Is the devotion to the shoulder wound of Jesus okay ?

[NadaTeTurbe]

I've a friend who is fond of this devotion. 

It comes from St Bernard. Jesus said to him :  "I had on My Shoulder, while I bore My Cross on the Way of Sorrows, a grievous Wound, which was more painful than the others, and which is not recorded by men. Honor this wound with thy devotion, and I will grant thee whatsoever thou dost ask through its virtue and merit. And in regard to all those who shall venerate this Wound, I will remit to them all their venial sins, and will no longer remember their mortal sins."

The prayers is :  O Loving Jesus, Meek Lamb of God, I, a miserable sinner, salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross, which so tore Thy Flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee and give Thee thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross, to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen

I've also found that it comes from St Padre Pio. Nothing is clear. However, I've also read on a traditionnalist forum that it was in fact forbidden. 

Questions : 

1) Can you tell me where in the life of St Bernard I can find an account of this revelation ? Does the cistercian use it ? 

2) Is it approved by the Church ? Do you have the original source ? (not only "Pope X approves this on..." but the official text) 

3) How the highlighted part is possible ? I thought only confession could erase our past sins (venial and mortal) and that the favorite devotion of our Lord was the Rosary.

 

Just to add, I saw that an indulgence of 300 years was granted by Pope Eugène III, with this prayer. Again, I've just read it on the internet, I've not found anything on the life of St Bernard that I have (Pope Eugène was a good friend of St Bernard) 

[blazeingstar]

3) Forgiveness is different than remembering and is different than erasing.  The prayer dosn't say "forgive" but rather "erase".  Erasing comes after forgiveness "Forgive but not forget"  While we still must confess our sins, indulgences carry the promise that we will not receive the apt punishment we deserve.  Confession simply wipes away guilt and brings repentance.  God may still need to purify us in purgatory, and this is what it addresses.

All kindness to St. Bernard, but this comes from a time when legalism and rampant indulgence abuse was common.  While I value these prayers as a treasure trove of God's graces, and I believe God will keep any intended promises, I do also believe that many of these are both lost in time and skewed by the views of the time.

[NadaTeTurbe]

Thank you for your answer  

So, apparently, in "l'ami du clergé", wich was a french magazine, you can find in an issue from 1929 : "the devotion to the shoulder wound of Jesus have been condemned by the Sacred Congregation. The Church has never recognized the authenticity of the appearance of our Lord to St Bernard, revealing its devotion. The Church said that the indulgence supposedly granted with this devotion are apocryphal, and banned all prayers and image for this alleged revelation" 

Yves Daoudal, french traditionnalist and journalist, add that : 
- No writing from St Bernard, and no historian of St Bernard speak about it. 
- There never was an indulgence given with this devotion. In 1678, a Congregation of the Church made a list of indulgence that are "false, revoked, and apocryphal", and the indulgence by Pope Eugène III is listed among them. 

From : http://www.leforumcatholique.org/printFC.php?num=621397