Church backs out over controversial speaker

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels withdrew its invitation to host a Christian unity conference after officials learned that one speaker claims to speak with God and Jesus.
Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik, the cathedral pastor, acted over concern that the Jan. 28 event would spotlight Greek Orthodox laywoman Vassula Ryden, who has attracted attention with reports of the sacred conversations, the Los Angeles Times reported this week.
In 1995 the Vatican "cautioned Catholics that Ms. Ryden's 'revelations' were merely the result of private meditations and contained doctrinal errors" and advised bishops against disseminating her ideas, Kostelnik wrote to sponsors.
Ryden told newspapers in 1995 that God gave her permission to change the messages and explained it's possible a perfect God regretted something he said.