It seems that when our Lord revealed this devotion, He was very clear of the need for it to be canonically established. He made it known to Sister Marie de Saint Pierre, “If this Work of Reparation is not established on a solid foundation it will never be secure. By this I mean that if it does not have its own Brief it will only languish and wind up by perishing. This Work therefore cannot be truly established without the formality of a Brief.”[1]
So, we can deduce that the Lord Himself desired this establishment, and that the people involved are merely the instruments used by God to bring about His will. Being part of this formal canonical Archconfraternity means one can gain spiritual benefits such as certain plenary indulgences given by the ecclesiastical authority. Further, praying as a member of an Archconfraternity is akin to unleashing a torrent of graces by being connected to the prayers of all its present and past members. To borrow an analogy from our beautiful friends at the Marian Devotional Movement – praying by oneself is like a tap dripping, praying in a prayer group is like turning a faucet on fully, however praying with an Archconfraternity is like turning on Niagara Falls!
The church hierarchy was established by God, and one of its key purposes is to ensure cohesion and unison amongst its members. Therefore, following an already approved formulated plan and set of rules is always good practice.
There seems be a bit confusion of what image to venerate for the purpose of the Holy Face Devotion. If you are praying as a group and have no affiliation to the Archconfraternity, then naturally you will benefit and obtain many graces from this devotion regardless of what image you are using. It should however, be legitimate and reverent. If, on the other hand, you want to enroll in the Archconfraternity and enjoy its many spiritual privileges, then it is advisable to venerate the Veronica Veil, the image around which the Archconfraternity was formed. The prime reason being that our Lord specifically mentions the office of Veronica several times in His revelations to Sr. Marie de Saint Pierre. He showed her vividly the scene of Veronica wiping His Face during His passion on the way to Calvary. Then told her “by practicing Reparation for blasphemy, we render Him the same service as did the pious Veronica and that just as He looked with kindly eyes upon this holy woman during His passion, so would He regard with affection all those who make reparation.”[2] On another date our Blessed Saviour said to her, “I seek Veronicas to wipe and venerate My Divine Face which has few adorers!”[3] These are but a few of the many instances in which our Lord linked the office of Veronica with performing acts of reparation. As an aside, the Veronica image is the imprint of our suffering Lord during His passion while He was still alive. The image of the Shroud is from His burial. The distinction is very important.
In conclusion, in order to be in union with the Archconfraternity, and receive the associated indulgences and graces generously bestowed on its members, it is credible to follow the blueprint already established.
Composed by The Little Pilgrim of the Holy Face and edited by the Littlest Wren. 17 Nov. 2023
[1] March 19,1847 Golden arrow page 200
[2] Oct 11, 1845 Golden Arrow page 153
[3] Oct 27, 1845 Golden Arrow page 157