Approved Devotion

Devotional status: Approved devotion
Disciplinary status: Church discipline
Evidence type: Historical account
GuideApproval and public use are ecclesiastical judgments; the origins and particular claims of a devotion remain subject to historical evidence.
Contents

An approved devotion is a form of Catholic prayer or piety permitted, received, or commended by the Church without thereby becoming a sacrament, dogma, or universal obligation.

Devotions such as the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, litanies, novenas, scapulars, and Eucharistic adoration dispose the faithful to receive grace and extend the fruits of the liturgy into daily life. Their soundness depends on conformity with Catholic faith and their orientation toward Christ and the sacramental life.[1]

The sacred liturgy holds a unique and superior place. Approved private or communal devotions should harmonize with the liturgical seasons and lead the faithful toward the Church's public worship rather than compete with it.[2]

What approval means

Ecclesiastical approval can establish that a text or practice contains nothing contrary to faith and morals, authorize public use, or positively commend a devotion. The exact force depends on the act of approval and the authority issuing it.

Approval does not add a private revelation to the deposit of faith or oblige every Catholic to adopt the devotion. Claims about a particular apparition, miracle, promise, or historical origin must still be stated according to the Church's judgment and the available evidence.

References

  1. 1.Sacrosanctum Concilium, 13 — Vatican II on devotions in harmony with and derived from the liturgy
  2. 2.Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy — Principles governing Catholic popular piety