Defending Vassula and True Life in God

The false statement of "Vassula excommunicated" is unveiled at last

The news of Vassula’s alleged excommunication was published in March 2011 on the website, misleadingly called www.infovassula.ch by its author, Maria Laura Pio Cafaro.

The false statement has also been widely published and relayed in particular by Church related media, thereby impugning honour and reputation of Vassula Rydén and the Foundation for True Life in God.

Maria Laura Pio Cafaro has now issued the following retraction and apology following legal proceedings in the Civil Court of Belgium:

FORMAL RETRACTION:

The document of the Patriarchate is not a decree of excommunication of Mrs Rydén.

Between 24 March and 14 April 2011, this website posted information that had been published by various Orthodox sites, stating that the document of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople dated 16 March 2011 was a formal excommunication of Mrs Rydén. This information has proven to be untrue. It is only on 14 April 2011 that I became aware of canonical arguments that called this interpretation into question, since the document did not appear to be the result of the required canonical procedure for a formal excommunication. I therefore immediately rectified the article. I have greatly regretted this error, because my intention is always to give correct information.

Maria Laura Pio – 27 February 2012.

This retraction and apology was demanded and given because of the grave damage to the reputation and integrity of Vassula Rydén and of the Foundation for True Life in God caused by the slanderous and untruthful statements published by Maria Laura Pio Cafaro and those who have also misled their readers and audience in the same way, in particular:

- Mgr. Denis Lecompte, Coordinateur national de "Pastorale, Nouvelles Croyances
et Dérives sectaires", France
- Fr. François-Marie Dermine, Italy, in his program: Carismatici, sensitivi e medium
on Radio Maria Worldwide
- M. Roland Noé, chief editor of the internet site Kath.net in German
- Swedish newspapers Kyrkans Tidning and Världen Idag
- and other persons and organisations of whom we are not yet aware.

The statements of Mgr. Lecompte and Father Francois-Marie Dermine were widely published and repeated in clerical circles particularly in the Roman Catholic Church up to the level of National Bishop Conferences.
Having so grievously misled a world-wide audience and in the process having damaged their own credibility, all of these people are invited to emulate the action of Maria Laura Pio Cafaro and publish an apology to their audience and readers.

The present clarifying statement is issued and published by the Foundation for True Life in God on behalf of Vassula Rydén.

FOUNDATION FOR TRUE LIFE IN GOD

Geneva, April 2012