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Vatican statement on Medjugorje coming soon, cardinal says October 08, 2009

Bosnian Cardinal Vinko Puljic has indicated that he expects a Vatican statement on the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, probably before the end of this calendar year.

While millions of pilgrims have visited Medjugorje in the past 20 years, the reported visits by the Virgin Mary and the messages relayed by the Medjugorje "seers" have never been endorsed by the Catholic hierarchy. Local bishops have been increasingly vocal in discouraging to "the Medjugorje phenomenon," and earlier this year Bishop Ratko Peric of the local Mostar diocese placed tight restrictions on the activities of groups that seek to promote the alleged apparitions and messages. Bishop Peric told his flock, "let us not act as if these 'apparitions were recognized and worthy of faith."

However, while local bishops have shown their skepticism and even open disapproval of the reports from Medjugorje, the Vatican has not yet issued a statement addressing the validity of the reported apparitions. "We are now awaiting a new directive" from the Vatican that could help to resolve questions about the Medjugorje phenomenon, Cardinal Puljic said. He added that he expected to discuss the issue during a November visit to the Vatican.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Vatican ruling on disputed Medjugorje shrine expected soon (Reuters)
• Bosnian Cardinal: Vatican Will Release Medjugorje Directive (National Catholic Register)
• Medjugorje bishop emphasizes: don’t view alleged apparitions as 'worthy of faith' (CWN 9/29)

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• Posted by: euripides - Oct. 08, 2009 11:39 PM ET USA

  Some few years ago, Cdl Ratzinger was queried about whether the Blessed Mother had appeared at Medjugorje. He answered that one must respect the pilgimages, the acts of piety and the conversions in peoples' lives that have flowed from this phenomenon. He never answered the question! Now perhaps we will finally have an answer and it will probably drive thousands more out of the Church as the predator priest scandal did in 2002 and the Legionnaries of Chricst scandal (which goes back fifty year

• Posted by: tmsharel5764 - Oct. 08, 2009 11:15 PM ET USA

  Most of the Medjugorje adherents whom I have known are divorced. God hates divorce. So the two cannot be reconciled. And the lady of Medjugorje hasn't said a word against divorce. All one has to do is read these messages and there is no way that they sound like Our Lady of the Scriptures or Our Lady of Fatima.

• Posted by: TheJournalist64 - Oct. 08, 2009 7:19 PM ET USA

  A couple of kids go out for a smoke and are caught, then invent a story about an apparition. This one is completely out of sync with all the apparitions of the Virgin, and has many of the marks of fraud.

• Posted by: edfarinholt5799 - Oct. 08, 2009 11:06 AM ET USA

  Let us pray that God's Will be done in this regard. I know several people who have had their spiritual lives uplifted after visiting Medjugorje. If the messages are genuine than hopefully this shrine will ultimately bring many closer to Jesus Christ which has always been the Blessed Mother's wish.