In my humble and pious opinion as a faithful Roman Catholic theologian, the claimed private revelations to Barbara Reuss at Marienfried, Germany, in 1946 are not true private revelations from Heaven. A list of reasons and examples follows.

April 25, 1946
Our Lady said, "They are dark, incomprehensible events. In the place where the greatest confidence is found, and where the people are taught that I can do everything, I will make preparations for peace. I am the sign of the Living God. I place My Sign on the foreheads on My children. The star (Lucifer) will persecute the Sign. But My Sign will conquer the Star." Barbara asked, "who are you?" "If I did not have this veil on, you would know me. The peace of Christ will be with all of you who pray here."

1. Mary appears in true private revelations to shed light, so it seems unlikely that she would call events dark and incomprehensible.
2. The next sentence is absent of any reference to God, as if Mary were everything. The most humble Virgin Mary would not put herself first in this manner. Mary says (Luke 1:37) that nothing is impossible for God, but she does not say things like 'I can do everything'.
3. The next few sentences present Mary as if she were first, without mentioning Christ. She is the sign, and she places the sign, and her sign is persecuted, and her sign will prevail. This is not the way that the most humble Virgin Mary speaks in true private revelation, nor in Scripture. In true private revelations, Mary does not give herself such prominence.
4. When asked who she is, she gives an evasive answer. This is not indicative of true private revelation.

May 25, 1946
An Angel had already frequently appeared to Barbara. He called himself the "Angel of the Great Mediatrix of Graces". On this day he bade Barbara go to Marienfried. After a while, she saw again the mysterious Lady. She recognized her as Mary the Mother of Our Lord and she cried out, "Mary!" Our Lady began to speak: "Yes, I am the powerful Mediatrix of Graces....

5. In true private revelations, sometimes an angel appears first, briefly, and prepares for the appearance of Mary, but it is not indicative of true private revelations for an angel to appear frequently, and only much later introduce the Virgin Mary.
6. Here again Mary is exalted. First, she is called 'great' by the angel. Second, the angel does not call himself an Angel of God, but an angel of Mary.
7. Again, the Lady does not identify herself directly by name, nor does the angel identify her directly by name.
8. The most humble Virgin Mary would never call herself powerful. Instead, she says things like: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord…. he has looked with favor on the humility of his handmaid…. he who is great has done great things for me, and holy is his name."

May 25, 1946 (continues)
…I demand that the world live this consecration…. Believe that I am able to do everything with my Son…. Then it will be I Who will draw the power of God….

9. The most humble Virgin Mary may well appear to someone to plead with this sinful world, to point the world towards Christ, to encourage prayer and self-denial. But she would not appear to make a demand.
10. The next sentence places Mary above Christ, by saying that it is she who is able to do everything, and leaving mention of her Son only by saying 'with my Son'. In truth, her Son is everything and is able to do everything, and she is nothing apart from Him.
11. The next sentence exalts Mary by portraying her as controlling the power of God, rather than presenting her our first intercessor.

May 25, 1946 (continues)
The star of the infernal regions will rage more violently than ever and will cause frightful destruction, because he knows that his time is short and because he sees that already many have gathered around my sign. Over these he has no power, although he will kill the bodies of many; but through these sacrifices brought for me, My power to lead the remaining host to victory will increase.

12. This section of the message portrays the sufferings that the world encounters as being caused by Satan and his fallen angel, rather than as being a punishment from God, by providential or miraculous intervention.
13. This message claims that Satan has the power, and will exercise the power, to kill many persons. But in truth, God does not permit the fallen angels to go around killing people. During the worst parts of the tribulation, the afflictions will be from providence and from God's own intervention, even from holy angels. But God never delivers his people to Satan to be victimized 'more violently than ever' with 'frightful destruction' and by killing 'the bodies of many'.
14. It is an appalling error against the Faith to claim that destruction and killing by Satan and other fallen angels are 'sacrifices brought for me [Mary].
15. Again, at the end of the above quote, 'Mary' talks about her 'power' without any mention of Christ or God.

May 25, 1946 (continues)
Offer yourselves and your works to the Father through Me, and put yourself at My disposal without reserve!... Expect no sign or wonders! I shall be active as the powerful Mediatrix in secret….

16. Notice that again there is no mention of Christ. Instead, Mary is substituted for Christ, so that she asks people to offer themselves and their works to the Father through her, not through Christ.
17. The request to put one's self at her disposal without reserve does not mention Christ or the Church.
18. Earlier in this message, we were told of horrific and extraordinary things that Satan would supposedly do. But as concerns what God will do, we are told 'expect no sign or wonders'. The message speak of Satan as powerful, and of Mary as powerful, but the power of God is diminished or ignored, and Christ is not the center of attention.
19. Again, 'Mary' claims to be powerful, and with no mention of the power of God.

May 25, 1946 (continues)
Our Lady continued, "After this the devil will be possessed of such power that those who are not firmly established in Me will be deceived. There is a time coming when you will stand in this place all alone and will be frightfully calumniated. Because the devil knows how to deceive men so that they permit themselves to be completely blinded to the higher things. But you should establish everything on confidence. The devil has power over all people who do not trust in My Heart. Wherever people substitute My Immaculate Heart for their sinful hearts, the devil has no power. But he will persecute My children. They will be despised, but he can do them no harm.

20. Again, Satan is spoken of as being very powerful. There is mention of the power of Mary, but no mention of Christ, the Church, or God.
21. It is not true that the devil has power over all who do not believe in Mary, nor even over all who do not believe in Christ or in God. The source of sin in the world is free will, not Satan. And the influences on free will toward sin are the flesh, the world, and the devil, not the devil only.

June 25, 1946
"I am the Powerful Mediatrix of Grace. It is the will of the Father that the world acknowledge this position of His Handmaid. People must believe that I am the permanent Bride of the Holy Ghost, and the faithful Mediatrix of all Graces."

22. Again, this Mary calls herself powerful, whereas the true Virgin Mary would never call herself powerful, because she is perfect in humility. Did Christ ever say 'I am powerful'? Did any Pope or Saint ever say 'I am powerful?' Neither would Mary.
23. Mary is not the Mediatrix of graces which flow from the Divine Nature of Christ to His human nature, nor is she the Mediatrix of graces which she herself receives from Christ. Therefore, she would never call herself 'Mediatrix of all Graces'.

June 25, 1946
Your blood and your sacrifices shall destroy the image of the beast.

24. The phrase 'image of the beast' alludes to the Antichrist and his kingdom as described in the book of Revelation. But the present generation is not the time of the Antichrist, nor of his kingdom. (See my article: http://www.catholicplanet.com/future/antichrist-timeline.htm)

June 25, 1946
Bring many sacrifices and offerings to Me! Offer your prayers to Me as sacrifices…. Crosses, weighty and deep as the sea, I shall lay upon My children because I love them in My Sacrificed Son.

25. The above quote is from a long message on June 25, 1946. In the whole message, and particularly in the first two sentences quoted above, Mary is the focus and Christ is ignored. Sacrifices are brought to her, and prayers, with no mention of Christ.
26. The entire long message of June 25, 1946 mentions Christ only once, and then only with Mary as the focus and the person who is acting, saying that she loves her children 'in my sacrificed Son.' Mary is presented as if she were primary, and as if Christ were merely assisting Mary.
27. The entire message talks about three persons, mostly about Mary, also about the Father, and also mentions the Holy Spirit. Mary is presented as if she were working with the Father and the Spirit, as if she has taken the role of Christ in our salvation. (This error permeates all of the messages at Marienfried.)

Conclusion

The claimed private revelation at Marienfried, Germany, are unlike the true private revelations known to the Church, and are similar in many ways to various false claims of private revelation. The messages at Marienfried contain the pervasive error of presenting Mary in the role of Savior, with little mention of Christ in any role. The messages also present two persons as having the greatest power, Satan and the Lady of these apparitions. Mary is exalted in a manner which is entirely incompatible with the Gospel message, the humility of the true Virgin Mary, and the teaching of the Church about the roles of Christ and Mary in our salvation. Therefore, these messages are not from the true Virgin Mary, are not from God or Heaven, and are false private revelations, whose most likely source is fallen angels.


by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
December 2, 2007