Public Vs. Private Devotion?

[zunshynn]

What exactly is the difference? I mean I know private devotions have not been approved, but how exactly does that restrict their use in actual practice?

[Cam42]

[quote name='zunshynn' post='1099114' date='Oct 23 2006, 01:33 PM']
What exactly is the difference? I mean I know private devotions have not been approved, but how exactly does that restrict their use in actual practice?
[/quote]

Devotion, as related to the Catholic Church is this: Prayer forms which are not part of the official public liturgy of the Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics.

Private devotions are encompassed within that defintion which are done privately or with a small group. An example of this would be a group devoted to the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Or a group which makes a consecration to the Sacred Heart. Or Divine Mercy Sunday.

There really isn't any such thing as a "public devotion." A public devotion as you are thinking of it would probably be any devotion done in public.

I think that what you may really be asking is what is the difference between personal and private devotion?

A personal devotion would be this: You personally find solace in Divine Mercy, while I may not. I personally find solace in Our Lady of Lourdes while you may not.

Or on a more controversial note, One may find complete and full solace in Medjugorje, while another may be utterly and completely opposed thinking that it is a hoax.

Another form of personal devotion could manifest itself in the fact that I pray the Divine Office everyday. There is no mandate that I do so (only priests and deacons are canonically required to do so), but I find comfort in that part of my prayer life, while many may not find any use for it at all.

I think that really gets to the heart of what you are asking. If I am incorrect, please PM me and let me know, but from what I can gather, I think that is your real question: Private vs. Personal Devotion.