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Vassula Rydén
Vassula Rydén (January 18, 1942 – September 25, 2024) was an author, public speaker, and alleged Christian mystic who lived in Switzerland and on the island of Rhodes, Greece, and claimed to have received messages from Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her writings frequently call for people "to repent, love God, and unify the churches." She developed a large following, particularly among Roman Catholics, who came to her lectures purchasing her writings and tapes. She wrote the messages in English, and changed some writings between editions.
In 1995, the Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, published a Notification (a message from the Holy See) on the writings of Rydén, saying her communications should not be considered supernatural, and calling all Catholic bishops to prevent Rydén's ideas from being spread in their dioceses. In 2007, Cardinal William Levada confirmed that the 1995 Notification was still in effect; he recommended that Catholics should not join prayer groups organized by Rydén. In 2011, the Greek Orthodox Church officially disapproved of Rydén's teachings, instructing their faithful to disassociate from Rydén. In 2012, the Church of Cyprus said that Rydén's teachings were heretical.
Rydén was born Vassiliki Claudia Pendakis on January 18, 1942, in Heliopolis on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, the daughter of Greek Orthodox parents established in Egypt. Ryden says that from the age of six, she experienced waking dreams and nightmares that she attributed to Satan who was trying to kill her. When she was 10–12 years old, she had waking dreams of a spiritual marriage with Jesus Christ, as Blessed Virgin Mary was looking on.
Rydén started school in Egypt, and then at the age of 15, she emigrated with her family to Europe. She painted and competed in tennis. During her late teens, she said she was surrounded upon occasion by the spirits of dead people, who she said were asking her to help them. None of her childhood or teenage mystical experiences resulted in a personal religious transformation, and Rydén went on to live a fairly secular life indifferent to religion.
In November 1966, she married a Lutheran man in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, at a Greek Orthodox Church. Her husband was a student who obtained a position with the United Nations after graduation. The couple had two sons together. Because of the husband's job, the family lived in various places in Asia and Africa. From 1966 to 1980, Rydén kept up an active social life. She did not practice any particular religion. The couple was divorced in Sweden in November 1980.
On June 13, 1981, she married her second husband, Per Rydén, a Swedish Lutheran who had been working for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in Mozambique. He took a new position with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) department of the United Nations in Lesotho from 1981 to 1983, then worked again for SIDA from 1984 to 1987 in Bangladesh. Rydén modeled as a hobby, and painted in oils. She also competed in tennis, once winning the women's doubles in a national tournament in Bangladesh. On October 31, 1990, the Rydéns celebrated their existing union in the Greek Orthodox Church in Lausanne. Per Rydén died July 15, 2021.
In November 1985 when Rydén was living in Bangladesh, she said she experienced an extraordinary sensation when writing a grocery list, a list of cocktail party expenses, or a list of errands. Rydén says she suddenly experienced a light electrical feeling in her right hand and, at the same time, an invisible presence. She was unable to open her hand or lift her arm. She said "an invisible force pushed my hand. I was not afraid, I do not know why." She says she permitted her hand to be guided and that she wrote a line in a very different style from her own with the words: "I am your guardian Angel and my name is Daniel." Rydén says that this guardian Angel prepared her for three months to become a conduit of spiritual messages. After a few weeks of such training, Rydén says she had a vision and message from Jesus Christ.
Rydén also received messages from what she says is the Devil. An evil presence had moved her hand to write, sometimes making her write sensible words. She said that Jesus taught her to discern which spirits were engaging her in the writing of messages, and that the Devil's hand thus became recognizable to her.
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Vassula Rydén
Vassula Rydén (January 18, 1942 – September 25, 2024) was an author, public speaker, and alleged Christian mystic who lived in Switzerland and on the island of Rhodes, Greece, and claimed to have received messages from Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her writings frequently call for people "to repent, love God, and unify the churches." She developed a large following, particularly among Roman Catholics, who came to her lectures purchasing her writings and tapes. She wrote the messages in English, and changed some writings between editions.
In 1995, the Catholic Church's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, published a Notification (a message from the Holy See) on the writings of Rydén, saying her communications should not be considered supernatural, and calling all Catholic bishops to prevent Rydén's ideas from being spread in their dioceses. In 2007, Cardinal William Levada confirmed that the 1995 Notification was still in effect; he recommended that Catholics should not join prayer groups organized by Rydén. In 2011, the Greek Orthodox Church officially disapproved of Rydén's teachings, instructing their faithful to disassociate from Rydén. In 2012, the Church of Cyprus said that Rydén's teachings were heretical.
Rydén was born Vassiliki Claudia Pendakis on January 18, 1942, in Heliopolis on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt, the daughter of Greek Orthodox parents established in Egypt. Ryden says that from the age of six, she experienced waking dreams and nightmares that she attributed to Satan who was trying to kill her. When she was 10–12 years old, she had waking dreams of a spiritual marriage with Jesus Christ, as Blessed Virgin Mary was looking on.
Rydén started school in Egypt, and then at the age of 15, she emigrated with her family to Europe. She painted and competed in tennis. During her late teens, she said she was surrounded upon occasion by the spirits of dead people, who she said were asking her to help them. None of her childhood or teenage mystical experiences resulted in a personal religious transformation, and Rydén went on to live a fairly secular life indifferent to religion.
In November 1966, she married a Lutheran man in the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, at a Greek Orthodox Church. Her husband was a student who obtained a position with the United Nations after graduation. The couple had two sons together. Because of the husband's job, the family lived in various places in Asia and Africa. From 1966 to 1980, Rydén kept up an active social life. She did not practice any particular religion. The couple was divorced in Sweden in November 1980.
On June 13, 1981, she married her second husband, Per Rydén, a Swedish Lutheran who had been working for the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in Mozambique. He took a new position with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) department of the United Nations in Lesotho from 1981 to 1983, then worked again for SIDA from 1984 to 1987 in Bangladesh. Rydén modeled as a hobby, and painted in oils. She also competed in tennis, once winning the women's doubles in a national tournament in Bangladesh. On October 31, 1990, the Rydéns celebrated their existing union in the Greek Orthodox Church in Lausanne. Per Rydén died July 15, 2021.
In November 1985 when Rydén was living in Bangladesh, she said she experienced an extraordinary sensation when writing a grocery list, a list of cocktail party expenses, or a list of errands. Rydén says she suddenly experienced a light electrical feeling in her right hand and, at the same time, an invisible presence. She was unable to open her hand or lift her arm. She said "an invisible force pushed my hand. I was not afraid, I do not know why." She says she permitted her hand to be guided and that she wrote a line in a very different style from her own with the words: "I am your guardian Angel and my name is Daniel." Rydén says that this guardian Angel prepared her for three months to become a conduit of spiritual messages. After a few weeks of such training, Rydén says she had a vision and message from Jesus Christ.
Rydén also received messages from what she says is the Devil. An evil presence had moved her hand to write, sometimes making her write sensible words. She said that Jesus taught her to discern which spirits were engaging her in the writing of messages, and that the Devil's hand thus became recognizable to her.
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