Three priests swear they were in a meeting with Pope Pius XII, and that he gave a verbal imprimatur to publish the book as it was.  

This is often repeated, but there's no such thing as "verbal imprimatur" so that in itself is very suspicious.

I haven't read it either, but if you want to know what is necessary for you to know of the details of the Life of Jesus Christ, read and meditate the Holy Bible. There's more than enough there to keep you going for a lifetime.

The reason for my interest was that someone posted an excerpt from it on another site.  I started researching it because I thought that I would go back and tell that person not to follow false apparitions, but what I found was different than expected.  Here is a site which gives a fleshed out history of the apparitions and the work.  history It was put on the index under John XXIII.  I do realize that the Holy Bible contains all that we need to know about the life of Jesus, but would you allow one book to be removed from the Holy Bible?  And if this apparition is true, and Our Lord actually wants us to have this as well, then I find it difficult to ignore.  Not saying that's what I believe.  I would just like to start a conversation about the topic.

I appreciate your responses Nadir and Matto.

Anonymous down-voter, you have the IQ of a squid.  Your argumentation style is equivalent to the following:

Person 1: Hey, what are your thoughts on ...?

You: Blah, garble garble, blah blah.

Oh yes, and the spine of a squid too, for failing to unmask yourself and say something.

I haven't read it. If it was on the Index, I'm not going to chance it, there are so many good books with an imprimatur that I may read without danger. For those reasons, I'm not comfortable with encouraging others to read or discuss it either.

The Holy Office scotched it for substantial reason. It is heretical. Period.

It contains absurd passages including one in which the Mother of God is "reported to have told St. Ann" that She, the Blessed Virgin Herself, "wished She could 'sin' - just once - so that She, too, "could experience God's forgiveness."

Characterizations of Our Lord that look like excerpts from a tawdry piece of pulp fiction churned out in a paperback sweatshop demean and mislead readers are also found in this damnable work.

And, from personal observation, people who read this crap get hooked, just like Medjugoogoos do with their endless, bogus "messages". In fact, it is a cult thing within that very cult. I lost a couple of friends years back that had wandered into both cults and became irrational "thrill seekers" as a consequence.

I won't comment on the +W remarks because when he said those things it was argued extensively and for some time on another Trad forum that he wrote his "recommendation" in an ironic voice. It did not seem so to me nor to others but I would very like to retain a warm fondness for his literary and Catholic sense, so I made allowances.

Soldier ,I don't know who down-thumbed you, but I'm thinking that they were trying to tell you that they disliked the poem.  There's a lot to read on this forum, & sometimes even I will down-thumb something to show that I disagree or don't like something & move on to the next discussion.  I'll also up-thumb to show agreement & move on too.  We only have so much time to read everything we want to read so don't be offended.

I'm a trad from way back before Vat II so have a mindset of a trad.  I can tell you this.  About 10 -15 years ago someone recommended that poem.  I'd never heard of it so I got a copy from somewhere & only read the first page or so & I remember feeling disgusted & couldn't believe that any intelligent person would recommend it.  I never finished it, thank heavens, because I later found out that it was on the Index of Forbidden Books.  I'm telling you to stay away from it.  Please don't allow this to make you curious now to read it.  It really isn't worth your time.  To be blunt - it's rather stupid.

Thanks for your thought Thorn.  I don't think that I'll read it.  I was really just looking for some info.  I personally think that it's pretty mean-spirited and malicious to just down-thumb somebody because they ask a question.  I stand by my implication that this person was a stupid coward.  But I appreciate everyone else's input.  Thank you.

I am pleased and relieved to hear that.

By the way, if you complain about thumbsdown some people like to downthumb you for complaining about it. Just completely ignore the thumbsdown and you'll be happier on board. It doesn't mean much at all, about you or about the person who did it.