A Brief History and Overview of the Flame of Love Movement of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Elizabeth Kindelmann
Elizabeth Szántò was born in Budapest, a city of about 1.6 million people. Really, it is two cities, Buda and Pest, with the Danube River in the middle. She was the thirteenth child (preceded by six pairs of twins). She, alone, survived into adulthood.
Elizabeth was orphaned at a young age. Her father died when she was about five. Because of her poor health, she lived for a time with her grandparents in the countryside. From ages 6 to 10, she attended elementary school. Then, she went to Switzerland, returned to Budapest, and later was supposed to be adopted by a Swiss family. However, she was late for the train and a young couple took her back to Budapest.
In Budapest began the struggle of a 13-year-old orphan who needed to find work so she did not starve. As a lonely orphan who was often taken advantage of, she had many different jobs. Twice she tried to enter religious congregations, but was rejected. Fortunately, she discovered a Father Motray who became her confessor for many years.
The turning point came in August 1929 when she was accepted for the parish choir. There she met Karoly Kindlemann, a chimneysweeper instructor (a good paying position). She was married at 16 (May 25, 1930). They had six children (1931 – 1942). In 1946, her husband died.
In 1948, the Communist Nationalization of Hungary was harsh. She was fired for political reasons (having a statue of the Blessed Mother in her home). By May 1951, she was in a humanly hopeless situation. Fortunately, she became a technical supervisor at a foundry (alluded to in the diary). This saved her family from starvation. She worked at a number of factories. Her children married and, with their grandchildren, moved back in with Elizabeth.
Her diary begins on July 13, 1960, when she wrote about the beginning religious experience that introduced her to God’s presence. It speaks of three years of spiritual darkness (1958 – 1961) that
prepared her for the locutions. The decisive moment came on July 16, 1961, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Elizabeth was a lay Carmelite). This leads us into her diary, where she herself tells the
story.
Elizabeth Kindelmann was a laywoman from Budapest, Hungary who died in 1985. She like St. Faustina was given a mission by God and His Mother for His Church to emphasize a special Grace from God for His Church. She was always obedient to priests and bishops. Our Lady told her to gather 12 special pastors, four from within Budapest and 8 from outside the city to start a Movement to spread this special Grace to the whole world. Elizabeth was instructed to keep a Diary, which explains the special Grace, which God calls the “Grace from the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” and “the greatest Grace given to mankind since the Incarnation”. God promised that this Grace would be spread to the whole world. In the Diary, our Lady always speaks about the “Cause”, i.e. the Flame of Love Movement . She asks Elizabeth to be zealous and to speak often to these priests about “moving the Cause ahead.” Her priest confessors were sometimes slow to understand and slow to act, even though our Ladyasked for action. Yet, they were accepting and sympathetic toward Elizabeth.
Fr. Gabriel Rona, S.J., a Hungarian priest, was also a missionary to Latin America and translated her diary into Spanish. (His book was used for the English translations of both the entire diary and the Simplified Version). He was appointed the Spiritual Director of the Movement for many years. In 1989, Cardinal Echeverria Ruiz (Archdiocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador) approved Fr. Rona’s translation. In 1996, he approved the statutes of the Flame of Love Movement for his archdiocese and asked the Holy Father to approve the Movement for the whole world. Cardinal Stafford, prefect for the Congregation for the Laity, sent a letter encouraging the Cardinal in his work. Cardinal Peter Erdo, Archbishop of Elizabeth’s Archdiocese of Budapest, went more deeply into the question by establishing a theological commission. In 2009,
Cardinal Erdo said that the commission found her writings free from error. He gave his imprimatur; wrote about the importance of this Movement of Grace as a gift from God; and also formally established the Flame of Love as a lay movement in his archdiocese.
Since then, other Hungarian dioceses have done the same, as have other dioceses around the world.In the United States, the Flame of Love Movement is just beginning under the International Pious Association of the Faithful established to spread the Message to the whole world. This association has been in existence for many years in other countries of the world. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the center for the United States Movement of the Flame of Love. Archbishop Chaput (Philadelphia) gave his imprimatur to the English translation from the Spanish of the Flame of Love Book released by the Center.We see ourselves as a grassroots movement, trying to faithfully and prudently put into practice the desires of God and our Mother as described in the Diary. We pledge total loyalty and obedience to the Church. We especially invite all priests and religious to help us to guide this new Movement solely for God’s glory in His Church and according to His Will.
Elizabeth Kindelmann and The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
(6 June 1913- 11 April 1985)
The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a Spiritual Diary of a devout and humble Hungarian woman named Elizabeth Kindelmann. Born on June 6, 1913, in Kispest, Hungary, the mother of six children received private messages and very powerful prayers from the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through the messages and prayers, our Blessed Mother Mary is asking the faithful to add the following words – spread the effect of grace of Thy Flame of Love over all of humanity – to the second part of the Hail Mary.
So when one recites the Rosary of the Flame of Love it should be said as follows: “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee, blessed are Thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, “spread the effect of grace of Thy Flame of Love over all of humanity,” now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”
In November, the Blessed Virgin Mary promised that whoever prays just one Hail Mary in honour of her Flame of Love will deliver 10 souls from Purgatory and on other months whoever prays three Hail Mary in honour of My Flame of Love will deliver a soul from Purgatory.
On the other hand Our Lord Jesus Christ also taught Elizabeth Kindelmann, who died on April 11, 1985 at the age of 72, a beautiful and powerful prayer called the Unity Prayer.
The prayer is as follows (pg 43):
May our feet journey together,
May our hands gather in unity,
May our hearts beat in unison,
May our souls be in harmony,
May our thoughts be as one,
May our ears listen to the silence together,
May our glances profoundly penetrate each another,
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Heavenly Father. Amen.
“This prayer is an instrument in your hands. By collaborating with Me, Satan will be blinded by it; and because of his blindness, souls will not be led into sin,” Jesus told Elizabeth Kindelmann about the unity prayer.
On June 6, 2009 his Eminence Cardinal Peter Erdo, the Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and President of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe granted his Imprimatur number 494-4/2009 to the Hungarian original Spiritual Diary of Elizabeth Kindelmann, authorising the publication of the messages given to her by our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. An imprimatur is the bishop’s official declaration or endorsement that the book is free of doctrinal error and that it has been approved for publication.
Since then this devotion has spread to many parts of the world including Mexico, South America, Canada, USA, UK , Ireland, & now in Nigeria, Philippines, Singapore , Malaysia, Australia , India,etc.
The Flame of Love is a Powerful Devotion of Graces given for our times to Help Jesus Save Souls!
Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary UK 