Updated in 2007 following the Conferences held in Split on 25 May 2002 and
at St. Patrick’s Pontifical College at Maynooth, Ireland, on 17 February 2004
Medjugorje is a parish in the diocese of Mostar-Duvno in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a population of about 4,000 persons, which has been entrusted to the pastoral care of the Franciscan fathers OFM. From 24 June 1981 onwards, some events have been occurring which many people, some Franciscans included, have attributed to so-called apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who has seemingly presented herself as the “Queen of Peace”.
I. How many so-called visionaries and visions are there?
1. Vicka Ivanković, born on 3 September 1964, in the parish of Medjugorje, has been receiving “apparitions” from 24 June 1981, every day. There have been pauses, but there have also been days with up to ten “visions”. Vicka married Mario Mijatović in 2002 and now has two children and lives in the neighbouring parish of Gradina.
How many “visions” has she had till now? – According to a simple calculation of the days, it would be 9,560 including today’s. These “apparitions” were together with the other “seers” during the first years, yet for many years now she has been having them alone, separately, in the evening, regardless of her location. As if they were programmed.
Vicka’s little daughter Marija has now started to shout in Krehin Gradac as well as in the eternal city that she sees the Madonna![1] It seems to be becoming hereditary.
2. Marija Pavlović, born on 1 April 1965 in the parish of Medjugorje, has been a “seer” from the second day of the “apparitions”, 25 June 1981, every day up till now. In 1993 she married Paolo Lunetti, an Italian. She has three children and is now living in Monza, near Milano.
How many “visions” has she had till now? Around 9,560 including today’s, together with the other “privileged few” or alone. The “apparitions” are not tied so much to the locality of Medjugorje as to persons: wherever these persons travel in the world, the “apparitions” travel with them.
3. Ivan Dragičević, born in Mostar on 25 May 1965, has had daily “apparitions” from 24 June 1981 to this day. He married the former Miss Massachusetts, Loreen Murphy in 1994 and has four children. He lives with his family part of the time in Boston and the rest of the time in Medjugorje.
How many “visions” has Ivan had till now? About 9,560 with today’s, together with the other “seers” or on his own.
4. Mirjana Dragičević, born in Sarajevo on 18 March 1965, has had “visions” from 24 June 1981. Her last regular encounter was on Christmas day 1982. From that day onward, she has received an “apparition” once a year – on her birthday – 18 March. Along with this, from 2 August 1987, on each 2nd day of the month, she hears the Madonna’s voice and sometimes sees her. That would make it 20 years times 12 months, she either hears or sees the Madonna. Mirjana married Marko Soldo in 1989 and has two children. She now lives in Medjugorje.
How many “visions” has Mirjana had till now? All totalled: about 810.
5. Ivanka Ivanković was born in the parish of Medjugorje on 21 June 1966. The phenomenon appeared to her from 25 June 1981 to 7 May 1985. She now has a “vision” once a year, on 25 June, on the anniversary of the “apparitions”. She married Rajko Elez and has three children. She is currently living in Medjugorje.
How many “visions” has Ivanka had till now? About 1,454 all together.
6. Jakov Čolo was born on 6 March 1971 in the parish of Medjugorje. From 25 June 1981 he received daily “apparitions” up until 12 September 1998. From this date onward, he has only had one a year – on Christmas day. In 1993, he married Anna-Lisa Barozzi from Italy. They have three children and now live in Medjugorje.
How many “visions” has he had till now? Together with the others and separately, around 6,294.
The Madonna has been presumably “appearing” on a regular basis and at one and the same time, even if one of the “seers” is in America, another “visionary” in Herzegovina, a third in Italy or a fourth in Maynooth. Adding all this up together makes for 37,238 “apparitions” up till now. Please don’t ask me about the accuracy of these statistics, because a thousand “apparitions” more or less, have no role to play here! The hierarchical Church at various levels: diocesan, national and Holy See, hasn’t accepted a single apparition as authentic. Let us now compare Medjugorje to two recognized Marian shrines:
At Lourdes in 1858, the Madonna appeared as the “Immaculate Conception”, 18 times to Bernadette. The Church accepted these apparitions and four years afterwards declared them authentic, in 1862.
At Fatima the Madonna appeared in 1917 as “Our Lady of the Rosary” 6 times to the ten year old shepherd children Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. 13 years later, in 1930, the Church accepted these apparitions as authentic.
Three of the Medjugorje “seers”, who say they have daily “apparitions”, live most of the time outside of Medjugorje, while the remaining three that live in Medjugorje supposedly have only one “apparition” a year, with the exception of one of them who also has a monthly “apparition”.
II. HOW MANY SECRETS HAS THE ALLEGED MADONNA
GIVEN TO THE SO-CALLED SEERS?
Those who have daily “visions” have received nine secrets, while those who have “apparitions” once a year, have ten secrets. It is not clear if nine or ten secrets have been given and are known to each of the “seers”, or if each of the “seers” has his/her own number of secrets which differ from the rest.
If we compare this to the authentic apparitions, then one can see that at Lourdes there were no secrets, while at Fatima one secret was divided into three parts. Yet at Medjugorje till now there have been 9 or 10, or even 57 possible secrets, that have been divided by three “seers” who have received 10 and another three who have received 9. To this day not a single secret has been revealed.
In the first years there was apocalyptic talk about a “great sign” to happen, yet to this day this “great sign” has not occurred, and the expectation for a sign has diminished.
Recently Vicka told the media that she has completed her work on the biography of the Madonna and that everything is written down in three booklets. The Madonna’s “biography” now awaits heavenly approval, an “imprimatur”, so that Vicka can publish it in book form, which will then be “the best read book in the world”.[2]
III. HOW MANY PRESUMED MESSAGES HAVE THERE BEEN?
All the “messages” of Medjugorje can be summed up into five basic ones, as is usually the case, yet these “five” are actually the following “fifteen”: peace, conversion, prayer, fasting, vigilance, penance, adoration, witnessing, faith, call to holiness, Eucharist, Word of God, monthly confession, rosary…
Many authors greatly differ which five should be taken from these fifteen. Italian, French and Croat authors… all have their own interpretations. It’s important to mention here that besides the daily “messages”, there are also special monthly “messages” on the 25th of each month, which are given to Marija in Italy, which she then sends to the parish rectory of Medjugorje for verification and are then sent out into the world.
All these “messages” of the various interpreters of Medjugorje, are heard every Sunday in church. For us, the novelty of Medjugorje would be that the “Queen of Peace” on the 25th of each month sends out a special communication with the message: “Thank you children, for responding to my invitation”. The Madonna thanks the “seers” for having the time, for wanting to, and deigning themselves to meet and talk with her. According to these words the “Madonna” is amazed and grateful to the “seers” who have responded to her invitation! This is somewhat like parents thanking their children for being born, or physicians thanking the infirm for seeking their health back![3]
IV. HOW MANY VOCATIONS HAVE RESULTED
FROM THE “APPARITIONS”?
Of the six “seers” of Medjugorje, none of them have received a religious vocation. Three of them mentioned that they were going to enter and two even went on to follow this inexplicable voice, yet with time everything vanished.
Ivan Dragičević, became a candidate for the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina. In 1981 he went to the minor seminary of Visoko where he continued with the “apparitions”. Due to the fact that he failed to pass his repeat examination, it was decided that he could possibly do better if he went to the minor seminary of Dubrovnik. While in Dubrovnik, he managed to pass his repeat examination and enter into the second year, but he didn’t show the same aptitude for school as he did for the “apparitions”, and hence he returned home in January 1983.
Having said farewell to the seminary, Ivan continued not only with daily “apparitions” to this day, but at a certain point began imposing the harsh demands of this phenomenon of his upon the local bishop Pavao Žanić, that he accept the “messages” of Medjugorje. In 1994 he married an American woman in Boston and thereby irrevocably transformed his religious vocation into a marriage.[4]
Vicka Ivanković at the outset demonstrated enthusiasm for the religious life. In September 1981 she confided her feelings to an Italian weekly: I would like to enter a convent and become a nun.
Even though she was an “enrolled nun”, Vicka never entered a convent. Twenty years later, she found a young man from the neighbouring parish of Krehin Gradac and the two of them were married in Medjugorje. Over two thousand invited and curious guests attended their wedding party. During the wedding festivities, the “seer” went to her new house a few kilometres away from the noise of the wedding party with husband alongside her and had a “vision”, according to the usual routine and regular programming. Afterwards they went back to the wedding party.
The “visionary” in the beginning announced Urbi et Orbi – “to Rome and the world” – that she is an “enrolled nun”, but twenty years later she travelled to Rome to buy her wedding dress. The “visionary” explained this to a journalist: the Madonna gave each of us our freedom to choose. Everyone can respond to the vocation they desire. Regardless of the fact that I’m now married, I shall continue to spread the messages of the Madonna, because Christian faith can be witnessed in marriage as well.[5]
Regarding her religious vocation – she feels free; yet as regards “spreading the messages of the Madonna” – she feels obligated!
Marija Pavlović. In response to an Italian journalist’s question Why haven’t any one of you decided to become a priest or nun? Marija in 2001 gave the following explanation: For many years I though that I would become a nun. I began visiting a convent and my desire to go there was very strong. But the Sister Superior once told me: “Marija, if you want to enter, you are very welcome; but if the bishop decides that you must not speak about Medjugorje, you will have to obey”. At that moment I began thinking that my vocation might possibly be to witness to what I have seen and heard, and that I will be able to find the road to holiness outside the convent.[6]
Marija therefore came to terms with the demands of religious life in which she couldn’t obey the bishop if he were to decide that she shouldn’t spread the “apparitions” which the Church even to this day has not declared authentic. Hence, she decided to find the road to holiness “outside the convent”.
God’s work. Yet things weren’t exactly that way. Marija did eventually attempt entering a mixed spiritual community, where she remained for several months. She then left the community with a written explanation that provoked no little public astonishment. First of all, it was written that the Madonna, through Marija, had said on 8 March 1987 that that community was “God’s plan”, “God’s work”. Later on, when she left the community with her boyfriend Paolo Lunetti, who helped her leave and write a letter, she refuted everything in her own handwriting on 11 July 1988: before God, the Madonna, and the Church of Jesus Christ, she categorically denied that there were ever any “messages” through her for this community and for this “work of God”, in which she had lived for several months.[7]
At that time, in 1983, Fr. Tomislav Vlašić OFM, who was the spiritual director of the “seers” of Medjugorje, wrote to the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar: The children have decided to enter the religious life, but they are waiting for the right moment which only they know.[8] Today the whole world knows that these were only stories or fairytales for children. Not all the “privileged” children of Medjugorje entered the religious life, while those that tried – quickly left. Only the mature won’t allow themselves to be misled by irrational “messages” and children’s stories! Could this be some kind of “sign”, “secret” or “message” of Medjugorje?
Though I believe that it’s improper, I will nevertheless compare these “vocations” with the two best-known modern Marian shrines: Lourdes and Fatima.
At Lourdes, the 14 year old Bernardette once said: I must become a nun, but I don’t know in which Order. The Holy Virgin told me this and I’m waiting. She received her religious robes in July 1866. Though infirm, she held on to her death on 16 April 1879. Pope Pius XI canonized her on the Immaculate Conception in 1933.
Secondly, at Fatima, the seer Lucia became a nun in 1921 and a Discalced Carmelite in 1948. She died on 13 February 2005, while Francisco and Jacinta died as children and were both beatified by Pope John Paul II at Fatima in the year 2000.
There’s something strange in all of this: three “seers” who tried to “enrol” themselves into religious life, later on dismissed themselves and were happily married, yet still have regular daily “apparitions”. The other “seers”, who didn’t enter the religious life, receive an “apparition” only once a year. Can this be considered a reward for those who didn’t enter the religious life?
God’s grace. Keeping in mind the fact that many young boys from Herzegovina who entered the seminary and who later on became priests and the numerous young girls who became nuns (from the parish of Medjugorje alone there are over 30 living priests and sisters) who from what I know, never had any apparition, message or encounter with any supernatural phenomenon; it’s indeed odd that not one of the “seers” in these 27 years, who have had between 810 and 9,560 “apparitions” received a religious vocation. And this same phenomenon, demands in a threatening way, that bishop Žanić recognize the “messages” of Medjugorje as authentic without questioning them. Every true religious vocation is a grace from God and a serious matter. The manner in which religious vocations were handled by the “visionaries” has been shown to be irresponsible. Could this possibly be a question of games without borders, regarding numbers, “visions”, “messages”, “secrets” and “signs”?
V. WHAT DO PRAYERS AND CONFESSIONS PROVE?
1. Prayer as a context. Prayer is an important factor in the “apparitions” of Medjugorje. It is in the context of praying the Our Father that in most cases the “apparitions” begin for the “seers”. They even cease praying so that the “apparition” can be followed for a few minutes.
2. A Message not to pray. On 16 September 1981: “She also told them that they need not pray for themselves, because she has rewarded them in the best fashion. They should pray for others instead”.[9]
The Biblical Madonna will never say that people need not pray for themselves and that the “reward of apparitions” replaces personal prayer. This is false teaching. Even Jesus prayed firstly for himself, then for his apostles and then for the entire world “that all may be one” (Jn 17).
3. A Message to pray for bishop Žanić. Concerning a prayer-group of Medjugorje “the Madonna has asked that they fast on bread and water twice a week. Three months later we are fasting on bread and water three times a week. The group is offering the majority of their prayers for him (bishop Žanić). We often offer our adoration, rosaries and visits to the place of the apparitions where we pray long into the night for him. God shall look upon our prayers and fasting”.[10] So wrote Fr. Tomislav Vlašić OFM, on 8 January 1984.
The phenomenon established a prayer-group around Fr. Tomislav Vlašić OFM, who in a letter in 1984 presented himself to the Pope as the one “who through Divine providence guides the seers of Medjugorje”.[11] This group has been praying and fasting just so that the bishop would give in to the hallucinations. They also built a convent in Medjugorje with close to 100 beds and didn’t even think of asking the bishop for permission to do this. Then the “mystifier” Fr. Vlašić was recently removed from his guiding role in the prayer-group, after having mixed the spiritual with spiritism in Medjugorje during a retreat!
4. He could have but didn’t want to? In an interview in 1993, during the height of the war, the “seer” Jakov said: “The Madonna has asked me today, as every day during these last twelve years, that I pray for peace in the former Yugoslavia. The Virgin convinced me that I could stop the war with my prayers…”.[12]
If this were not so naïve, a normal believer would ask himself: if the “seer” was capable of stopping the war in ex-Yugoslavia, then why didn’t he go pray and bring it to an end? Yet during the war over 2 million people were displaced, over 100,000 were killed, thousands of religious sites and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed, and then the unjust Dayton accord was imposed upon us!
5. Can prayer be considered proof? There are people within the Church who say: If the people are praying to God, then let them go to Medjugorje, let them make their pilgrimages and pray. It’s better for them to pray than not to pray, better to venerate “the Madonna of Medjugorje” than not to venerate any Madonna at all!
For 2000 years the Church has been teaching and suggesting to the faithful that they pray, fast, do penance, go to confession and convert. She doesn’t prohibit anyone from praying to God where they please. Yet she does not allow “pilgrimages to a place of apparitions” that have not been accepted as authentic to be endorsed in churches from the altar. She does this so that the truth may be separated from falsehood and true doctrine distinguished from false doctrine.
As if it were really necessary for someone to travel thousands of kilometres from Corea or Ireland to Medjugorje just to pray a rosary or to make a confession. Yet Jesus teaches us to “go into your room” and pray to your Father in heaven! (Mt 6:6).
Do those who say that they have travelled to Medjugorje over thirty times, really prove that they have “converted” by saying this? This could be a true sign that they haven’t converted yet.[13] A truly converted person would never boast about this, but would rather demonstrate it by his/her life!
If the faithful of the parish of St. Jame’s in Medjugorje sincerely confess their sins and pray, regardless of all the nursery rhyme “apparitions”, they thereby certainly receive the same Divine graces that other believers receive who pray and validly receive the sacraments in Catholic churches throughout the world. The local Church has always held this belief.[14]
VI. HOW MANY CHURCH COMMISSIONS AND INTERVENTIONS
HAVE THERE BEEN?
Towards the end of June 1981, the sensational news of the “Madonna’s apparitions” to children in Medjugorje started to spread in the mass-media. In mid-August of the same year, after having spoken with the so-called seers in Medjugorje on 21 July, in his first Statement, the bishop of Mostar-Duvno, Msgr. Pavao Žanić, emphasized that the most difficult question is whether or not this is a “subjective experience of the children or something supernatural?”[15] Even though he had informed the Pope and the Holy See on many occasions regarding the diverse opinions regarding Medjugorje, the bishop felt it was necessary to establish a diocesan commission in order to study the events.
A – The Chancery of the Diocese of Mostar
The First Church Commission (1982 – 1984)
Bishop Žanić established the first Commission on 11 January 1982, which investigated the events until 1984.[16] It was comprised of four priests, 3 diocesans and 1 religious franciscan.[17]
The bishop’s new discoveries. The Commission hadn’t even gathered yet when on 14 January 1982 something happened that marked the bishop’s position once and for all. That day, three of the “seers” came to Mostar with the “Madonna’s” message that the bishop, regarding the famous Herzegovinian Affair acted too hastily, because he sought the removal of two Franciscan associate pastors who were causing problems in Mostar. The bishop, who during his lifetime venerated the Madonna with numerous devotions and pilgrimages, upon hearing that the phenomenon in Medjugorje was accusing him of irreligious disorder in reference to the parishes; that it didn’t recognize in him a faithful son of the Church and the Madonna, the Mother of the Church, to whom a year earlier in September 1980, the Cathedral church of Mostar was consecrated; that the phenomenon was defending disobedient religious friars who were obstructing the normal functioning of the Cathedral, began to look with suspicion upon the “messages” and the “apparitions” in Medjugorje. Despite all this, the Commission began its work.
The “great sign”. The Commission held three conversations with the “seers”. In 1982, the third meeting brought some results. On the bishop’s request, the Commission asked the “seers” to write down in duplicate copy, what kind of “great sign” shall appear and when it would happen. They were then to put their responses into two envelopes and then seal them. One of the envelopes was to be kept by them while the other at the Chancery office. When the “great sign” occurs, then the envelopes would be opened and the truth verified. However, five of the “seers” refused to answer the questions, because the Madonna did not permit them to. Yet the seminarian Ivan did respond in writing to the questions. He even said that the Madonna did not forbid him from responding to the questions. His response was more than inappropriate. A good number of lies and tricks are tied to this “great sign” particularly “endorsed” by Fr. Slavko Barbarić OFM, which to this day hasn’t occurred.[18]
The Response to the Holy See. In November 1983, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith asked the bishop if the Commission has come to some conclusions. Bishop Žanić wrote a study on Medjugorje and the Herzegovinian Affair, which he sent to Cardinal Josef Ratzinger. In the conclusion the bishop puts forth the question of the “apparitions”:
Are they from God? – The “Madonna of Medjugorje” has brought more disorder and disarray here than there was earlier! Hence he doesn’t see how he can accept this as coming from God.
Is it from the devil? – He has difficulty accepting this hypothesis as well, even though the thought has crossed his mind.
Is it all a hoax? – From the outset one can notice that the children have sometimes lied. At times it’s clear that what they say is what they have heard from the Franciscans, especially regarding the “Herzegovinian Affair”. The bishop goes on to say that he awaits the judgement of the Commission and the cessation of the “apparitions”. The bishop waited 17 years and he was able to see the Madonna in heaven on 11 January 2000 (the day of his death) before seeing the “visions” of Medjugorje cease.
The Second extended Commission (1984 – 1986)
In 1984 bishop Žanić decided to extend the first Commission. He wrote to all the theological faculties in Yugoslavia and sought the permission of certain religious superiors to allow their experts to join the Commission.
There were 15 members in the Second Commission: 12 priests and 3 medical experts. They held seven meetings in all. The first was in Mostar in March 1984, and the seventh in the same city in May 1986, during which the Commission completed its work. The members of the Commission voted on the following conclusion: Non constat de supernaturalitate (11 voted ‘for’, 2 ‘against’, 1 accepted ‘in nucleo’, and 1 abstained). The Commission prepared a draft “Declaration” in which were listed the “unacceptable assertions” and “bizarre declarations”, attributed to the curious phenomenon. The Commission also stated that further investigations were not necessary nor the delaying of the official judgement of the Church. The bishop duly informed the Bishops’ Conference and the Holy See, and he then informed the public during his homily in Medjugorje in 1987.[19]
Two members of this Commission published their scientific reports on the sectors of the investigations that were allocated to them: Don Nikola Bulat[20] and Msgr. Mato Zovkić.[21]
The well-known negative position of the bishop which he summarized in 28 points in 1990, is significant since it speaks of the unauthentic nature of these supernatural apparitions.[22]
In August of 1993, bishop Žanić handed over the administration of the diocese to his successor who continued his work along the same treaded path.
B – The Bishops’ Conference of Yugoslavia
The Bishops of Yugoslavia intervened twice, in 1984 and 1985, and asked both priests and faithful to await the judgement of the Church regarding the events of Medjugorje, which shall be given after intense investigations. Hence, no pilgrimages are to be organized as if “the Church has already given a positive judgement”.[23]
The Third Commission (1987 – 1990)
In January 1987, upon the suggestion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, cardinal Kuharić and bishop Žanić made a joint communiqué in which they announced the formation of a third Commission and in which they asked the faithful not to organize pilgrimages which would ascribe to the events of Medjugorje any supernatural character.[24] The Commission was comprised of 11 priests (6 religious, 5 diocesan), 4 psychologists and one religious sister as secretary.
The Commission held 23 meetings in Zagreb at the Secretariat of the Bishops’ Conference. The first meeting was in April 1987 and the twenty-third in September 1990.
A characteristic of the third Commission was that its work was to be done based on the findings and results of the previous Commissions and ex novo. Everything was done under oath and no communiqués for the public were made. The results of their four-year long efforts were presented to the members of the Bishops’ Conference in Zagreb in 1990. Discussions at the Bishops’ Conference on the “apparitions” were held on four occasions: 25 April, 9 October and 27 November 1990, and the Declaration on Medjugorje was accepted by a vote held in Zadar on 10 April 1991: 19 bishops voted for the Declaration while 1 abstained.
The Declaration states: “During the regular session of the Bishops’ Conference of Yugoslavia, held in Zadar from April 9-11, 1991, the following was accepted:
DECLARATION
From the very beginning, the Bishops have been following the events of Medjugorje through the local Bishop, the Bishops’ Commission and the Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Yugoslavia for Medjugorje.
On the base of studies made so far, it cannot be affirmed that these matters concern supernatural apparitions or revelations.
Yet the gathering of the faithful from various parts of the world to Medjugorje, inspired by reasons of faith or other motives, require the pastoral attention and care, first of all, of the local Bishop and then of the other bishops with him, so that in Medjugorje and all connected with it, a healthy devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the teachings of the Church may be promoted. The Bishops will also provide special liturgical and pastoral directives corresponding to this aim. At the same time, they will continue to study all the events of Medjugorje through their commissions.
Zadar, 10 April 1991
The Bishops of Yugoslavia”.[25]
The Aggression. In the years that followed, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina found themselves victims of a terrible aggression. With the formation of new states, new Bishops’ Conferences were established. Despite the Declaration of the Bishops’ Conference: Non constat de supernaturalitate, that is, it cannot be affirmed that these matters concern supernatural apparitions or revelations in Medjugorje, the adherents of this phenomenon consistently claim that the “Madonna is appearing”.
If our Bishops’ Conference, despite numerous curious visitors to Medjugorje, notwithstanding massive publicity accompanied by charismatic inspirations, had the courage to declare on the base of serious, solid and expert investigations, that there is no proof in Medjugorje of any supernatural apparitions, this then is a sign that the Church even in the 20th century is still “the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Tim 3,15).[26]
C – The Interventions of the Holy See
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, intervened four times through two of its Secretaries, while Cardinal Ratzinger also made an important statement.
In 1985, Msgr. Bovone notified the Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Italy not to organize official pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
In 1995, Msgr. Bertone wrote to the bishop of Langres, Msgr. Taverdet, and repeated the same to Msgr. Daloz of Besançon, who were interested in knowing the position of the Holy See on Medjugorje.
Finally, in 1998, the same Secretary wrote to Msgr. Gilbert Aubry, bishop of Reunion. All these letters emphasized that pilgrimages, whether private or public, are not allowed if they presuppose the authenticity of the apparitions, since this would be in contradiction to the declaration of the Bishops’ Conference of Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, the supporters of the events of Medjugorje hold fast to the word “pilgrimage” and neglect the conditio sine qua non: that they do not presuppose the authenticity of the apparitions.
Ratzinger’s “frei erfunden”. In 1998, when a certain German gathered various statements which were supposedly made by the Pope and the Cardinal Prefect, and then forwarded them to the Vatican in the form of a memorandum, the Cardinal responded in writing on 22 July 1998: “The only thing I can say regarding statements on Medjugorje ascribed to the Holy Father and myself is that they are complete invention” – frei erfunden.[27]
Ad limina visit 2006. During my official visit to the Holy Father Benedict XVI, I not only expressed my doubts but also my disbelief in the “apparitions” of Medjugorje. The Holy Father, who prior to his election was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, replied with this thought: “We at the Congregation always asked ourselves how a believer could possibly accept as authentic, apparitions that occur every day for so many years?”[28]
Conclusion. Not only are these statements attributed to the Holy Father and Cardinal Ratzinger “complete invention”, but the numerous messages of Medjugorje, ascribed to the Madonna are also complete invention. If our faith is considered obsequium rationabile – rational service to God, true and healthy spiritual worship, as it rightfully is (Rm 12:1), it cannot then be any person’s private fantasy or illusion.[29] The Church is competent to say this. In her name, 30 chosen priests and physicians, working together in three Commissions for 10 years, in more than 30 meetings, dutifully and expertly investigated the events of Medjugorje and brought forth their judgement. And not one, but twenty bishops responsibly declared that there exists no proof that the events in Medjugorje concern supernatural apparitions. The believer who respects both principles: ratio et fides, therefore adheres to this criterion, convinced that the Church does not deceive.
Regarding Medjugorje, there exists a real danger that the Madonna and the Church could be privatized. People could start contriving a Madonna and a Church according to their own taste, perception and deception: by not submitting their reason as believers to the official Magisterium of the Church, but rather forcing the Church to follow and recognize their fantasy.
Naïve believers could easily then leave the living fountains of grace in their own parishes to travel down to Medjugorje or follow the “seers” around the world, who by the way, thanks to the “apparitions” have good homes and a comfortable existence – at least that’s what the media says.
There are at least 6 or 7 religious or quasi-religious communities, in fieri or already formed, of diocesan or no right, that have established themselves in Medjugorje by their own will, without submitting themselves to the Diocesan Chancery. These communities are more a symbol of disobedience than a charismatic sign of obedience in this Church!
In the diocese of Mostar-Duvno there exists a problem which in recent years has practically become a schism. At least nine Franciscan priests, who have been expelled from the Franciscan OFM Order and suspended a divinis,have rebelled against the decision of the Holy See and have not allowed the transfer of some of the parishes from Franciscan to Diocesan administration. They forcefully occupy at least five parishes, all the while continuing with all priestly functions. They invalidly perform marriages, hear confessions without canonical faculties, some of them invalidly confirm youngsters, and in 2001 they invited an old-Catholic deacon who falsely presented himself as a bishop to “confirm” about eight hundred young people in three parishes. Two of these expelled Franciscans even went as far as asking the Swiss old-Catholic bishop, Hans Gerny, to ordain them as bishops, yet they did not succeed. So many invalid sacraments, so much disobedience, violence, sacrilege, disorder and irregularities and not even a single “message” amongst the tens of thousands of “apparitions” has been sent to alleviate these scandals. A very strange thing indeed!
The Church, from the local to supreme level, from the beginning to this very day, has clearly and constantly repeated: Non constat de supernaturalitate! This practically means no pilgrimages are allowed that would presuppose any supernatural character to the apparitions, there exists no shrine of the Madonna and there are no authentic messages, revelations nor true visions!
This is the state of things today. How will things be tomorrow? We’ll leave them in God’s hands and under Our Lady’s protection!
Mostar, 1 September 2007
+ Ratko Perić
Bishop of Mostar-Duvno
[1] Međugorje Tribune, 2-2007, p. 30; In Krehin Gradac Marija said: “I see her too. Look at the Madonna!” In Rome she said: “There's the Madonna, above the Pope, behind the window! Tajo, the Madonna is up there with the Pope!”
[2] Međugorje Tribune, 2-2007, p. 26: “I think it will be the most read widely-read book in the world”; Dnevni list (Mostar), 26. 6. 2007, p. 56.
[3] Ogledalo Pravde (O. P.), Mostar, 2001, pp. 249-250.
[4] O. P., p. 34.
[5] Arena, 31. 1. 2002, p. 20; Crkva na kamenu, 12/2002, p. 12.
[6] O. P., p. 28.
[7] O. P., pp. 30-31.
[8] O. P., p. 55.
[9] O. P., p. 111.
[10] O. P., p. 126.
[11] O. P., p. 56.
[12] O. P., p. 37.
[13] O. P., pp. 229-230.
[14] O. P., pp. 268-269.
[15] O. P., p. 192.
[16] O. P., p. 43.
[17] Crkva na Kamenu, 2/1981, p. 1.
[18] O. P., pp. 102-108. Fr. Slavko Barbarić OFM died on 24 November 2000. The day after his death, a message came from the “apparition”: I rejoice with you and wish to tell you that your brother Slavko has been born to heaven and he is interceding for you. This means that they need not pray for him any more but that they can pray to him!
[19] O. P., pp. 47-50.
[20] N. Bulat, Istina će vas osloboditi. Studija o nekim međugorskim pitanjima (1986.). Nepouzdanost izvora i nedoličnost poruka (The truth shall set you free. A study on some aspects of Medjugorje /1986/. The untrustworthiness of the sources and the impropriety of the messages), Mostar, 2006. Predgovor (Preface), pp. 7-14.
[21] M. Zovkić, Problematični elementi u fenomenu Međugorja (Problematic elements in the phenomenon of Medjugorje), u: Bogoslovska smotra, 1-2/1993., pp. 76-87. See also Zovkićeva prosudba međugorskih zbivanja, (Zovkić's judgment of the events of Medjugorje), in: „U Službi riječi i Božjega naroda“, Sarajevo, 2007, pp. 721-745.
[22] O. P., p. 196.
[23] O. P., p. 193.
[24] O. P., p. 196.
[25] O. P., p. 197.
[26] O. P., p. 151.
[27] O. P., p. 283.
[28] Crkva na kamenu, 4/2007, p. 24.
[29] O. P., p. 84.
