Vatican ruling on disputed Medjugorje shrine expected soon
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Has the Virgin Mary been appearing daily for many years in the once obscure Bosnian village of Medjugorje to share religious messages with a few local believers? Is the site visited by over 30 million pilgrims a hoax? The question has long divided Catholics who have debated whether the visions are a modern-day miracle, wishful thinking or the result of an elaborate fraud.
(Photo: Virgin Mary statue at reported apparition site, 25 June 2009/Damir Sagolj)
After observing events sceptically for many years, the Vatican may soon issue firmer guidance for Catholics on the claim that the mother of Jesus has been visiting the Balkans, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, head of the bishops’ conference in Bosnia, told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. That guidance, if it clearly expresses the scepticism the official Church has long shown towards the Medjugorje phenomenon, could deal a serious blow to a site some Catholics see as a “new Lourdes.”
“We are now awaiting a new directive on this issue,” said Puljic, the Sarajevo archbishop who survived the city’s long wartime siege in the 1990s. “I don’t think we must wait for a long time, I think it will be this year, but that is not clear… I am going to Rome in November and we must discuss this.”
Official Church scepticsm about Medjugorje has become more public in recent months. In June, Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar, the nearest city in Bosnia, warned Catholics against uncritical belief in Medjugorje and issued a series of restrictions on the parish. “Brothers and sisters, let us not act as if these ‘apparitions’ were recognised and worthy of faith,” he said in a sermon (full text here in Italian translation).
Then in July, Pope Benedict defrocked Rev. Tomislav Vlasic, the former “spiritual director” to the six visionaries, after a year-long probe into charges he exaggerated the apparitions and had fathered a child with a nun.
(Photo:About 20,000 Catholic pilgrims in Medjugorje, 24 June 2001/Matko Biljak)
The investigation, according to a Catholic News Service report, focused on alleged “dubious doctrine, the manipulation of consciences, suspect mysticism and disobedience towards legitimately issued orders.” One account of his story called him “a modern-day Rasputin with a taste for sex and séances” and another placed the Medjugorje story in the context of anti-communism and Croatian nationalism.
Six children first reported visions of the Virgin Mary in 1981 in a scenario reminiscent of famous apparitions in the French town of Lourdes and Fatima in Portugal. In the following years, the Bosnian village became a major pilgrimage site, giving many visitors a renewed sense of spirituality and locals a steady source of much-needed revenue. It also became the focus of controversy as local Franciscan priests running the site promoted their claims in such open defiance of warnings from the Vatican that 10 of them were expelled from the order and the local bishop called them schismatic.
The 1992-95 Bosnian war disrupted the flow of pilgrims, but with three now middle-aged locals still reporting visions, thousands still flock to the Bosnian town every year. One of the visionaries, Ivan Dragicevic, says on the Medjugorje website that he has received nine out of ten secrets from the Virgin Mary, another element reminiscent of Fatima. He now spends half the year in Medjugorje and the other half in the United States, stopping off in places such as Canada and Peru as well to give lectures on his experiences.
Puljic declined to give his own views on the events of Medjugorje. “People have the right to pray everywhere, including in Medjugorje,” he said.
(Photo: Pilgrims pray at reported apparition site, 25 June 2009/Damir Sagolj)
“It is not a sin to pray, it’s not a sin to hear confessions, it is not a sin to give penance, this is a good climate. But this phenomena, apparitions or visions, falls to the (Vatican) commission,” said the cardinal. “It is a very delicate question.”
Do you think Medjugorje represents a miracle or a fraud? What should the Vatican say about it?
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Some of the clergy in Croatia have been against the apparitions from the start, however, I was there in 1987 and experienced many spiritual occurences. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Our Lady is appearing to the visionaries all these many years. I am a devout Catholic and am of sound mind and am not imagining all that I experienced there.
Father Benedict Groeschel in his book, “A Still Small Voice: A Practical Guide on Reported Revelations” has stated that people could merely be having a religious experience at Medjugorje and not because of a true private revelation or true apparition. I highly recommend the above book.
I have done much research on private revelations and I believe that Medjugorje is false. Please people do your homework and not just blindly believe things.
How can Medjugorie be a hoax? This is a place where there has been many conversions and miracles. It is Satan’s last attempt at ruining and turning people away from our Lord’s Mother.
I did not believe in the apparations but had the opportunity to go over 20 years ago. I spent the day with our group over about 100 lay people, priests, nuns, brothers, students. I looked at the sun when I heard people saying that it was spinning, etc. and a year later, when I had my annual eye exam, there was no damage to my eyes. I knew than that it had to be a miracle as I had looked at the sun a long time trying to see what the others where talking about. I had completely forgotten this until I heard the doctor say my eyes were perfect for my age. Since than I have many times written email petitions to Our Lady of Medjugorje & they have always been answered – many family members & friends have returned to the faith.
So do I believe that Our Blessed Mother has and is appearing in Medjugorje? Absolutely YES. Praise God! And may she continue to appear there to counsel us and hear our petitions and bring them to her Son, Jesus. May the Holy Catholic Church, in Her Wisdom, bring a good judgement concerning this blessed, peaceful place.
I went to Medjugorje in 1989. I have no doubt Our Lady is appearing there. It is a place steeped in peace. I could not get to confession fast enough. Before this trip you couldn’t drag me to reconcilliation. The pilgrimage to Medjugorje has deepened my faith. I know God exists. I did see signs and wonders. The signs were not the most important fruit. The fruit was a full conversion of heart to love and serve God.
For Maria Teresa:
If you haven’t been to Medjugorje, how can you write that you believe it is false? I visited Medjugorje in the summer of 2000 with my wife. I met several people who didn’t believe who by the end of our 10 visit, were the strongest believers. Miracles happened to them whether internally or externally. It is Heaven on Earth there and you can feel it. Never mind with the literature you read about apparitions, etc. Some are false but it’s really simple: by the fruits you shall know them. So how do you explain millions of conversions, confessions, thousands of masses, many more physical healings, interior healings, and public miracles? You will always find critics, and this is where you tap into your faith. If you don’t believe it, ask the Blessed Mother why? Perhaps she will intercede for you and give you an answer. Better yet, go to Medjugorje with an open heart and then made an informed decision.
I WENT TO MEDJUGORJE IN 2006, AND WHEN I CAME HOME I WAS TRULY A DIFFERENT PERSON INSIDE. I BELIEVE A CHANGE CAME OVER ME AND IT WAS DUE TO GOD’S GRACE. I STILL FEEL THE LOVE AND PEACE FROM MEDJUGORJE, WHENEVER I PLACE MYSELF IN THE STILLNESS OF MY HEART I CAN GO BACK TO THE MOUNTAIN, WHERE MARY HAS APPEARED, NO DOUBT IN MY MIND. I THANK GOD FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY ALWAYS. MOST PEACEFUL PLACE ON THIS EARTH, WISH I COULD GO BACK, SOME DAY I WILL. THANK YOU
Medjugorje is The Church on Track. Every city, town, village in the world should follow the example lived in Medjugorje and joy and peace in the heart would enter every soul. Peace would envelop the earth. Jesus has come to us again through His Blessed Mother our Gospa.
I have been four times to Medjugorje from South Africa since 1991 and have only experienced love and the simple way of Christian life. Pray, Fast, Holy Mass, Confession, Read Bible. Where is the problem if any?
QUEEN OF PEACE PRAY FOR US.
I have been to Medugorje 8 times and have taken pilgrims there. Medugorje is real. After my first visit, my life changed dramatically and I have experienced the conversion of many pilgrims. So much good has come from Medugorje, religious vocations, healings, conversions, etc. Satan hates Medugorje and will do what he can to destroy Our Lady’s School of Love and Conversion. Satan is losing souls and God the Father is getting his children back through Medugorje.
Medjugorje is my second home. I Love it.
I`ve been to Medjugorje 3 times (the second in the middle of the Bosnian War) and all in a whealchair. Nothing has reached my inner soul like Medjugorje. Nothing was able to lift me out of despair and give lasting peace like the Virgin of Mejugorje.
If a negative judgement is given by Pope Benedict, it will not cause upset or confusion to me and I`m sure many others. St Padre Pio and St Faustina received similiar negative judgements only to be declared great saints of the Christian faith, in Gods good time
Keon:
You ask, why do people need miracles?
How about we ask Jesus? After all, he performed a lot of them back in the days.
My comment on this article: it is very misleading.
(Former) father Tomislav was involved with Medjugorje early on, but he let it get to his head. He got involved into a cult where he believed he was the ‘star’.
I have been to Medjugorje but I did not need to go to believe. I already knew it was true.
Medjugorje is Jesus’ Mother last attempt to save us from ourselves.
Know the tree by its fruits. Medjugorje’s fruits are incredible. Do the research.
That’s all I will say.
Could you explain how Fr. Jpzo was not living a holy life? I had not heard this information.
Thank you and God bless
judy
The visions and messages are a hoax.
The fruits, however, are very real. If tens of thousands of people came to my backyard every day and said the rosary, there would be equal conversions. That does not validate the supposed visions, however.
The seers’ rank disobedience to their bishop – for many many years – and their attachment to worldly goods and esteem – are the hallmarks of false prophets. There has not been one verifiable, authentic miracle (i.e. supernatural) at Medjugorje beyond the power of prayer which exists throughout the universe. T
he obssession with “secrets” that are not at all for public consumption until some nebulous later date, smacks of Gnosticism. At Fatima, the secrets were indeed for public consumption at the direction of the bishop, and later, the Holy Father.
None of these Medjugorjean “secrets” have been revealed to either the local bishops or the Holy Father, elevating the seers’ to a level of uncommon power instead of humility. Visionaries are never in control, yet at Medjugorje, they are given open-ended power to withhold supposedly grave information even from the heirarchy!
One doesn’t have to go anywhere to know this is simply not the work of God. The conversions are, however, the work of God – and they are the result of all that prayer. The danger is that those who have hitched their wagon to Medjugoje will refuse to unhitch it if/when Rome issues a final negative finding, and place themselves in danger of schism.
Most of you think that Medjugorje is real and thought that you have received graces from the Blessed Mother and conversions directly. But if, I say if, ultimately Medjugorje is proven false, like Garabandal, then what will you think about your conversion? Will you thank Satan? Will you not scream against the Church? Will you not be very confused? If the Church ultimately ban Medujugorje, I believe many of you will jump up and down in protest against the Church and probably begin swearing like the devil against the Church for its ignorance. Confusion is the best tool for Satan. Anyhow, human can never be as powerful, or as cunning as Satan, yet Satan can never be triumphant over our Blessed Mother. So, beware, do not deliberately put yourself to the test, but listen and be obedient to the Church. Never forget our Mother teaches obedience, and, especially, celibacy as a complete devotion to God, lacking, please walk away.
If people believe in God because of miracles, and not faith, then what good fruit is there?
If the miracles are false, the people are believing in the miracle and not god. And that is not good fruit at all.
My personal thought is that Medjugorje is true. But I will conform to and teach, whatever the Vatican says.
What a slanted, awful article.
The local ordinary is against the apparitions. The Archbishop of Split before the war was in favor of the same.
Two previous commissions have allegedly investigated yet they neither came to the village, interviewed the children and were handpicked based upon their bias.
Rome took the extraordinary step of removing the investigation away from the local Bishop. That in itself is a refelction of his attitude and the dangers of pre judgment.
Lastly, the Tomislov matter is left Medugorge in 1983. He was in Italy. He left the franciscans and had nothing to do with the children and they deny he was a spiritual counselor. He has issues, like all of the rest, and it is called sin. But to link his moral failure to the equivalency of somehow an implied linkage to these events is absurd.
Millions have converted. Millions have found peace. Millions pray now. By their fruits?
The Church will do the right thing. Everyone just needs to calm down.
Peace,
Dcn Tim Treadwell
I have been to Medjugorie in 1989…I do not believe the Blessed Mother is appearing there…I have been to Lourdes, Fatima laSalette….many numerous appartition sites that habe been approved. I felt a big difference at the approved sites. For one thing, when she was to appear during Mass to Ivan, the church was full and we were outside, he stood around outside until “apparition time”, then went into the choir loft for a couple of minutes, came back outside, had a cigarette and left…That did prove to me that something was “fishy”
Medjugorje is real. Check out this column/article on Medjugorje:
http://www.examiner.com/x-11053-Manchest er-Faith–Culture-Examiner~y2009m10d5-Pea ce-and-poetry-in-the-former-Yugoslavia
I have been to Medjugorje, Lourdes, Fatima, and The Holy Land. All of these places left me feeling closer to Jesus when I left. However, the one place that has touched me the most is a place in Rome City, IN (yes, ROME CITY, IN) where the Our Lady of America apparitions and messages were given in 1956 to Sr. Mildred Neuzil (Ephrem).
Unlike Medjugorje, the Our Lady of America messages and appritions have received formal Church approval and are so much further along the path to confirmation than medjugorje will be until all these visionaries are dead and gone.
This property is in danger of being lost to foreclosure. The owners and caretakers are preparing it as a home for retired priests and nuns who need a safe place to live in community and offer pastoral care to the many visitors who come seeking Our Lord and Our Lady’s intercession. Please help if you can.
Go to http://www.oltiv.org and http://www.ourladyofamerica.org for all of the messages and informaation on how you can visit (free of charge) and help to preserve this place as house of prayer and pilgrimage to truly honor Our Lady of America at the place of her birth in Rome City, IN.
Leo the Lion wrote;
THE GREATEST MIRACLE is not halfway around the world,,,, it is in your parish church at the altar,,, When the Bread and Wine becomes the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ AMEN.
Am I right?
Leo, you are absolutely correct. The Kingdom of Heaven is nearer than most appreciate. We can receive our Lord each and every day if we so desire. The problem is that so many do not desire it or are completely oblivious to the fact that He truly exists in the Holy Eucharist.
One would think that if the greatest thing on earth were being passed out, for FREE, everyday at the local Church that there would be a line around the block waiting to get in. But, that’s just not the case.
Now, we each are graced with free will to do as we please and so we can choose to be ignorant, but, presumably, every person, to some degree at some point in their lives, would gain some knowledge to the teaching of the Divine Presence in the Holy Eucharist. “Hey, have you heard, Catholics say they’ve got the real Jesus in their Church. Maybe we should check it out.”
According to studies, 90 percent of Catholics who rarely or never go to Church do not believe in the Divine Presence in the Eucharist. Which makes sense – If you don’t go then how can you know. These studies also state that over 60 percent of Catholics born after 1960 rarely or never go to Church. That’s a whole lot of Catholics who don’t know what there missing out on. And, this is a progressive trend because the majority of Catholics who are presently rearing children do not believe in the Divine Presence in the Eucharist. What’s the likelyhood that the next generation, the children of today’s children will believe in the Divine presence when their parents (today’s children) aren’t being taught by their parents to believe in the teaching.
And, these are the modern Catholics who drive by the Church on Sunday’s on their way to Starbucks, never mind the other 5 billion souls on the planet who would prefer a Mocha latte to recieving the Eucharist.
So, in a world filled with the fantastic it has taken the fantastic, the apparitions of the Blessed Mother, to re-engage legions of Catholics to not only appreciate the reality of the Divine Presence but to be devoted to it. And, yes, it has taken some to travel half way across the world to love what existed just down the street from them.
It is certainly understandable for the Catholic who has remained faithful throughout their entire lives, and this includes many clergy, to not see the logic in one spending their 401K to travel to Bosnia when the Eucharist is provided for free in one’s neighborhood. And, due to this perception that sees this behavior as illogical the individual then calculates that there must be a falsehood to the apparitions. Even to the point of suggesting that they must be ploy of the devil in his effort to distract the faithful from the neighborhood Eucharist. From the faithful’s logic it is simply spiritually unhealthy to expend energy and thought on something that is superfluous to the sacraments.
This logic makes good sense, however, what the faithful (including clergy) don’t factor into their calculations, because they don’t see it, is that the body of the Church is eroding and as to why it is eroding. And, what they don’t see is exactly what has been the work of the devil. This erosion, exemplified by the fact that the majority of child rearing Catholics don’t believe in the Divine Presence of the Eucharist, is meeting the objective of the devil’s plan. Eventually, as the erosion persists, the majority of Catholics will see the Eucharist only as symbolic and not see the True Presence of Christ.
This is the devil’s plan on how to destroy the Church. The Church would not literally be destroyed, but, rather the perceptions within the body of the Church would be altered to the point where they would not be witness to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. The wickedness to the plan is that the faithful would be duped into thinking they were practicing their faith when in reality they would just be going through the motions, assimulating the practice of Catholic religion.
HERE IS WHY THE MARIAN APPARITIONS IN MEDJUGORJE ARE REAL, because they are directly counteracting the devil’s efforts to minimize the faithfulness of Catholics. Testimony after testimony speak on the impact of Medjugorje and how it has ignited passion and committment to the practice of Catholicism. The fruit of Medjugorje has been this infusion of devout practioners of the Catholic faith and how they have been influencing and praying for others to become passionate and committed to the practice of Catholicism. Medjugorje has provided a systemic healing to the erosion progressing through the body of the Church. The devil hates Medjugorje because it is constructing precisely what he has been deconstructing.
Just as Christ wasn’t driving demons out in the name of Beelzebul, the devil isn’t driving Catholics into Christ through our lady of Medjugorje. “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?” It would be illogical for the devil to be poisoning the body of the Church, as well as, providing the antidote at the same time.
So, what will the Church do about the apparitions of Medjugorje?? Well, the devil wants Medjugorje stopped because not only is it halting his progresses, but, it is also repairing the body of the Chuch. The only way to stop Medjugorje is for the Church to rule against it and condemn the apparitions. This would stop the apparitions from influencing Catholics and cause damage to those who have been influenced by them. A negative decision would likely cause division among Catholics, in particular practicing Catholics (Non-practicing Catholics will be asking what’s Medjugorje?), which would be to the delight of the devil. It would also likely cause dissension which would further damage the body of the Church. Condemning Medjugorje, being the most respected, would impact devotionals or interest to other unapproved apparitions, and Marian devotionals in general, which would further cause serious injury to the practioners of the Catholic faith.
Will it happen? We know that the Church won’t be approving the apparitions anytime soon, and, as long as the devil has someone’s ear there will be those calling for them to be condemned.
I have been to Medugorje twice – in 1987 and again in 2001 and nobody will ever convince me that Our Blessed Mother is not appearing there. The two most profound experiences of my life where I felt so close to Mary and Jesus happened there and it has changed my life forever. I feel that Mary is working so hard to save souls and I know I am a better Catholic because of this. She is there doing God’s will and if people would only believe and pray and live the commandments we would have peace.
Helen
I read the book on Medjugorije many years ago,and have kept up on the Visions of these children. It’s my understanding that only one of these children, now an adult still has visions. I do believe. And for you who don’t that’s your opinion, I have a right to mine. And to leave a blog you don’t have to right a book. Just a few lines.
To all those who are so sure that Medugorje is a hoax, how will YOU react if the Vatican approves these apparitions? Probably the same way you accuse those who believe in Medugorje.
Why doesn’t everybody just fast, pray the rosary, go to confession at least monthly, read the Bible and go to Holy Mass. No one could say those things are false.
I believe the children are seeing the blessed virgin. If the church says someday that we cannot believe in it then I will do as directed by the pope.
it also took alot of years before St. Faustina was believed. She was eventually condemned and then Pope Paul the second made her a saint. Thank you Jesus.
In March 1987, I was invited to view a videotape of an event that was occurring in Medjugorje in the former Yugoslavia. Several children reported that they had seen and were still being visited by the Mother of Christ. I found it quite interesting but did not form a real opinion about whether or not it were true. The friend, that invited me to the viewing, asked me if I wanted to go to Medjugorje to see firsthand. Without hesitation, I said yes.
I arrived in country in May 1987. I neither believed nor disbelieved anything that I had previously heard about the apparitions. I had an open mind.
I boarded a bus for the trip from Dubrovnik Airport to Medjugorje. Ten minutes into the ride, I witnessed the sun spinning in the sky. It was like a fireball.
The group leader announced that our purpose was not solely to witness the physical phenomena that were occurring but was mainly to experience the spiritual. The bus arrived at Medjugorje and we settled in for a 9 day visit in the home of a local family. The person that I roomed with was a Ph.D. candidate who was there to gather information for a dissertation on love.
The apparitions were said to occur weekly at the rectory of Saint James Parish. The church was a Rosary away from where I was staying. We walked to the church as a group and prayed the Rosary aloud along the way. I felt somewhat uncomfortable at first. I guess that I was feeling the remnants of a belief that prayer was more of a private matter and not to be engaged in such a public forum. I soon realized that passersby and everybody else were doing the same thing. Public prayer immediately became the norm and I embraced it. After exactly one Rosary, we arrived at the church.
The church and surrounding areas were filled with people. As I listened to the general conversations, I heard a variety of languages. Yugoslavia was an open communist country so people from all over the world could come and more or less travel freely. I thought, if the Mother of Christ were to appear anywhere in the world, this would certainly be the perfect place.
I attended Mass at St. James Church. The Masses were scheduled to accommodate the different languages. The first Mass I attended was an English-speaking Mass that was said by a visiting priest. The sermon was given by a local priest who spoke only Croatian and German. A woman in the congregation spoke German and English. She served as translator.
As the days passed, I began to feel and believe that this was, perhaps, the most spiritual place on earth. The spinning sun was pretty much a daily occurrence. People were giving out photos that had been taken by other pilgrims that showed the image of Our Lady. Others had reported seeing the huge concrete cross on Mount Krusivak spinning and turning crimson red. And others had reported seeing the Mother of Christ in the sky, holding the Baby Jesus. But this was not what was making Medjugorje a holy place. It was prayer that made it holy. Prayer was always the underlying theme. I prayed with the local Croatian people and I felt the strength of their prayer. I prayed with the visionaries and I witnessed their total conviction. I prayed with people from different parts of the world and I felt united. And I prayed with people of different religions and I became their brother.
On the day of the apparition, I walked to the church alone. I prayed the Rosary along the way. This was the first time I had ever prayed the Rosary alone.
The church was full when I got there so I went to the grassy area beside the church. There were loudspeakers outside so I could hear what was being said inside of the church. I was in full view of the rectory from the hilly area where I was standing. The visionaries would go there each Thursday to be visited by Our Lady. The rectory was about 75 feet from where I stood.
I heard what sounded to be a pack of barking dogs. The barking went on constantly for several minutes. Then, in one brief instant, the barking stopped abruptly and completely. It was at that moment that I felt that perhaps The Mother of Christ had appeared. I got down on my knees. My eyes focused on the rectory.
The church apparently had not yet been told that Our Lady had appeared, as the loud speakers were still active. Then there was silence. Except for the birds singing, there was silence.
My eyes remained focused on the outer walls of the room where the apparition was occurring. I felt honored and humbled at the same time. After all, who was I to be there in the presence of the Mother of Christ? Who was I to be in the company of One Who Is Most Holy?
I began to feel that that moment in time was most sacred. I wanted to live in that moment forever. This was not something abstract. This was real. I reflected on the Life of Mary and the events that took place nearly 2000 years before. I thought about Jesus and His followers and how Mary was in their company. And now, She was here. She was here with us.
As my eyes gazed upon the apparition room, what appeared, at first, to be a cloud, came through the wall. The cloud had form and substance and came directly toward me. I bowed my head. As the Spirit form passed by me, it very gently brushed the corner of my eye. It was like a feather. There was no doubt in my mind but that this was Mary. There was no question but that it was prayer, the Rosary, that I had said earlier, that brought Her to me. Within seconds, the visionary children exited the rectory.
As my journey to Medjugorje was ending, I found myself gathering any tangible evidence that I could, to bring home. I thought if I had physical evidence, it would help my family to experience this spiritual feast. I gathered rocks and soil from the very place where Mary first appeared. I bought posters and religious articles. I filled my canteen with water from a spigot located in front of the church.
On the day I was leaving Medjugorje, I brought my canteen to Mass. At the final blessing, I held the canteen up to be blessed. I have no recall of the return plane trip to the states. I must have been consumed by the thoughts of this wonderful experience.
The people of Medjugorje are vibrant and alive. They are strong in their convictions. They pray with a strong, united voice. It has been said that before the apparitions began, the different ethnic groups that occupied the area were in conflict. After the apparitions began, the conflicts went away. Prayer conquers all.
The Water
When I returned home from Medjugorje, I was still on fire with the memories of what I had seen and felt there. My mind, body and spirit were unified. No doubt could be found anywhere in my being that could challenge my belief that the Mother of Christ was indeed appearing in Medjugorje.
I joined a prayer service with a group of people that had also traveled to Medjugorje. We met in a church to pray the Rosary on one Thursday night each month. It was a Rosary like I had never prayed before. After each prayer, an accolade to the Mother of Christ was given. It was not just words. It was prayer with heart-felt meaning. And it was prayer with a multi-denominational group. Mary, the Mother of Christ, always leads us to Her Son. She intercedes for us. She invites us to live in God’s Love.
I took a job that allowed me to read and think and meditate. It turned out that my working partner was spiritual, open-minded, and loving. She was a wonderful person. She became a very dear friend. After about a year and one-half, I had to leave that job. There was a chemical agent or something in the new carpeting that caused an old stomach condition to re-activate.
I met up with an old friend and we started a product development company.
The job required long hours and began to take a physical toll on me. It was exciting but I was not able to devote as much time to what really matters. I got physically sick. My doctor became concerned because my stomach condition had become somewhat life-threatening.
After 3 years on that job, I left. My physician scheduled a stomach biopsy. I knew what that meant. He was looking for cancer. I had suffered from a stomach disorder for 20 years.
On the night before the scheduled biopsy, I removed my shirt and lay down on my young son’s bed. I poured some of the water that I had brought from Medjugorje into my hand. I rubbed the water on my stomach while saying the following prayer out loud: “Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus Precious Name and I ask You to heal my stomach, Amen.” As I rubbed my hand across my stomach, I felt heat coming from my palm. I believed that I had been healed.
When I arrived at the hospital the following day, the physician that was about to work on me said he wanted another x-ray before doing the biopsy. The most recent x-ray showed three areas of concern: two in my stomach and one in the lower part of my esophagus. There were also old scars from where the original condition had activated and recovered over the twenty year period of time.
The physician came to me after the x-ray and said the x-ray was clear. The x-ray showed nothing. There was no need for a biopsy. I lived with the original condition off and on for 20 years. There were times, in fact, when the pain was so bad, I could barely stand up. That was when I was in my early twenties. The disorder has not returned.
There is no doubt, whatsoever, but that I was healed by the Loving Power of God. When I said the prayer the previous night, I also had no doubt, whatsoever, but that I was healed. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask of the Father in My Name, will be given to you.” I believed Him.
It is now over 22 years since I left Medjugorje. I am still on fire with the memories of what I had seen and felt there. My mind, body and spirit remain united in belief. No doubt can be found anywhere in my being that challenges my belief that the Mother of Christ is indeed appearing in Medjugorje.
I apologize for the length of this post but I believe I have a responsibility to give testimony to my visit to Medjugorje. Peace to all.
Steven
Dcn. Tim [ABOVE] has put it well.
Remember that the vatican actually exiled s.pio for over 15 yrs and also s.faustina. so there’s nothing to fear .
Faith is like that – but do the ‘good works’ also.
the vatican can say what it likes for now [ but has it got any evidence to cotradict the messages ? Personally, i think not.] Loads of priests, bishops and cardinals [ even THE english one !] have painted a ‘pretty picture’ – but this is not what it’s about. Devotees are much too boastful- YES, INTOLERABLY SO . ['If you don't go to medj. it's because Our Lady has not called you ' ; or, 'if you don't see the sun spinning- you are not chosen' etc etc is the sort of rubbish that comes out of there - too frequently ; does one honestly believe that these are good fruits .
the other BIG problem is the Wealth that the seers are exhibiting. [ how bad is that ? even that exemplary catholic ,and ex-PM is seen to be 'rolling in it now'.
is that wrong - or just envy ?
the seers are human - they have families - are they not allowed to get wealthy ? [have they taken vows of poverty? or, maybe in some critical eyes - they should ?]
the Bishop is absolutely within his remit to ‘guard and to guide those in his care ‘ and he will not yield his stance . so, collegiality will succeed – that’s the score.
the very interesting question is – how does the church forbid Apparitions; the Bishops latest letters are an excellent example of the ‘Procedure’ – so much so i believe that his latest approach IS Vatican-backed.
These APPARITIONS seem to be impenetrable. they are also harmless to the Faith. BUT , QUO VADIS ?
Fr Slavko [and his brothers] always focussed on the Mass- he rejected all theories about the sun & rosaries turning gold etc etc . and when Fr Jozo began to ‘slay in the spirit’ he remarked jocularly : ‘ oh, so he’s learned how to push’ !!**
he was a believer but only if the mass had place of priority. all else must only direct one there.
We need to look to the Church, not an apparition. Whenever we take our eyes off of Jesus and His Church, we are like St. Peter who was walking on water as long as his eyes were on Jesus. When he looked elsewhere at the storm around him, he began to sink. If we pay significant attention to apparitions rather than the Public Revelation of God through His Church then we are in danger of sinking.
Bro. Ignatius Mary
forwarded by Leo the Lion
My husband, daughter and myself traveled to Medujorge in 1987. My life has never been the same since that time and neither has my husband’s. I was a converted Catholic and accepted Catholism, but on my own terms. All that changed with that trip. There is no doubt in my mind but that the Blessed Mother is appearing there. They say by the fruits you will know, and I have only seen good fruit coming from there. The night before we left, the Blessed Mother blessed all of our marriages. Since that time, my husband and I have never had a serious fight and that’s been over 20 yeaars. I had a major request while I was there and God answered that prayer in the most wonderful way. To Those who do not believe, I would say do not knock it if you have not been there.
I have a question. Why should people await for church’s ruling on Medjugorje or any other appariton site? Most of the apparitions (The Lord, The Virgin Mary and Angels and Saints)comes directly from The Authority of God The Father in Heaven. If it comes directly from God The Father, what authority does the Catholic church have over God The Father???
I would like to share my incredible experience in Medjugore..There was suddenly a blinding light in my hotel room…..it sounded like a gas boiler being lite…when I looked across the room there was a very bright light in the shape of a flame it was a few feet above the floor and very large….I can’nt say I was’nt afraid but …it was in the middle of the night…..it seemed to last about 7 to 10 minutes….There was great peace in the room afterwards….However at the time I never told anyone..but on reflection the experience happened on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary…I have since wondered if it was the special blessing of Our Lady mentioned at the back of the Pieta prayer book…but I am baffled as to why it happened especially to me…..I wondered can anyone enlighten me on what this could have been…However I have to say concerning Medjugore..it is most Holy place….
I knew it was a lie when I read the “tomes” which reported its claim to be “the way, truth and light” God has sent into the world in these last days. See it to be a lie and you have already dealt it its mortal blow!
John Paul II said if he were not the Pope he would go to Medjugorje. I do not believe the present Pope will condemn these appearances of the Mother of God which brings many conversions and healings..The truth will always prevail. May it be in our lifetime. God Bless you and peace to all.
There’s objective traits of valid apparitions of Mary happening somewhere and they don’t seem to be met at Medjugorje. I was in S. Korea and very close to Naju. I wish I could have gone, but the bishop said it’s not to be visited. That was it. If it would seem any angel or Christ himself were defying Church authority, to whom he gave authority in his name over his flock, they would not be an angel or Jesus. Why? Because Satan can ape what God does. He loves disobedience to authorities. He’ll influence superiors to punish good people to push people into disobedience. Once they do break away, they become lost lambs–easy prey for him.
MEDJUGORIE CULT
BEWITCHING THE FAITHFUL
The Catholic Church discourages belief that the Virgin Mary appeared to six children in Medjugorie, Yugoslavia. Yet, despite numerous Vatican statements and denunciations against the so-called apparitions, dissatisfied Catholics today continue running after this sensationalist lure only to become entangled in the web of deceit and error.
Beginning in 1981, six children under the direction of Fr. Tomislav Vlasic began making fraudulent claims of having seen the Virgin Mary in order to stir up mischief and to assist Vlasic’s efforts to undermine the Church authority in Medjugorie. Today Medjugorie has grown into a worldwide cult that has served to undermine the Faith by bewitching the faithful with a new religion not connected with the apostles. (Charismatic Renewal)
The Charismatic Movement is a diabolical sect wherein the devil presents himself as the Holy Spirit for the purpose of luring Catholics away from the institutionalized Church. This was condemned by Pope Paul VI in 1969 when he said it attacks “the very existence of the Church… extinguishing the real flame of Pentecost.” (May 17, 1969) That is, the Charismatic Renewal has no connection with the Holy Spirit.
Yet, Medjugorie has served precisely to advance the Charismatics and to promote the fallacy that their revolt from sacred tradition is the work of the Holy Spirit. It coincides directly with the so-called renewal of our time to depart from traditional practice and press toward a new pentecost which is Protestant in nature.
Among other things, Medjugorie teaches that we do not pray to Mary but that we pray with her, as if she were our equal. Under the pretext of honoring Mary they put her in her place and maintain the Protestant idea that we go directly to Jesus without her, which of course is not possible.
Accordingly, Medjugorie teaches that God works through other religions, which is heresy. God does not abide in other religions because the Dogma of Faith is that there exists no salvation outside the Church of Rome. To profess otherwise would place one outside the Catholic Church should they have had sufficient knowledge of this beforehand.
Hence, the Church denounces the Medjugorie visions on the grounds that they are an insidious attack on Catholic faith and morals. This denunciation is best reflected by the Vatican’s recent verdict against Tomislav Vlasic, the founder and central figure of the Medjugorie movement. He was punished and stripped of his priestly status on July 27 because he disobediently continued with this movement after Rome denounced it in the early 90′s following an ecclesiastical investigation.
This fulfills an earlier statement from Bishop Andrea Gemma, the Vatican’s top exorcist, when he said, “Soon the Vatican will intervene with something explosive to unmask once and for all who is behind this deceit.” The wolf who dresses up like a lamb has now been stripped of his faculties!
Vlasic earlier was suspended for failing to cooperate after he had been charged with scandalous sexual immorality “aggravated by mystical motivations.” It earlier had surfaced that he had fathered a child with a nun named Sister Rufina, and that he had begged her not to expose him. He then moved to Parma, Italy, where he set up a male and female religious community, called Queen of Peace, a licentious order dedicated to Medjugorie and the Charismatic Renewal.
Needless to say, Medjugorie is not Catholic but is a wing of the New Age cult that only uses the name of Mary to gain the confidence of unsuspecting Catholics for the purpose of selling them on this renewist sorcery. Their babbling in tongues and foaming at the mouth is not a ‘charism of the spirit’ but a vile manifestation of the devil who controls this movement through its promoters, beginning with Tomislav Vlasic. It can best be described as demonism, for which reason Bishop Gemma described the Medjugorie visions as the “work of the devil.”
With this same reasoning Cardinal Ratzinger [now Benedict XVI] banned pilgrimages to Medjugorie beginning in 1985.
The various statements against Medjugorie thus far do not constitute a formal judgment of Rome against the movement, though we are told the Vatican is now making ready to issue its verdict on the Medjugorie visions. The Church through the years has been sawing the Medjugorie tree down in pieces, but now Rome will take the ax to it seeing that it has no worthy fruits to its credit. “By their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20)
David Martin
Our Lady’s Workers of Southern California
jmj4today@att.net
I pray to God that the Catholic Church be illuminated by the Holy Spirit so that the statement that will be made on the apparitions of Medjugorje be a truthful statement. My impression from what I have read is that it really is a truthful statement. The book written by Janice T. Connell named “The visions of the Children of Medjugorje” looks quite convincing to me. Also my heart is telling me that the visionaries are not lying.
i first went to medjugorje in the year 2000, i was cured of a growth their in year 2002, in the month of september , and during an apparition with ivan and our blessed mother, i was sat next to ivan, during the entire apparition, not only was i cured of a growth, but i witnessed with my own eyes, our lady during the apparition, the fact is this , medjugorje is true, our lady is appearing their, their were thousands of people their that night, and i know a priest who was sat close by me, who himself witnessed, something very special during that apparition , i have now been to medjugorje 35 times since the year 2000, i feel close to heaven in that village, their is a great number of people who have gone to medjugorje, who have become priests shortly afterwards, would the devil take credit for this ,he would take people from the ministry of god , not increase it, theirfore we have it in one instant , medjugorje is true , the work of the holy spirit, who prepared the way for our blessed mother mary, to give great graces to a multitude of people who have gone their, and whose very lives have been changed by the devotion to our lady and whose prescence her son jesus has in the blessed sacrament, to be at holy mass and to be at holy hour at medjugorje, makes my very soul that god gave me, dance for joy,at medjugorje, i know in my heart the mass is for the good of the church, why then in my own country, are changes takeing place in our churches, which isnt for the good of the church, god is whatching everything that is going on, his eyes are fixed on the wrong doers,my advice to you, is to come back to the church, before it is too late,
The Church has the last word in all of this, but if this is the work of the devil, then how come thousands and thousands of people have converted, changed their lives to be better Catholics?? Why would the devil want this??
Unless, the devil wants to destroy the faith of those thousands that once believed, by the scandal that could come out of this, if the Church now says that this was all a farce!!
I am unsure of whether Medjugorje is genuine or not. I have been there in the earlier years and more recently in 2002. I had no experiences there of any kind. I would only say that it is unwise to base your faith on any apparition. It would also be better to give the money to the poor rather than spending it on travelling to Medjugorje twice or three times a year. I know people who go there obsessively every year and even twice a year. We must be careful of this to avoid spiritual greed. These apparitions in Medj have also led to many false visionaries around the world promoting messages of their own claiming to see Jesus, Mary and the Saints (especially in Ireland). I know this apparently also happened with Lourdes where many false apparitions were reported around the same time as the authentic visions took place. It is inevitable that these visions also cause fanaticism which can give a place of genuine apparition a very bad name. Ultimately obedience to the Hierarchy is the true test of an authentic visionary. I am not sure whether obedience has taken place in Medjugorje. There is so much publicity about Medj on the net, it is very difficult to find something that just relates the facts in relation to whether they (the visionaries, or the Priests in Medjugorje) have been truly obedient or not. But again I would not base my faith as I stated earlier on an apparition whether it is authentic or not.
Jesus’ presence in His sacraments is not dependent upon the ruling of the authenticity of the apparitions in Medjugorje. And His mother, Mary, is just as available to us throughout the world as she is to God’s children in Medjugorje. Multitudes of people traveled there to pray and many were seeking some kind of reconcilliation. God can draw good out of evil intentions. And He did not disappoint the people who went to Medjugorje to seek Him. People who experienced a conversion in Medjugorje should not doubt the saving grace of God if the Vatican rules in the negative regarding apparitions there.
One of the visionaries claimed that her mother who had died a short time previously had appeared to her and spoken to her. This would seem to be contradicted by Scripture in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man which clearly states that a barrier has been placed between this world and the next so that no one can pass from one to the other.
I wish to confirm to you that Our Lady certainly still appears in Medjugorje. As a Queen of peace, She continuously points us towards her son Jesus, who is the prince of peace. Medjugorje is a place of peace and conversion. My relationship with God has certainly deepened since my pilgrimmage to Medjugorje in August 2009. Jesus I thank You. Our Lady Queen of peace I thank you. All for Jesus through Mary.
Sr kalu.
i am a muslim but i love mother blessed and i love jezus and i love all commandments of God.i am hearing about medjugorje and i want to know sincerely if the Blessed Mother has realy apparetions or is the work of devil? I want to say that i am in doubt.I am remembering the word of Jezu that ‘recently will come many in the name of me but you have to know Who is the real.But in the other hand i think how devil interced with the word of God.Why God permit devil to speak in His name?I dont know but sincerely i want to know!I love Jezus with my heart!
Just returned last night from Medjugorje, and I want to share with all of you my experience there. Maybe it might help any of you who have doubts on the fruits of this tree.
First of all, let me make clear my position on the apparitions. It is true that these apparitions have taken place for a long time, and all looks like a never-ending enigma, but this has nothing to do with the teachings that come from this blessed place. I believe in God, and all these teachings are His teachings. If they are not transmitted by Mary, as the visionaries say, than who else could be in God’s name? It is very simple, and nothing invented: just pray, confess, fast, read the bible and go to mass!!! Mary is not requesting us to believe to her apparitions, but only to believe in her Son, Jesus Christ, and lead us towards him.
Given the parenthesis, I went to Medjugorje not with a curiosity to prove my faith, or to test if the apparitions were true. None of these! I simply went to experience the faith of this community and bring it back with me in my daily life. I go daily to Holy Mass, and fully believe in the presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist. But, unfortunately when the Mass is celebrated, most of the times it is only the Priest, I and 1 or 2 other people present in the church. Christianity is living God in community, and that’s why it is important for everyone to make the experience of a strong believing community as the one in Medjugorje.
It is not important to know if the apparitions are true, because blessed are those who believe without having seen. The most important thing in Medjugorje are the super-long lines to confessions, the supernatural conversions and life consecrations to God, the loving silence during prayer, Mass and Adoration. The strong experience of a faithful Christian Community is the most convincing proof that Mary, our Blessed Mother, is guiding us to her Son.
So, if you decide to go to Medjugorje, go, and live God’s presence in its fullness of a devoted community, and bring it back to your parishes. Don’t miss for anything in the world the Adoration hour!!!
I know that some will find it hard to believe, but that’s a long story going on for 2000 years now. Who believed Jesus when he was alive? Who believes in Him today? We Christians are losers for the world, but let’s keep our heads up as the King is coming. Let’s empty our hearts to make room for the Jesus Child, so Mary can deliver Him in the deepest of our inner and live with the love only He can give us.
God bless us all!
God’s about to intervene in a way unlike any other in the history of the world.
I have been to Medjugorje and thank the Mother of God for her Blessings there. For Her showing me the importance of the Mass and Confession.
People better start getting priorties in the proper place and stop offending God.
There is no one yet who has come close to changing my position on Medjugorje. Ivan the visionary is my friend. I will defend it as much as I can. every arguement that I have read against it can be dismissed with a little bit of research.
BUT, if the Church ruled against it today, you would not hear another word out of me about Medjugroje. Obedience to the Chruch is a top priortity. Unlike the former Bishop who was told not to speak publicly anymore about Medjugorje and contunued after he was moved.
Medjugorje could be a horny headed demon with hooves!
Medjugorje is a horny headed demon with hooves.
Medjugorje was hatched out of the bowels of hell – An adulterous marriage between charismaticism and Mariolatry. It is a stench in the nostrils of a Holy God.
The roots of this phenomenon can be traced back to a grave yard where is buried a deacon; a disciple of Cornelius Jansen. What Jansen is most famous for is his treaties entitled “Augustinus” which he left for publication upon his death, after spending some twenty years of his life in its preparation. In it he readdresses the age old argument between Augustine and Pelagius in his attempt to dismantle the theology of the Jesuits and justify his rebellion against Rome in establishing the “old catholic church” in the Netherlands. His writings which have come to be known as Jansenism have been condemned as heretical by the Church.
The deacon we are considering had a reputation among his peers for sanctity and was quoted as saying that if any miracles were performed on his grave he wanted them attributed not only to Catholicism but to Jansenism and well. Now this is where history takes a curve.
It is the theological writings of Jansen that has gotten so much attention in many circles in the study of the history of the “old catholic church” and its origin. What has fallen between the cracks however, is the answer to the request of that deacon. Satan showed the reality of Jansen’s pact with the devil when he showed up at that deacon’s grave with some of the most bizarre manifestations to make their debut in Church history, many of which bear a striking resemblance to what we have seen happen in the heretical protestant sects over the last fifty years, even creeping into the Holy Roman Catholic Church in the late 1960’s. The men who are responsible for this are creeps. They crept into the pulpit when nobody was looking, and have been spreading their false spirit throughout the Church like a cancer up to our present day – which brings us back to Medjugorje.
Now, the fornicating franciscans which are in rebellion to both their superiors in Rome as well as the Diocesan authorities in Mostar, where these sensational happening originated, have taken to concocting a false authority for themselves by going to none other than what is left of the “old catholic church” which is still there in the same geographical location, to get – you guessed it – a deacon!, masquerading as a Bishop to ordain priests for their new religion that they have desperately been trying to pawn off as Catholicism to the unsuspecting masses.
They have been successful in separating the people of God from their Bishops in the True Catholic Church by inundating them with what are supposed daily messages straight from Heaven via the ‘Mother of God’, thereby deceiving untold thousands through brainwashing techniques accomplished with the help of internet technology and old fashion gullibility. It’s been an amazing feat to observe. Truly the work of some of the best con men the world has ever seen. The used car salesmen’s old bait and switch pales in comparison to what we have been seeing take place right before our eyes.
The connection between Jansenism and Medjugorjeism is spiritual in nature. Basically, it’s the same demon. The little rat has been hovering around in that area just looking for his opportunity to strike; and he found it in the disobedience of the six minions of the fallen angel that have been perpetrating this fraud for over twenty five years.
When disobedience in not checked, it leads to rebellion. And this is exactly what happened in the former Yugoslavia when six young people refused to obey their Bishop. And when rebellion is not put down swiftly, it leads to mutiny! Now, somebody’s got to die in an attempt to restore order, regain control and prevent chaos. If this is unsuccessful then you’ve got witchcraft.
Rebellion is as the as the sin of witchcraft.
There is nothing more powerful in opening up a way to the demonic spirit world than rebellion; it’s more powerful that pharmaceuticals. And the devil has taken advantage of this to demonstrate his wares to his unsuspecting visitors. Nothing has ever happened at Medjugorje that the devil couldn’t do. So beware, my friend – Beware.
RbM
P.S. No one has ever seen “her” ears or “her” feet!
Reaction from the Church hierarchy
Pope John Paul II
The initial reaction to the movement by the Church hierarchy was cautiously supportive. Some initially supported it as being a harbinger of ecumenism (greater unity of Gospel witness among the different Christian traditions). It was thought that these practices would draw the Catholic Church and Protestant communities closer together in a truly spiritual ecumenism. Today, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal enjoys the strong support of the hierarchy, from the Pope to bishops of dioceses around the world, as an officially recognized ecclesial movement.[10]
Three popes have acknowledged the movement: Pope Paul VI , Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Pope John Paul II stated that the movement was integral to the renewal of the entire Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II (as well as then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI) acknowledged good aspects of the movement while urging caution, pointing out members must maintain their link to the Catholic Church.[11]
Pope John Paul II, in particular, made a number of statements on the movement. On November 30, 1990, The Pontifical Council for the Laity promulgated the decree which inaugurated the Catholic Fraternity of Covenant Communities and Fellowships. Brian Smith of Brisbane, elected President of the Executive of the Fraternity, called the declaration the most significant event in the history of the charismatic renewal since the 1975 Holy Year international conference and the acknowledgment it received from Pope Paul VI at that time, saying ‘It is the first time that the Renewal has had formal, canonical recognition by the Vatican.’ [12]
In March 1992, Pope John Paul II stated
At this moment in the Church’s history, the Charismatic Renewal can play a significant role in promoting the much-needed defense of Christian life in societies where secularism and materialism have weakened many people’s ability to respond to the Spirit and to discern God’s loving call. Your contribution to the re-evangelization of society will be made in the first place by personal witness to the indwelling Spirit and by showing forth His presence through works of holiness and solidarity.[13]
Moreover, during Pentecost 1998, the Pope recognized the essential nature of the charismatic dimension:
“The institutional and charismatic aspects are co-essential as it were to the Church’s constitution. They contribute, although differently, to the life, renewal and sanctification of God’s People. It is from this providential rediscovery of the Church’s charismatic dimension that, before and after the Council, a remarkable pattern of growth has been established for ecclesial movements and new communities.”[14]
The Papal Preacher, Rev. Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, has written on the topic numerous times since 1986.[15]
Pope Benedict XVI affirmed the Charismatic Renewal during 2008.
Since I have heard of Our Mother appearing in Medjugorje, I am a firm believer. I do not need evidence since I know she is there. Just look at the visionaries and what they have gone through, yet they persevere. I never went to confession and church before, and since I heard of Medjugorje, I feel I am in the process of conversion. Thank you Blessed mother for bringing me back to your son, Jesus.