with a clear conscience can consider Vassula as sent from God. Of course, everyone is free not to do so, but it is no-longer possible to posit dogmatic grounds to reject her. To judge spiritual things one needs to listen to one's heart. Freedom and respect for each other's opinions are imperative when dealing with apparitions and prophesies.

Additional comments about Vassula and True Life in God from clergy, including Catholic & Orthodox

Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, Archbishop of Zagreb:
"what she [Vassula Rydén] says conforms to Gospel truth" Read more...

Cardinal Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East:
"God be with you[Vassula Rydén]and bless you and assist you in this endeavor toward the path of this unity " Read more...

Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi:
"The surprising thing is that Vassula did not have any catechetical instruction, leave alone theological training, what so-ever and yet her charismatic teaching seems to be in conformity to Scripture, Tradition and the writings of Scholars and Saints... " Read more...

Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles, Archbishop of Lipa City, Philippines:
"No matter what Mrs. Rydén's past life may be, she can and already is an insrument of God in our days to bring to reality God's dream, the Holy Father's dream, the Church's dream which may be the greatest event of the early years of the Third Millennium: THE UNITY OF ALL DISCIPLES OF CHRIST!" Read more...

Arcbishop Vincent Concessao, Arcbishop of New Delhi:
"...All that we have heard is what is written in the Bible, but this [True Life in God messages of Vassula] is in a very personal way and shows that the Lord continues to speak. He is wonderful in His ways - He is a God of surprises and we do not know who He will use to communicate His messages. ... Vassula, thank you. God bless you and your ministry." Read more...

Archbishop Frane Franic, Archbishop Emeritus of Split and Makarska:
"In reading the books of the divine messages and knowing that the author, Mrs. Vassula Rydén, is a daughter of the Greek Orthodox Church, I was very impressed to find in them a fidelity, and I am firmly convinced, an absolute fidelity to all the revealed truths as taught and expounded by the Catholic Church."

Archbishop David Sahagian of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem:
"It is an occasion of great pleasure and personal satisfaction for us to recognize in you a new catalyst of spiritual rejuvenation"

Archbishop Seraphim, His Eminence Archbishop of Johannesburg and Pretoria
"... Another important indication in the messages is the need to support the unification of the Mystical Body of Christ, in other words the unity of the Churches and, in addition, the visible strengthening of the spiritual bonds between the Churches beginning with all Christians celebrating together on the same date the Resurrection of Christ." Read more...

Bishop Anil Couto, Bishop of Delhi
"she[Vassula Rydén]is true, she is real and a way to Unity..."
Read more...

Bishop Jeremiah /FERENS/ Eparch Bishop of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in South America
"Thousands of people from different places in the world are honoured ... graced with the Grace of God, after reading the messages transmited by Mrs. Vassula, and the biggest blessing to the human being is the grace of conversion." Read more...

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem
"as long as people have a pure heart, and a pure mind, God will open their eyes and they will see Him face to face - not as someone up there in heaven, but active in our midst, in our world. This is what True Life in God endeavors to present." Read more...

Bishop Karl Sigurbjörnsson, Bishop of Iceland
"Her [Vassula Rydén's] sacred gift is God’s dispensation to his church, a soothing manifestation of faith." Read more...

Monsignor Georges Kahhale Zouhairaty, Bishop - Exarca & Apostolico of the Greek - Melkite Catholics of Venezuela
"With her openness and relationships, on an international level, Vassula has created, through prayer and "True Life in God", an ecumenical relationship and solid bases for the interreligious dialogue of the XXI Century for human unity." Read more...