Newsletter N. 7/26 – «We all “complete” the Gospel»
Dear friends, we have successfully concluded the 17th National and 7th International Valtortian Congress. Those who attended were very pleased to have been there. On the prestigious stage of the “Principino” in Viareggio—an enchanting venue, as indeed is the entire Viareggio seaside—we listened to presentations by academics and professionals with diverse backgrounds, hailing from Italy, Ireland, Mexico, and France. The event was a truly extraordinary success.
A highlight of the event was undoubtedly the presentation of the new topographic map of Palestine from two thousand years ago—displayed as a magnificent giant poster—created with great dedication and effort by Prof. Gianluigi Porrà, but the other lectures and presentations were by no means less impressive: from Prof. Liberato De Caro’s new book Cronologia svelata to the second volume of Polifonia Valtortiana by Prof. Di Traglia, to Prof. Emilio Matricciani’s research on Caiaphas’s house; from the presentations in French by Bruno Perrinet and Fabrice-Marie Gagnant—who introduced the website Dilexit.com—to the talks on the “Grail” by Robert Nugent and on the Antichrist by Deacon Prof. Michel Mellner. The initial results of the comparison of Jesus’ “style” across different mystical traditions, conducted by Prof. Carofano, were truly astonishing, but equally compelling were the testimonies of the apostolic ministry of Mr. Ivan Merced and Mr. Esteban Moreno, who had traveled specifically from Monterrey, Mexico, as well as the videoconference by Prof. Fernando La Greca, who presented his latest publication, “The Gospels Do Not Contradict Each Other”; the event concluded with remarks by Francesco Terranova, a board member of our Foundation, who offered some advice on discussing Maria Valtorta in various settings, and by journalist Prof. Andrea Morigi, who spoke about Europe’s Christian roots—roots that must always be preserved and constantly nurtured. Everyone did their utmost to illustrate the richness and the many facets of Valtorta’s work.
Also significant—and by no means a given—was the presence of the Archbishop of Lucca, His Excellency Monsignor Paolo Giulietti, who expressed both his support for our activities related to Maria Valtorta and his stated esteem for the holy life she led, leaving the examination and discernment of her work to those with the appropriate authority.
The defining feature of our conferences is the application of the Galilean scientific method in every area: this entails a rigorous and tenacious search for the objective reality of the facts described in Valtorta’s writings. Falling into facile devotional notions has always been a very real risk, but our conferences—as well as the individual days of Valtortian spirituality and the spiritual exercises—systematically avoid this approach. We embrace the value of authentic devotion when appropriate, but sterile devotionalism is entirely foreign to us: the critical exercise of reason and its analytical tools always takes precedence. Our conferences—and this year’s edition has amply confirmed this—aim to follow in the footsteps of the most authentic realism: far removed from both scientistic rationalism and devotional sentimentality. Methodological realism strives to understand, document, and accurately report the state of affairs. No preconceived or fanciful theories, but neither any preconceived conclusions: only the desire to verify and explore historical, archaeological, and textual evidence as it presents itself, as events actually occurred, and as rational inquiry is able to grasp them.
Once again, the volume of data collected, the shared discoveries, and the insights offered by the factual findings were truly substantial. They will constitute a valuable resource for delving even more deeply into Valtorta’s writings and for providing solid, well-documented tools in the service of the New Evangelization. We wish you all the best as you continue on this journey: to all readers who, together with Maria Valtorta, wish to know, love, and follow our Lord Jesus Christ ever more deeply, as well as to the scholars who are now beginning to professionally delve into the writings to draw out the new treasures that Heaven has chosen to give us through them.
— fr. Ernesto Zucchini
[This text was automatically translated by Deepl.com – quotes included]