Well, Last Tradhican, that was the time Maria Valtorta lived, so it is expected that the approvals be from around that time. In the Poem, Jesus says it is intended to be a help for the work of His Vicar St. Pius X against Modernism. Many who read it have said it feels like being in the first seminary. Fr. Bareille, who was SSPX vocations director for many years, and whose articles are still on the website, said it was very helpful for him as director of souls for many years. DRBO published an article from Fr. Robinson, SSPX, in favor.
http://www.drbo.org/valtorta.htm"Valtorta's writings were specially given by Christ Our Lord as a gift to His priests, to support the work of His Vicar St Pius X to combat Modernism (see The Poem. vol. 5, pp 946), and to reveal the truth of the Gospel in a special way. They fill in the gaps. They put you in the picture. They amplify the sacred text, (e.g. the Passion may be five pages in your Gospel, it is 100 pages in The Poem.)
If The Poem at times seems sentimental, it is really the remedy of sentimentalism in matters of faith. It is no more sensual than the works of St. Ignatius, who encourages the use of all five senses, plus imagination, in his Spiritual Exercises. Valtorta always leads from the senses to the spiritual, the sublime and the supernatural.
It is a masterpiece of sacred literature, unlike anything ever written. In some ways it is like being in the first seminary, trained by the Master Himself. A professor and sculptor friend of Maria Valtorta wrote in 1965: "(her works) have completely transformed my inner life. The knowledge of Christ has become so total as to make the Gospels clear to me and make me live them in everyday life better" (Lorenzo Ferri). All those among our parishioners who have read Valtorta say the same thing ...
Fr. Gabriel Roschini, a famous Mariologist who also promoted Valtorta until his death in 1976, considered her writings greater than anything he has ever read on Our Blessed Lady. He wrote over 125 totally orthodox books!"Fr. Gabriel Roschini is considered the greatest Mariologist of the last century. Btw, Last Tradhican, do you believe Mary our Mother is Mediatrix of All Graces? Archbishop Lefebvre was in favor of the dogmatic definition of the same, as were Cardinal Siri and others. For the triumph of the Immaculate Heart, and the inauguration of the Age of Mary, that dogma should be defined. Works like these are helpful also to that end. It is good both for families and individuals as for Priests and Nuns.Someone disagrees, please read and be edified by the Gospels. Then, Mystical City of God is very edifying and profitable. We learn about the life of Our Blessed Lady also from private revelations like these, how She consecrated Her life to God as a little girl, at age 3 She entered the Temple, how even then She was considered the holy of holies in Israel, Her blameless life for many years there, until the time determined by God came for Her to be espoused to St. Joseph etc. Using as an example the life of St. Joachim and St. Anne and the hardships and trials they endured well before their glorious reward, the Savior teaches us the importance of bearing our Cross well to attain eternal glory in the end. I find the work very useful and helpful in meditation.