A very important message in St. Bridget’s ‘Revelations’
St. Bridget of Sweden received numerous private revelations from Jesus, compiled in the book "Revelations". The revelations cover a range of spiritual lessons that remain relevant for modern life. Bridget is also known for her 15 Prayers, which are widely practiced by the faithful. Pope John Paul II affirmed the value of these messages in his apostolic letter Spes Aedificandi. The article highlights how Bridget’s messages can guide contemporary spirituality.
2 months ago
St. Bridget of Sweden’s private revelations, compiled in the book Revelations, contain timeless spiritual teachings that the Catholic Church continues to uphold, highlighted by recent papal references to Jesus’ tender love for each believer. 1
St. Bridget (1303‑1373) is known for the “15 Prayers of St. Bridget” and for receiving numerous private messages from Jesus.
These messages were gathered into a volume titled Revelations, offering spiritual lessons applicable to modern life. 1
Pope John Paul II affirmed the authenticity of Bridget’s interior experience in his apostolic letter Spes Aedificandi, noting the Church’s acceptance of her charism without a formal judgment on each revelation. 1
In a 2010 general audience, Pope Benedict XVI highlighted a specific passage from Bridget’s Revelations in which Jesus declares:
“I love my sheep so tenderly that, if possible, I would die many other times for each one of them, the same death I suffered for the redemption of all.”
He also quoted Jesus saying, “My Daughter, I have chosen you for myself; love me with all your heart… more than all that exists in the world.” 1
The article urges readers to meditate on this divine tenderness, emphasizing that God’s love remains constant and that believers are invited to respond with wholehearted love, empowered by the Holy Spirit. 1
The piece links to related resources, such as prayers for marital harmony and nightly peace, encouraging the faithful to incorporate Bridget’s insights into daily devotion. 1*
Examine Catholic criteria for authenticating private revelations
Catholic criteria for discerning and (when appropriate) authenticating presumed private revelations focus on (1) their relationship to Christ and public Revelation, (2) doctrinal and moral soundness, and (3) the moral/psychological character of the recipient and the spiritual fruits—all evaluated through an ecclesiastical process that typically begins cautiously (sometimes allowing limited public devotion while further investigation continues).
The Church teaches that private revelations “do not belong… to the deposit of faith.” Their role is not to “improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation,” but to help people live more fully by public Revelation “in a certain period of history.”
Christian faith “cannot accept ‘revelations’ that claim to surpass or correct” the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment.
A private revelation is judged chiefly by whether it is oriented to Christ himself. If it leads away from him, becomes independent of him, or presents itself as “another and better plan of salvation, more important than the Gospel,” it does not come from the Holy Spirit.
A key practical articulation of “how to judge” presumed apparitions/revelations is the 1978 Norms from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. These norms explicitly frame discernment as a process of judging with positive and negative criteria, and they stress that the criteria are not peremptory, but should be applied cumulatively with converging indicators.
The norms list the following principal positive criteria:
The Church seeks moral certitude (or great probability) that the fact truly occurred, obtained through “a serious investigation.”
For the subject, the norms highlight (among other things):
Analysis: This matters because the Church is not only testing “content,” but also testing the credibility and stability of the subject whose perceptions/speech are central to the phenomenon. Even if the content sounds pious, unstable psychological conditions or lack of sincerity can undermine discernment.
Regarding the revelation’s message itself: it should have true theological and spiritual doctrine and be “immune from error.”
The norms emphasize ongoing fruits such as:
Analysis: The presence of “abundant and constant spiritual fruit” functions as a pastoral verification: authentic grace typically moves people toward holiness, not toward curiosity, division, or sensationalism.
The norms list negative criteria including:
If the phenomenon contains “manifest error” about the fact itself, it weighs strongly against supernatural origin.
If the revelation includes “doctrinal errors” attributed to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, or a saint, it is a negative indicator. The norms also caution that sometimes the subject may add unconsciously “purely human elements” or “some error of the natural order” to an otherwise authentic supernatural revelation—so the discernment remains careful rather than automatic.
Evidence of seeking profit or gain tied to the revelation is a negative criterion.
The norms explicitly treat “gravely immoral acts” committed by the subject or followers as negative criteria.
Psychological disorder or conditions that “with certainty influenced” the presumed supernatural fact (as well as psychosis, collective hysteria, and similar issues) are negative indicators.
Analysis: These negative criteria correspond to the Church’s dual concern: avoiding (a) deception and manipulation and (b) mistaking psychological/social disturbance for supernatural action.
The 1978 norms describe a practical ecclesiastical approach:
Analysis: This staged method explains why ecclesiastical guidance is often cautious and time-sensitive. It also helps resolve a common confusion: early permissions for devotion do not necessarily equal final certainty about every aspect of the underlying claim.
Even if a private revelation spreads widely and is recognized in a liturgical calendar, the Church does not make mandatory the acceptance of the original story or its specific devotional forms.
As summarized in Verbum Domini, ecclesiastical approval essentially means:
The same text stresses that private revelation is a help offered for faith, hope, and love, but its use is not obligatory.
Drawing directly from the provided criteria, authenticity (at least with probability) generally depends on a convergence of:
The CDF norms explicitly speak in terms of judging at least with probability and applying criteria cumulatively. This indicates that the Church’s discernment is often evidential and prudential, not merely emotional or speculative.
Catholic criteria for authenticating private revelations are fundamentally Christological (they must lead toward Christ and the Gospel), doctrinal/moral (no errors contrary to faith and morals), and evidential-pastoral (credible facts, a reliable recipient, and abundant, constant spiritual fruits), evaluated through a cautious ecclesiastical process that may allow limited public devotion while further discernment matures.