Within the Divine Will movement in my home town it has been firmly stated that unless our cenacle join the LPDV Association in Corato and support them we are not obedient to the church and can’t share Luisa’s writings. Certain people are feeling pressured to join this association otherwise they will be marginalized. This does not seem right, for since childhood I was taught to follow the Pope and the bishops, and not just a local association. Am I wrong? For years I’ve listened to the teachings of Fr. Iannuzzi who has done so much to educate me on the Divine Will. I read his book on Luisa that is approved by a Vatican university and endorsed by many bishops. He always directs me to what he calls the three fonts of our faith: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium. Can you tell me how I’m supposed to reply to this huge emphasis on me having to be affiliated with Corato or being marginalized?

- Eleanor

​

Hi Eleanor. I shared your question with those more informed than me in the fields of Church law and Church doctrine and, following their advice, I am happy to offer you our response. The simple answer to your question is that no association, group or party, even one that is recognized by the church, can compel anyone to join it, must less do so in exchange for support or in the hope of receiving God’s grace or the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as the gift of living in the Divine Will. This attempt to compel others to join is often found among sects. The Church teaches that one is free to join whatever group they wish, so long as that group is united to the Roman Pontiff, the bishops in union with him and the Magisterium. If an association or group marginalizes you or others simply because you choose not to join it, this is wrong, and is a sign that the group is being led by the human will and not the Divine Will; for it sows division and panders to favoritism, neither of which has a place in the life of Christ, of the Church’s saints and of the Servant of God Luisa.

 

As a baptized Catholic you have God-given “rights” which are protected by Church law, and that include your right to work so that the divine message of salvation more and more reaches all people in every age and in every land” (canon 211). You have a “right” to hold meetings and prayer groups in your home or elsewhere for purposes “of piety” (canon 215), and a “right and even at times the duty… to make your opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful” (canon 212). You have a “right” to “follow your own form of spiritual life so long as it is consonant with the doctrine of the Church” (canon 214). You also have a “right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by your own undertakings” (canon 216). While there may be rare instances of rogue groups who are not aligned with the Church that may elicit the attention of the local ordinary who may intervene to ensure that they follow the Church’s faith and morals (canon 223), your choice to assemble together to pray and grow spiritually nonetheless remains your God-given right.

 

You mentioned the great good the theologian Fr. Iannuzzi has done to help guide you in the way of the Church’s faith and morals, and I share your sentiment Eleanor. Father has been a great help to our group as well, who is a Church-qualified theologian whose doctoral thesis on Luisa’s doctrines received unanimous approval of the pontifical university of Rome. In 2017 Peter DePalma wrote an informative letter explaining the difference between the function of an association and the “vocation of the theologian”.1 He details how the theologian is “officially charged with task of presenting and illustrating the doctrine of the faith in its integrity and with full accuracy” (Donum Veritatis, n. 22), and this includes Luisa’s doctrines.

​

Sadly most are unaware of the above God-given rights that Church law upholds. When you see individuals of groups excluding this or that person, such as you, from their groups or telling others to avoid them simply because they choose not to become a member of this or that group or association, it is a red flag that they are insincere. No one in the Church can claim a monopoly on the Holy Spirit or his gifts, who, like the wind, breathes where he wills (Jn. 3:8). Moses reprimanded Joshua for trying to stop others from receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit because they did not belong to his little band of leaders (Nm. 11:29), and Jesus reprimanded John for doing the same (Lk. 9:50)!

 

On many occasions the Catholic Church rejected the approach of groups, even if they are approved by the church, insisting that others must join them either to receive God’s gifts or under the pressure of marginalizing them. Consider the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS), which is an association based in Rome and acts as the center of communications within the worldwide Charismatic Renewal. It also serves as liaison between the Charismatic Renewal and the Vatican, and is recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The Vatican’s Pontifical Council never insists that all Catholics must join ICCRS, let alone claim that unless you do so you cannot receive the Holy Spirits gifts or that you are somehow disobedient. Much like the Vatican and the ICCRS, other Church-approved groups or associations like the Marian Fathers who promote the great gift of the Divine Mercy Sunday plenary indulgence, do not impose membership upon others in order to receive this great gift, or marginalize them if they don’t.

 

In your question Eleanor you also mentioned the LPDV association. I have come to learn that it changed its original name which Bishop Carata chose in 1987 from the “Pius Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will” to “LPDV” (Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will). Its statues of June 3, 20102 are pretty clear that its function is to “use means of prayer and spiritual formation (art. 2)”, and its objective is to strive to grow in “charity” and spread the “life and spirituality” of Luisa, (art. 3). However, I am rather perplexed by a statement in the statues that refers to Luisa living God’s will on earth as a “secret” (art. 3). In my opinion, this comes across as perplexing when considering the fact that the Church condemned the early century heresy of Gnosticism that wrote of a “secret” knowledge (gnosis) in its mystical and esoteric approach to discover perfection and salvation.

​

The statues also state that its members are to devote themselves to Luisa’s “spirituality” (art. 6) and are encouraged to give financial aid to the association (art. 6, n. 8). I must add that I don’t understand what the statutes mean when they add that its  “cornerstone” which regulates the association is the “communion of its members. ”As far as I recall the Church has always taught that the cornerstone of every group or association that subsists within it is rather its communion with Rome, that is, with the Roman Pontiff, the bishops in communion with him and the Magisterium. I may be mistaken, but this statement to me sounds rather cliquish or sectarian.

​

Lastly, I find it interesting that the statues add that the association and its members are “to avoid all cause for division and conflict” (art. 6, n. 9), when many know of the divisive conflict between the Corato association and an Italian publishing house – a divisive exchange of legal letters ensued. Thank God this was eventually followed by a partial resolution.3 Others may be aware that the late Archbishop G.B. Pichierri officially rescinded a false and divisive statement with respect to Fr. Iannuzzi that came from a prelate who helped guide the Corato association.4 Others know that another prelate who also assisted the same association made divisive statements with respect to Fr. Iannuzzi, when alleging that his doctoral thesis was not on Luisa, was not approved, and that he was not given permission from the archdiocese to write it, when in fact these statements were proven false.5

 

With respect to these human imperfections, they are not to shake our faith, for God, in some instances, may write straight on crooked lines. Furthermore, history tells us that within the church there have been conferences held by associations and groups in which invited speakers publicly said things that were inconsistent with the Church’s faith and morals. Fr. Iannuzzi put out a book entitled, Proper Catholic Perspectives, in which he corrects a series of public errors that were taught at Divine Will conferences or retreats by associations and groups. That teaching errors among those who promote Luisa exist is confirmed in two official letters respectively from Archbishop G.B. Pichierri and the Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith who stated:

 

Other times they distort certain essential themes or points of this spirituality, presenting them outside of the context and the totality of the writings... From this emerges the need of seeing possible deformations, inaccurate interpretations, imprudent or inappropriate teachings, in order to correct them and to present everything in full conformity with the Doctrine of theChurch”

(Archbishop G.B. Pichierri, Letter of March 9, 2006).

​

“After the death of Luisa Piccarreta, there was an uncontrolled proliferation of her writings – often translated and manipulated with heterodox interpretations – and movements, associations and Divine Will groups, at times characterized by devotions inconsiderate to the Servant of God, that have spread throughout the world”

(Phillippe Curbelié, Titular Archbishop of Utica, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, Vatican

City, December 3, 2024).

​

This reality underscores the importance of Church-qualified theologians whose vocation is to clarify such teachings for the spiritual welfare of the Christian faithful. The Magisterium extends from the Roman Pontiff to the bishops in communion with him,6 who always consult with her “qualified theologians”, such as Fr. Iannuzzi.7 A church qualified theologian’s vocation differs from the above-listed functions of an association for several reasons. For one, a theologian is “a participant in the work of the Magisterium” who is “linked by a juridic bond” to it (Donum Veritatis, n. 22); he is also authorized by the Church to teach doctrine and provide a correct interpretation to Magisterial texts (Donum Veritatis, n. 34), which include the texts of Luisa that have received the Magisterium’s seals of approval. He is further called to “investigate and explain the doctrine of the Faith” (Donum Veritatis, n.2), and is “officially charged with the task of presenting and illustrating the doctrine of the faith in its integrity and with full accuracy” (Donum Veritatis, n. 22).

 

We all have our own roles in building up the Body of Christ, and humility enables us to know and respect them. If we do so, unity becomes a reality among all those who follow and are involved with the Divine Will.

​

Thanks once again for your question Eleanor. I, along with all those with whom I collaborate, sincerely encourage you to forge ahead by walking side by side with the Church, her ecclesial authorities and her qualified theologians that are united with the Roman Pontiff.

 

Godspeed.

​

Sharon Freeman,

House of Loreto, President

Beauséjour, Canada

August 30, 2025

​

1 https://queenofthedivinewill.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Response-to-False-Information-on-Father-Iannuzzis-doctoral-thesis.pdf

2 https://en.luisapiccarretaofficial.org/decree-statute

3 The late Mr. Andrea Magnifico inherited from Luisa’s three heirs her original first nineteen volumes. Andrea worked for years beside his trusted collaborator and the vice-president of a publishing house in Bergamo Mr. Francesco Gamba. For years they were in possession of Luisa’s volumes and Andrea and Francesco charitably chose to allow Archbishop Pichierri to have possession of the writings to advance her cause, while the former stipulated in a legal contract – witnessed by the Italian Legal Attorneys R. Buttironi and R. Nemni, and by Msgr. A. Bellini and Fr. Cellerino – that “The Gamba Publishing House must continue to be an essential support in the new and more extensive diffusion of Luisa Piccarrreta’s writings” (original Italian text: “Tipolitografia Gamba, corrente in Verdello (BG) alla via Camozzi 10/12, debba continuare ad essere supporto essenziale per una nuova e più estesa divulgazione degli scritti di Luisa Piccarreta”).

It is asserted that after Andrea’s passing, F. Gamba discovered that ecclesial representatives from Corato, including those spiritually guiding its association decided not to honor this stipulation, and an exchange of divisive emails ensued with a prelate asserting that if F. Gamba pursued this path, a war (“una guerra”) would follow (cf. Testimony of Francesco Gamba of Jan. 6, 2017 entitled, “Storia - Tentativo per baipassare con una convenzione, i diritti che Gamba ha ricevuto da Andrea Magnifico, sull'utilizzo e la diffusione degli Scritti fatti dalla Serva di Dio Luisa Piccarreta” [in English: “History – The attempt to bypass, through an agreement, the rights that Gamba received from Andrea Magnifico regarding the use and dissemination of the writings of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta”). The exchange of legal letters resulted in clarifications pertaining to Italian laws governing the property rights to economic rights of Luisa’s writings (see art. 1.2 and 1.4 of the December 7, 2012 letter of the Attorney Raffaello Nemni to Attorney Riccardo Buttironi).

In the years that followed, Archbishop G.B. Pichierri was able, in part, to mend this divisive and conflictual matter. He allowed the F. Gamba Publishing House to print and distribute Luisa’s Italian writings that are published in Italian and available today (all 36 volumes were published and distributed: the first edition in 2014 and the second edition in 2022): http://www.scrittidiluisapiccarreta.it/en/

4 On June 15, 2005, Archbishop Pichierri wrote:

“Most Dear Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi,

I received the photocopies of the documents you had sent me, in which you request that I correct the expressions contained in the letters of the vicar general of August 4, 2003 and October 4, 2003, where he had written:

‘Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi never had any position within the Archdiocese of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie… neither has he ever been a censor of preacher”; “…has not had any assignment from anyone. He is working on his own account…’

I rescind the above expressions, as I had done so earlier in a letter I addressed to you on November 5, 2003, when I made clarifications to said expressions, and that I have here included for you…

To anyone who should attempt to denigrate you Fr. Joseph, you have this letter to show them as well as other documents by those in authority over you that testify to their support on your behalf.

Given the above, I encourage you to remain strong in trial under the action of the Holy Spirit, and I assure you of my esteem and of my prayers.

Cordially I embrace you, and I bless you: +

+ Archbishop Giovanni Battista Pichierri”

5 On January 29, 2002 the Archdiocese of Trani issued to Fr. Iannuzzi an official letter of endorsement for his doctoral dissertation on the doctrines contained in Luisa’s writings. The letter stated, “In response to your request for a letter for the moderator of your doctoral thesis... I can assure you that there are no objections for the scientific research on the writings… of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta.” On November 22, 2012, the thesis was approved with high honors by the Gregorian Pontifical University which is authorized by the Holy See, bearing the official Vatican university seals of approval.

In 2013 the doctoral dissertation, with the permission of the Pontifical University, was published and distributed to Vatican Congregations for the Doctrine of Faith and for the Causes of Saints, and to the 494 USA Catholic Bishops. That this dissertation contains and are faithful to Luisa’s original 36 volumes was attested to in On June 19, 2011, by the Official Judiciary of the Cause for Beatification of Luisa Piccarreta Fr. Joseph Bucci, O.F.M., Cap., and on December 2, 2012, by Fr. Pablo Martín, a member of the 2005 équipe of the Archdiocese of Trani in their signed statements to the Gregorian Pontifical University.

And in 2013, more than 45 Bishops express in writing their esteem for Fr. Iannuzzi’s doctoral dissertation, affirming, “Such scholarly work provides an essential service to the Church and to the New Evangelization”; “This will be of great service to the Church on behalf of this Servant of God who has had such incredibly mystical experiences. Thank you very much for taking care of the publicity and publication of this wonderful work”; “I was struck with the splendid work of research and competence in writing which Fr. Iannuzzi brought to the completion of the book... It is deep and rich writing from a theological perspective..."

6 “The bishops, when they are teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected by all as

witnesses to the divine and catholic truth... The religious assent of the will and intellect is to be given in a special

way to the authentic teaching authority of the Pontiff even when he is not speaking ex cathedra” (Decrees of the

Ecumenical Councils, Vatican Council I, vol. II, Washington DC, 1990, p. 869).

7 International Theological Commission, the Ecclesiastical Magisterium and Theology, Libreria Editrice Vaticana.