St. Faustina: Fraud — or Faithful?
October 5th is the feast day of St. Faustina. Debate continues to swirl around her and the Divine Mercy devotion. In this episode (originally aired June 23, 2023), I delve into St. Faustina's life and the controversies surrounding Divine Mercy to answer the question: Is Divine Mercy a fraud — or is it one of God's greatest gifts to the modern world?
Objection 1: St. Faustina's diary was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books.
ANSWER: This was owing to errors in the Italian translation. Once an accurate translation was commissioned, any errors were eliminated and the ban was lifted in 1978.
Objection 2: Divine Mercy preaches unconditional mercy without sacrifice.
ANSWER: False. St. Faustina was given a terrifying vision of Hell, and confirmed that many souls who reject God and His mercy will end up there. She also practiced many penances and mortifications in reparation for sinners, understanding that suffering is the price of sin.
Objection 3: How could Our Lord say to St. Faustina that He united Himself more intimately with her than with any other creature, when God clearly unites Himself more intimately with Our Lady?
ANSWER: He clearly meant He united Himself with her more intimately than with any other mortal creature at that time living on earth — not for all time.
Objection 4: How could St. Faustina claim the Lord told her, “From today on, do not fear God’s judgment, for you will not be judged.”
ANSWER: Any saint who dies in the state of perfection and goes directly to Heaven is exempt from judgment. Saint Faustina lived an extraordinarily holy life and is now a canonized saint; it would not be difficult to believe that God granted her the extraordinary grace not only of sainthood, but of knowing that she would escape judgment.
The Divine Mercy devotion has the highest approval possible in the Church:
-It's elevated to a feast day (Divine Mercy Sunday), with indulgences attached
-The Divine Mercy chaplet is an approved devotional
-Devotion to the Divine Mercy image is officially approved by the Church
-St. Faustina's diary is officially approved by the Church
-St. Faustina is a canonized saint
At bottom: When Catholics object to the Divine Mercy devotion, it's not so much the devotion itself as the authority of the Church to which they object.
Learn more: https://www.thedivinemercy.org
