Category: News & Information

Pope Francis calls for daily Rosary for end of pandemic.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Shrine in Medjugorje was chosen to be one of 30 Marian Shrines around the world participating in daily live-streamed rosaries being prayed for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Mother of Help, welcome us under your mantle and protect us, sustain us in the hour of trial, and ignite in our hearts the light of hope for the future,”Pope Francis prayed May 1, 2021.

“At the beginning of the month dedicated to Our Lady, we unite in prayer with all of the shrines scattered throughout the world, with the faithful, and with all people of good will,” he said, “to entrust in the hands of our Holy Mother all of humanity, strongly tried in this period of pandemic.”

“In the present dramatic situation, full of sufferings and anxieties that grip the whole world, we turn to You, Mother of God and our Mother, and we seek refuge under your protection.”

During the event May 1, Pope Francis also blessed rosaries that will be sent to the 30 Marian shrines participating in the daily live-streamed prayers. Among these are the shrines of Our Lady of Walsingham in England, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in the United States, Our Lady of Czestochowa in Poland, the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in South Korea, Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Philippines, Our Lady of Knock in Ireland, the Virgin of the Poor at Banneux in Belgium, Notre Dame d’Afrique in Algeria, Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Portugal, and Our Lady of Health in India. Participating shrines in Italy include the Holy House of Loreto and Shrine of the Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei.

The other global shrines are: Jesus the Saviour and Mother Mary in Nigeria, the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Our Lady of Lujan in Argentina, Our Lady Queen of Peace at Medjugorje in Bosnia, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Australia, Our Lady of Lourdes in France, Meryem Ana in Turkey, Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre in Cuba, Our Lady of Nagasaki in Japan, Nuestra Señora de Montserrat in Spain, Notre Dame du Cap in Canada, the National Shrine Our Lady Ta’ Pinu in Malta, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Mexico, Mother of God in Zarvantysia in Ukraine, Altotting in Germany, and Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, Lebanon.

Pope Francis will also close the month of rosaries by leading the prayer in the Vatican Gardens May 31.

See www.vaticannews.va for places and dates

Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit Medjugorje

Pope Francis Authorizes and Approves Official Church Pilgrimages to Medjugorje!

It may be of no coincidence that on Mother’s Day, May, 12, 2019, on the eve of the first Marian apparition at Fatima, that Pope Frances has authorized official diocesan pilgrimages to Medjugorje. The news was first announced at St. James Parish in Medjugorje, during the 8:00 a.m. Mass, in many languages. The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Henryk Hoser, who had been appointed by Pope Francis as the Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje on Feb 11, 2017. The Pope appointed Archbishop Hoser to reside in Medjugorje and provide help to the pastoral situation there, and on May 31, 2018, the Archbishop’s title was changed to “Apostolic Visitor” to Medjugorje. Shortly after his appointment, Archbishop Hoser said in a press conference held in Medjugorje, “You, my dear friends, should be carriers of the joyful news. Say to the whole world that in Medjugorje, we can find the light again.” Plans are now underway to expand the shrine to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims.

The “ad interim” director of the Holy See Press Office, Alessandro Gisotti, responded to journalists’ questions about the announcement:

“Considering the considerable flow of people who go to Medjugorje and the abundant fruits of grace that have sprung from it, this authorization is part of the particular pastoral attention that the Holy Father intended to give to that reality, aimed at encouraging and promoting the fruits of good.”

The apostolic visitor [Archbishop Henryk Hoser] “will have, in this way, greater ease in establishing relations with the priests in charge of organizing pilgrimages to Medjugorje, as well as, safe and well-prepared persons, offering them information and indications to be able to fruitfully conduct such pilgrimages, in agreement with the ordinary people of the place.”

The Pope’s authorization, Gisotti said, is “care to prevent these pilgrimages from being interpreted as an authentication of known events, which still require examination by the Church. Therefore,  care must be taken to avoid creating confusion or ambiguity from the doctrinal point of view regarding such pilgrimages. This also concerns pastors of every order and level who intend to go to Medjugorje and celebrate or concelebrate there even in a solemn way.”

The six visionaries of Medjugorje assure us that they still have a daily apparitions of the “Queen of Peace,” always at the same time in the afternoon and wherever they are: Vicka (living in Medjugorje), Marija (living in Monza, Italy) and Ivan (living in the United States but often returns home), still receive the apparitions daily. Mirjana (in Medjugorje), receives an apparition annually on her birthday. Mirjana, on the 2nd of every month, and Marija, on the 25th, receive a message from Our Lady for the world. Ivanka (in Medjugorje) sees Mary annually, on the anniversary of the apparitions, and Jacov (in Medjugorje), receives an apparition annually on Christmas Day.

According to various sources, more than 40 million people from all faiths, including many people with illnesses and problems, have gone on pilgrimage to Medjugorje, a small town in Bosnia-Herzegovina, since the first apparitions were said to have taken place there in 1981. Indeed, today more pilgrims go there than to Lourdes, the famous Marian shrine in France, although Fatima still continues to draw the same numbers as before the Medjugorje phenomenon. The fruits of Medjugorje are a phenomenal number of conversions; physical, emotional, and spiritual healings, and vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Medjugorje has become known as the world’s confessional.

Andrea Tornielli, the editor-in-chief of Vatican News, in an editorial published today recalled “the long lines of people going to confession, and the Eucharistic adorations in the evenings at Medjugorje” as evidence of the spiritual impact of these pilgrimages. He recalled that in 2013, Pope Francis told Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, a Mariologist and the Secretary of dicastery for the Laity, Family and life: “I believe that there is grace in Medjugorje. One cannot deny that. People are converted.” At the same time, Tornielli said, the Pope “put people on their guard against the protagonism of the seers and the multiplication of messages and secrets” but “he has never discounted the positive fruits of the experience of pilgrimages.”

Click on the links below for books of phenomenal conversion stories of people whose lives have changed completely, who have been rescued from the ashes through Medjugorje and become true disciples and priests of the Church.

OF MEN AND MARY: HOW SIX MEN WON THE GREATEST BATTLE OF THEIR LIVES

 

FULL OF GRACE: MIRACULOUS STORIES OF HEALING AND CONVERSION THROUGH MARY’S INTERCESSION

Plans are Underway to Construct a Larger Shrine in Medjugorje to Accommodate Throngs of Pilgrims

Great news coming out of Medjugorje:

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, whom Pope Francis named as the Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje, has announced plans for the construction of a larger shrine at the popular pilgrimage site. Archbishop Hoser has pointed to the increasing numbers of pilgrims and to the way in which on their return home, “they do everything to keep on living in the spirit they have discovered here in Medjugorje.”

“The plan is to extend the space for liturgical celebrations, which will meet all the climatic conditions, it will be cold during summer, and warm in the winter. The open square, the outer altar space, does not protect the people who participate in the liturgical celebrations. We still think to build a chapel,” he said. 

The archbishop also mentioned that a group of architects is already planning the project.

Additional impact of the appointment of Archbishop Hoser:

The number of Holy Communions has risen 300,000 during 2018, an increase of 19%. The previous four years saw a decrease, but due to what some are calling the “Hoser effect,” the numbers of pilgrims has increased significantly.

(Photo by Jozo Ivankovic)

Vatican Mission Begins in Medjugorje! Archbishop Hoser’s Historic Mass

July 22, 2018, marked an important moment in the history of the parish of Medjugorje.

Archbishop Hoser on Medjugorje altarArchbishop Henryk Hoser, recently appointed as Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje by Pope Francis, celebrated Sunday Mass at St. James Church among thousands of locals and pilgrims and dozens of priests.

“It was unbelievable,” said Medjugorje guide and translator Miki Musa, who translated Archbishop Hoser’s homily into English, among the many other language translations that were broadcast. “It almost felt like a dream to see a person who came in the name of the Holy Father standing at the altar in Medjugorje.”

“In my opinion, said Musa, “this is the greatest event to take place in Medjugorje in the past 37 years, after June 24,Archbishop Hoser Eucharist in Medjugorje 1981 when the apparitions first began. We are all so grateful. I had to stop my translation for a moment and take a deep breath. He said such powerful words.”

The Papal Nuncio of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Luigi Pezzuto, accompanied Hoser and read a letter from Pope Francis announcing Hoser’s appointment in Medjugorje.

Fr. Miljenko, Medjugorje parish priest, introduced Msgr. Hoser at the service. “Dear Archbishop Hoser,” said Fr. Miljenko. “In this grace-filled moment, I am greeting you most sincerely on behalf of all of us gathered here! In the name of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina, I wish you a blessed stay with us in the mission that was entrusted to you by the Holy Father, Pope Francis.”

Archbishop Hoser shared a beautiful sermon which touched on the reasons for coming to Medjugorje as a pilgrim:

Priests at Archbishop Hoser Medjugorje Mass

“Pilgrims come to Medjugorje from faraway regions, from approximately 80 countries of the world. . . ,” he said. “. . . Let us now ask the fundamental question: Why do so many people come to Medjugorje every year? The clear answer is this: they come to meet someone, to meet God, to meet Christ, to meet His Mother. And then to discover the path that leads to the joy of living in the house of the Father and of the Mother; and ultimately to discover the Marian way as the more certain and sure one. This is the path of the Marian devotion that has been taking place here for years.”

Later in his homily, Archbishop Hoser said, “This is what the people’s devotion in Medjugorje looks like: in the center is the Holy Mass, Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the sacrament of Reconciliation. And all of this followed by other forms of devotion: the Rosary and the Way of the Cross, which have turned what in the beginning used to be sharp stones into smooth paths.”

Archbishop Hoser in Medjugorje

Last year, around two million people from more than a hundred countries from all over the world visited Medjugorje last year, and the locals expect that with Archbishop Hoser’s presence in Medjugorje, the numbers could increase. Archbishop Hoser was sent by Pope Francis for his new official post there of Apostolic Visitor.

Archbishop Hoser made a point to invite all believers to go to Medjugorje, if they are able, and to receive spiritualrenewal. “I would highly recommend it. I would say that it is the pilgrimage of spiritual change, conversion, and strengthening of faith – you can experience all of that there.”

For an update on the Catholic Church’s stance on Medjugorje, click on the following article:

Are the Medjugorje Apparitions Real? What Does the Church, the Vatican, Say about Medjugorje?

Archbishop Hoser's Mass in Medjugorje

 

The above information was taken from Queen of Peace Productions and Sarajevo Times and edited by Christine Watkins.

Photos by Foto Dani and Jozo Ivankovic

Are the Medjugorje Apparitions Real? What Does the Church, the Vatican, Say about Medjugorje? Get the Real Scoop!

For many years, the official stance on Medjugorje by the Church came from statements made by the 1993 committee of Bishops in Zadar, Yugoslavia, organized by St. Pope John Paul II: “We bishops, after a three-year-long commission study, accept Medjugorje as a holy place, as a shrine. This means that we have nothing against it if someone venerates the Mother of God in a manner also in agreement with the teaching and belief of the Church. . . Therefore, we are leaving that to further study. The Church does not hurry.”[1] In 1991, the same conference had assigned one of these three official categories to the alleged apparitions: 1) constat de supernaturalitate (the apparition is established as supernatural), 2) constat de non supernaturalitate (the apparition is clearly not miraculous or lacks sufficient signs of the miraculous); or 3) non constat de supernaturalitate (It may not be evident whether or not the alleged apparition is authentic). The commission chose this third, in-between category, neither condemning Medjugorje, nor giving final approval, since the Church almost never pronounces an apparition as authentic while it is continuing to occur.

Ignoring the official stance of the Church, the Bishop of Mostar (the diocese to which the parish belonged), Bishop Zanic, made his personal and hostile opinions of Medjugorje known, as did his successor, Bishop Ratko Peric, causing much confusion. The negative stance adopted by both Ordinaries was rendered moot when the Holy See, during the pontificate of John Paul II, consequently removed evaluation of the phenomenon from their jurisdiction: an unprecedented action the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI forms Medjugorje Commission under Cardinal Ruini

Pope Benedict XVI forms Medjugorje Commission under the auspices of Cardinal Camillo Ruini

During the pontificate of Benedict XVI, there was another unprecedented move when the Vatican adopted direct jurisdiction over Medjugorje. A commission was appointed to assess the apparitions under Cardinal Ruini. Remarkably, the Ruini Commission, which met from March 2010 to January 2014, concluded in 2017 that the first seven apparitions were authentic. This was an exceptional breakthrough in terms of official recognition of an apparition. It was also unprecedented because the phenomenon is still in progress. Although Pope Francis has yet to officially release the Ruini report, the Pontiff, himself, confirmed in an interview that the Commission had reached this conclusion. In point of fact, the Pope had actually stopped attempts by the then Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, to block this judgment. The pope also asked that the Ruini report be sent to him for a review and determination, as opposed to Müller, who was originally set to receive it.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser in Medjugorje

Archbishop Henryk Hoser preaching at St. James Church in Medjugorje

On February 11, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland as his papal envoy to coordinate all matters relating to Medjugorje. In December of 2017, Archbishop Hoser shared the breaking news that the Vatican now permits official pilgrimages to Medjugorje. “Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem,” he said.[2] At a recorded Medjugorje press conference on April 5, 2017, the archbishop reconfirmed this fact.[3] Müller’s 2013 CDF statement that Catholics should not participate in any meetings in which the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions were taken for granted is now null and void. In Archbishop Hoser’s own words: “My mission was not to close Medjugorje, but to evaluate whether the pastoral ministry was proper, consistent with the doctrine and teaching of the Church, effective and well organized. I conclude that this is the case. On the pastoral side my assessment is very positive. Thus, the ongoing pastoral activities, liturgical order and conferences should continue.”[4]

At the conclusion of the press conference, in which he urged everyone to bring the light of Medjugorje “to the world that is sinking into darkness. . . ,” he stated, “You, my dear friends, should be the carriers of the joyful news. Say to the whole world that in Medjugorje we can find the light again!”[5]

The Church took another positive step toward Medjugorje when on May 31, 2018, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Hoser as Special Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje. The Vatican declared that Monsignor Hoser would take up residence in Medjugorje in his new role “for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,” which means “at the disposal of the Holy See.” In Medjugorje, where belief in the authenticity of the apparitions is long-held due to the daily conversions, long lines of confessions, and miracles constantly witnessed by the locals, the news of Archbishop Hoser’s new position was received with great joy.[6]

It can safely be said that Medjugorje now has received as much official recognition as it can receive, given that the phenomenon is still going on. It is well known that two of the most illustrious saints of

Archbishop Hoser Eucharist in Medjugorje

Archbishop Henryk Hoser celebrating Mass in Medjugorje

recent times, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta and St. Pope John Paul II, were ardent devotees of the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje. Thanks to them and millions of the faithful, Medjugorje’s message of repentance, reconciliation, peace, and penance has spread across the globe.

St. Pope John Paul II, when addressing American bishops at the Philadelphia Eucharistic Congress five years before Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje began, stated:

We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. . . We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is therefore in God’s plan and a trial which the Church must take up!” 

Given that St. John Paul II understood that these days were those of the final confrontation, when he learned of Our Lady’s coming to Medjugorje and her words, “I have descended among you,” he knew her presence with us had now changed everything, victory was assured. To Monsignor Murilo Sebastiao Ramos Krieger, Archbishop of Florianopolis in Brazil, he stated, “Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!” He told friends, including Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek, who made the words public, that if he weren’t Pope, he’d be living in Medjugorje as a priest, helping to hear confessions. In the Pope’s own hand, he wrote to friends in Poland:

I thank Sophia for everything concerning Medjugorje. I too go there every day as a pilgrim in my prayers. I unite in my prayers with all those who pray there or receive a call for prayer from there. Today we have understood this call better. I rejoice that our time is not lacking people of prayer and apostles.

St. Pope John Paul II fully believed and told us in his will that “Victory when it comes, will be a victory through Maria!”

“Dear children, my real living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety!”

            —Medjugorje message from Our Lady on July 2, 2016 

Denis Nolan
MaryTV.tv
Author of Medjugorje and the Church

Of Men and Mary bookThis article is excerpted from the Appendix of the soon-to-be-released book, OF MEN AND MARY: How Six Men Won the Greatest Battle of Their Lives, by Christine Watkins. To receive notice of the book’s imminent publication, sign up for the “Inspiration in Your Inbox” newsletter at www.QueenofPeaceMedia.com

[1]  (Glas Koncila, August 15, 1993).

[2]  Jesús Colina, “Official pilgrimages to Medjugorje are being authorized, confirms Pope Francis’ envoy,” Aletia, December 7, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, https://aleteia.org/2017/12/07/official-pilgrimages-to-medjugorje-are-being-authorized-confirms-pope-francis-envoy/.

[3] Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference, April 5th, 2017, streamed live through MaryTV.tv and available for viewing at http://marytv.tv/daily-rosary-3-3/. MaryTV.tv. is a Medjugorje Internet TV channel that broadcasts 24/7 to help people stay connected to important ongoing events.  Free apps are available for smart phones and Apple TV.

Transcription of the press conference in Polish: “Konferencija za medije posebnog izaslanika mons. Henryka Hosera,” Medjugorje: Mjesto Molitve I Pomirenja, April 4, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, http://medjugorje.hr/hr/novosti/obavijesti/konferencija-za-medije-posebnog-izaslanika-mons.-henryka-hosera,8795.html.

[4] “Breaking News—Historic Moment in Catholic Church History…Vatican Special Envoy to Medjugorje: ‘Everything indicates that the apparitions will be recognized, perhaps even this year.’” Published at Deon.pl (Catholic News Site in Poland—8.18.2017), August 18, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, https://mysticpost.com/2017/08/breaking-news-historic-moment-catholic-church-history-making-vatican-special-envoy-medjugorje-everything-indicates-apparitions-will-recognized-perhaps-even-year/.

[5] Ibid., Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference

[6] “Breaking News: The Vatican places Special Apostolic Visitor in Medjugorje—Archbishop Henryk Hoser,” www.medjugorjemiracles, accessed May 31, 2018, https://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/2018/05/breaking-news-the-vatican-places-official-representative-in-medjugorje-archbishop-henryk-hoser/.

BREAKING NEWS: The Vatican Places Special Apostolic Visitor in Medjugorje, Archbishop Henryk Hoser

Archbishop Henryk Hoser in Medjugorje

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, appointed by Pope Francis as the the Vatican’s Special Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje, gives a positive, inspiring homily regarding Medjugorje in its parish church, St. James.

In a move that many consider to be a major step towards official recognition of Medjugorje as a shrine, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland as Special Apostolic Visitor to the parish of Medjugorje.

Announcing the news on May 31, 2018, the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, the Vatican declared that Monsignor Hoser would take up residence in Medjugorje in his new role “for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,” which means “with the approval of the Holy See.”

In Medjugorje, where belief in the authenticity of the apparitions is long-held due to the daily conversions, long lines of confessions, and miracles constantly witnessed by the locals, the news of Archbishop Henryk Hoser’s new position was received with great joy.

The following is the announcement of the pastor of the parish of Medjugorje, Fr. Marinko Šakota, upon receipt of the news. After the evening program of prayer in St. James Church, Medjugorje, he stated:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today to all parishioners, all friends of Medjugorje and the Queen of Peace, today our Holy Father, Pope Francis, sent us good news! The Office of the Holy See, at noon on the Feast of Corpus Christi [also the Feast Day of the Visitation] announced the following news:

On this day, the 31st of May, 2018, the Holy See has appointed Henryk Hoser, SAC, the retired Archbishop of Warsaw-Prague (Poland) as Apostolic Visitor with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje for an indefinite time, and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis. At the specific request of the Holy See, his appointment is for pastoral ministry, a continuation of the mission of the Special Envoy of the Holy See for the Parish of Medjugorje, entrusted to Mgr. Hoser on February 11, 2017, and which he completed in the previous months.

The purpose of the mission of the Apostolic Visitor is to provide a firm and permanent accompaniment of the parish community in Medjugorje and the faithful who come on pilgrimage here, whose needs require special attention.

With all our hearts we want to thank Pope Francis for such wonderful news. We want to say thank you. We thank the Lord; we thank the Queen of Peace. Dear friends of Medjugorje and of the Queen of Peace, I know that your hearts are rejoicing, filled with joy. With great joy and respect, with faithfulness and loyalty, we are awaiting the coming now of the Apostolic Visitor with special authority, jurisdiction, and designation, Archbishop Hoser. We await him with joy!

Let us, brothers and sisters, with all the more enthusiasm and heart, try to live that which our Mother has been telling us. Let us be her extended hands of peace in the world. May the peace and love of God dwell in our hearts. May we become the carriers of that peace and love throughout the world. Amen.

At this moment in time, with the apparitions in Medjugorje continuing to occur, the Vatican has given as much approval as it can. Click here to read a short article clarifying the Church’s stance on Medjugorje from it’s beginnings up to today.

Vatican Investigation Declares First Days of the Medjugorje Apparitions Real and Authentic

Historic Moment for Many Catholics …

After 5 years of investigation, Vatican committee concludes “Early Medjugorje apparitions were real.”

Contradicting recent statements of skepticism — including those of Pope Francis — the Vatican commission established by Pope Benedict XVI to study the Medjugorje apparitions in Bosnia-Herzegovia, voted overwhelmingly to recognize as supernatural the first seven days.

The “real core” of the commission’s report, said Pope Frances, is “the spiritual fact, the pastoral fact” that thousands of pilgrims go to Medjugorje and are converted. “For this there is no magic wand; this spiritual-pastoral fact cannot be denied.”

The spiritual fruits of the pilgrimages, he said, are the reason why in February he appointed Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Warsaw-Praga to study the best ways to provide pastoral care to townspeople and the pilgrims.

According to Vatican Insider, 13 of the 14 commission members present at one meeting voted to recommend lifting the Vatican ban on official diocesan and parish pilgrimages to Medjugorje.

The commission also recommended turning the town’s parish church of St James into a pontifical shrine with Vatican oversight. The move, the commission said, would not signify recognition of the apparitions, but would acknowledge the faith and pastoral needs of the pilgrims while ensuring a proper accounting of the financial donations pilgrims leave.

The commission’s role was to make recommendations to the Pope; its report is not an official church judgment on the apparitions.

Click here to read the full report here from Michael Swan of the Catholic Herald, Thursday, May 18, 2017

See also:
http://www.mysticpost.com/2017/05/historic-moment-many-catholics-vatican-investigation-concludes-medjugorje-apparitions-real/

Regarding Medjugorje, Pope Francis contradicts himself, St. Pope John Paul II, and St. Mother Teresa–Vatican Insider Report

Pope Francis

has done it again—he’s thrown out his personal opinion on a plane, causing a vast ripple effect. This time he shared his personal opinions on Medjugorje. His off-the-cuff statements unfortunately contain many untruths about Medjugorje and Marian apparitions in general, and contrast sharply with the beliefs of St. Pope John Paul II, Fr. Gabriel Amorth, the chief exorcist of Rome for many years, and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, among tens of thousands of others who have personally benefitted from Our Lady of Medjugorje. To compare personal opinions:

St. Pope John Paul II

met with the visionaries personally and closely followed the occurrences in Medjugorje during his lifetime. He was a vocal supporter of and believer in the apparitions there and once said, “Medjugorje, Medjugorje, it’s the spiritual heart of the world,” and, “If I weren’t pope, I would be in Medjugorje already.”

Fr. Gabriel Amorth, the chief exorcist of Rome,

who battled evil head on with the help of Mary of Medjugorje for thirty years and performed over 70,000 exorcisms, said “Medjugorje is a fortress against Satan.” Until his recent passing in 2016, he was the most prominent exorcist in the Church and spoke on national TV about Our Lady of Medjugorje. Satan’s biggest success, he said, has been constructing “a world culture without God, and the Madonna of Medjugorje has come specifically to bring back the world to God.”

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

believed in Medjugorje, prayed to Our Lady of Medjugorje, and once said, “I asked Our Lady of Medjugorje to come to my first home for the dying in Calcutta, and she did!”

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn,

the primary author of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, said that 90% of all new vocations in his diocese come in some way through Medjugorje.

All this is in stark contract to Pope Frances’ opinion, which he expressed on Saturday, May 13, while traveling home from the Catholic shrine at Fatima, Portugal, where he commemorated the anniversary of the visions of the Madonna to three shepherd children 100 years ago. Unlike St. Pope John Paul II, Pope Frances has not met the visionaries in person, and judging from his comments, he is not familiar with the manifold fruits of Medjugorje, nor of an approved apparition in his own home town, Buenos Aires, Argentina, in which Mary is doing exactly what the pope says Mary does not do. The following is an excerpt of his exact words, as transcribed from the audio recording on his flight. The corrections and comments, bracketed in red, are my own:

Regarding the first apparitions, when [the “visionaries”] were young: the report [the Vatican report headed by Cardinal Ruini and ordered by Pope Benedict XVI] more or less says that we need to continue to investigate. On the alleged current apparitions, the reports has its doubts. I personally am more “naughty” [Not a holy or well-discerned introduction]: I prefer Our Lady as mother, our mother, and not Our Lady as head of the telegraph office who sends a message every day at a certain hour … this is not the mother of Jesus. [But this is almost exactly what Our Lady has been doing in the Pope’s home town of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in her apparitions there approved by the local bishop. A total of 1,816 approved messages have been given by Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas, to the visionary, Gladys Quiroga de Motta, from 1983-1990, and these apparitions and messages, just like in Medjugorje, continue to this day.] And these alleged apparitions do not have much value. [If one considers the following having little value: 610 vocations and 445 miraculous healings–and these are only the reported ones–not to mention the thousands of conversions and more daily Confessions than anywhere else on earth.] And I say this as my own personal opinion. But who thinks that Our Lady says: “Come and tomorrow, at this hour, I will give a message to that visionary”; no. [But Our Lady also gave a specific time and place where she would appear to the children in Fatima and give them messages.] [In the Ruini-report] a distinction is made between the two apparitions. And third, the true heart of the Ruini-report: the spiritual aspect, the pastoral aspect, people who go there and convert, people who encounter God, who change their lives … There is no magic wand for this, and one cannot deny this spiritual-pastoral aspect. [This is true and contradicts what he said earlier in this interview about the alleged apparitions not having much value.]

Now, in order to look at these things with all of this information, with the responses that the theologians sent to me, this bishop [delegate] was appointed [Cardinal Henryk Hoser]— he is very good because he has experience — to see how the pastoral part is going. And ultimately, something will be said.

The following is the conclusion of the Ruini report, which has just been published by the Vatican Insider.

Pubblicato il 16/05/2017
Ultima modifica il 16/05/2017 alle ore 12:53
ANDREA TORNIELLI
VATICAN CITY

Thirteen votes in favor of recognizing the supernatural nature of the first seven appearances in Medjugorje, one vote against and one “suspensive” ballot, which will give a final answer later. A majority of suspensive votes and many doubts instead, concerning the apparition phenomenon from the end of 1981 to today. These are the results of the work done by the commission on Medjugorje established in 2010 by Benedict XVI and chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini.

Pope Francis mentioned this report in the press conference on the return flight from Fatima when he revealed the distinction between the first apparitions and the later ones, saying, “A commission of good theologians, bishops, cardinals. Good, good, good. The Ruini report is very, very good. It is well known that the signal emerged from the Pontiff’s words is positive about the spiritual fruits and the conversions (”people who go there and convert, people who meet God, who change life”), but is negative with regard to the current apparitions “I prefer Our Lady Mother, and not the head of the telegraphic office, who sends a message every day.”

A commission wanted by Ratzinger

From 17 March 2010 to 17 January 2014, a commission chaired by Ruini was set up at the request of Pope Benedict XVI. In addition to the former chairman of the CEI, Cardinals Jozef Tomko, Vinko Puljić, Josip Bozanić, Julián Herranz and Angelo Amato took part. The psychologist Tony Anatrella, the theologians Pierangelo Sequeri, Franjo Topić, Mihály Szentmártoni and Nela Gašpar, the Mariologist Salvatore Perrella, the anthropologist Achim Schütz, the canonist David Jaeger, the speaker of the causes of the saints Zdzisław Józef Kijas, the psychologist Mijo Nikić and the official of the Doctrine of the Faith Krzysztof Nykiel. Their task was to “collect and examine all the material” about Medjugorje and to present “a detailed report” followed by a vote on the “supernatural nature or not” of the apparitions as well as the most appropriate “pastoral solutions.” The committee met 17 times and screened all documents filed in the Vatican, the parish of Medjugorje and the archives of the secret services of the former Yugoslavia. The commission heard all the seers and witnesses involved, and in April 2012, they carried out an inspection in the village of Herzegovina.

Positive Findings on First Appearances

The commission noted a very clear difference between the beginning of the phenomenon and its following development, and therefore decided to issue two distinct votes on the two different phases: the first seven presumed appearances between June 24 and July 3, 1981, and all that happened later. Members and experts came out with 13 votes in favor of recognizing the supernatural nature of the first visions. A member voted against and an expert expressed a suspensive vote. The committee argues that the seven young seers were psychically normal and were caught by surprise by the apparition, and that nothing of what they had seen was influenced by either the Franciscans of the parish or any other subjects. They showed resistance in telling what happened despite the police arrested them and death threating them. The commission also rejected the hypothesis of a demonic origin of the apparitions.

The doubts about the development of the phenomenon

With regard to the second phase of the apparitions, the commission took note of the heavy interference caused by the conflict between the bishop and the Franciscans of the parish, as well as the fact that the apparitions, pre-announced and programmed individually for each seer continued with repetitive messages. These visions continued despite the youngsters had said they would end, however that actually has never happened [the youngsters meant in the future]. There is then the issue of the “secrets” of the somewhat apocalyptic flavor that the seers claim to have been revealed from the apparition. On this second stage, the committee voted in two steps. Firstly, taking into account the spiritual fruits of Medjugorje but leaving aside the behaviors of the seers. On this point, 3 members and 3 experts say there are positive outcomes, 4 members and 3 experts say they are mixed, with a majority of positive, effects and the remaining 3 experts claim there are mixed positive and negative effects. If, in addition to the spiritual fruits, the behaviors of the seers is also taken into account, eight members and four experts believe that an opinion cannot be expressed, while two other members have voted against the supernatural nature of the phenomenon.

The Pastoral Solution

Having noted that Medjugorje’s seers have never been adequately followed on the spiritual side, along the fact that for a long time they have no longer been a group, the commission has endorsed the end of the ban on pilgrimages organized in Medjugorje. In addition, 13 members and experts out of the 14 present voted in favor of the constitution of “an authority dependent on the Holy See” in Medjugorje as well as the transformation of the parish into a pontifical sanctuary. A decision based on pastoral reasons – the care of millions of pilgrims, avoiding the formation of “parallel churches”, clarity on economic issues – which would not imply the recognition of the supernatural nature of the apparitions.

The doubts of the Doctrine of the Faith

Francis mentioned them on the airplane. The Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith led by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller expressed doubts about the phenomenon and about the Ruini report, considered an authoritative contribution to be compared with other opinions and reports. In 2016 a “Feria IV”, the monthly meeting of Dicastry members, was summoned to discuss the Medjugorje case and the Ruini report. Each of the cardinals and bishops who members of the Feria IV received the text of the commission but also other material in the hands of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. During the meeting, members were asked to give their opinions. However, Pope Francis, unwilling to have the Ruini report, which he esteems, to be put up for “auction”, decided that the opinions of the Feria IV members had to be sent directly to him. And that’s exactly what happened.

Francis’ decision

After examining the Ruini report and the opinions of the members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pope decided to entrust to the Polish Archbishop Henryk Hoser a “special mission of the Holy See” to “acquire more in-depth knowledge of the pastoral situation “In Medjugorje, and “above all, the needs of the faithful who come to pilgrimage” to “suggest any pastoral initiatives for the future.” By summer 2017 the Polish Archbishop will deliver the results of his work with which the Pope will make a decision.

Is Medjugorje approved by the Church?

Cardinal Camillo Ruini

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, head of the commission that investigated Medjugorje.

During the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the Vatican adopted direct jurisdiction over Medjugorje in an unprecedented move. A commission was appointed to assess the apparitions under Cardinal Ruini, and remarkably, the commission, which met from March 2010 to January 2014, concluded in 2017 that the first seven apparitions were authentic. This was an exceptional breakthrough in terms of official recognition of an apparition. It was also unprecedented because the phenomenon is still in progress. Although Pope Francis has yet to officially release the Ruini report, the Pontiff, himself, confirmed in an interview that the Commission had reached this conclusion. In point of fact, the Pope had actually stopped attempts by the then Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, to block this judgment. The pope also asked that the Ruini report be sent to him for a review and determination, as opposed to Müller, who was originally set to receive it.

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje

Archbishop Henryk Hoser, Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje

On February 11, 2017, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland as his papal envoy to coordinate all matters relating to Medjugorje. In December of 2017, Archbishop Hoser shared the breaking news that the Vatican now permits official pilgrimages to Medjugorje. “Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages. It’s no longer a problem,” he said.[2] At a recorded Medjugorje press conference on April 5, 2017, the archbishop reconfirmed this fact.[3] Müller’s 2013 CDF statement that Catholics should not participate in any meetings in which the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions were taken for granted is now null and void. In Archbishop Hoser’s own words: “My mission was not to close Medjugorje, but to evaluate whether the pastoral ministry was proper, consistent with the doctrine and teaching of the Church, effective and well organized. I conclude that this is the case. On the pastoral side my assessment is very positive. Thus, the ongoing pastoral activities, liturgical order and conferences should continue.”[4]

At the conclusion of the press conference, in which he urged everyone to bring the light of Medjugorje “to the world that is sinking into darkness. . . ,” he stated, “You, my dear friends, should be the carriers of the joyful news. Say to the whole world that in Medjugorje we can find the light again!”[5]

Archbishop Hoser on Medjugorje altar

Archbishop Hoser celebrating his first Mass in Medjugorje for throngs of pilgrims

The Church took another positive step toward Medjugorje when on May 31, 2018, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Hoser as Special Apostolic Visitor to Medjugorje. The Vatican declared that Monsignor Hoser would take up residence in Medjugorje in his new role “for an indefinite period and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,” which means “at the disposal of the Holy See.” In Medjugorje, where belief in the authenticity of the apparitions is long-held due to the daily conversions, long lines of confessions, and miracles constantly witnessed by the locals, the news of Archbishop Hoser’s new position was received with great joy.[6]

It can safely be said that Medjugorje now has received as much official recognition as it can receive, given that the phenomenon is still going on. It is well known that two of the most illustrious saints of recent times, St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta and St. Pope John Paul II, were ardent devotees of the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje. Thanks to them and millions of the faithful, Medjugorje’s message of repentance, reconciliation, peace, and penance has spread across the globe.

St. Pope John Paul II's handwritten words about Medjugorje

St. Pope John Paull II’s handwritten note about his gratitude for Medjugorje

St. Pope John Paul II, when addressing American bishops at the Philadelphia Eucharistic Congress five years before Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje began, stated:

We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has ever experienced. . . We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the antichrist. This confrontation lies within the plans of Divine Providence. It is therefore in God’s plan and a trial which the Church must take up!” 

Given that St. John Paul II understood that these days were those of the final confrontation, when he learned of Our Lady’s coming to Medjugorje and her words, “I have descended among you,” he knew her presence with us had now changed everything, victory was assured. To Monsignor Murilo Sebastiao Ramos Krieger, Archbishop of Florianopolis in Brazil, he stated, “Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!” He told friends, including Cardinal Frantisek Tomasek, who made the words public, that if he weren’t Pope, he’d be living in Medjugorje as a priest, helping to hear confessions. In the Pope’s own hand, he wrote to friends in Poland:

I thank Sophia for everything concerning Medjugorje. I too go there every day as a pilgrim in my prayers. I unite in my prayers with all those who pray there or receive a call for prayer from there. Today we have understood this call better. I rejoice that our time is not lacking people of prayer and apostles. (See the picture of this note in St. Pope John Paul II’s original handwriting.)

St. Pope John Paul II fully believed and told us in his will that “Victory when it comes, will be a victory through Maria!”

“Dear children, my real living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety!”

            —Medjugorje message from Our Lady on July 2, 2016 

Denis Nolan
MaryTV.tv
Author of Medjugorje and the Church

Of Men and Mary bookThis article is excerpted from the Appendix of the new book, OF MEN AND MARY: How Six Men Won the Greatest Battle of Their Lives, by Christine Watkins. Click here for more information about the book: www.queenofpeacemedia.com/of-men-and-mary. For the full text of this article, which gives more history of the Church’s stance on Medjugorje, click here

[1]  (Glas Koncila, August 15, 1993).

[2]  Jesús Colina, “Official pilgrimages to Medjugorje are being authorized, confirms Pope Francis’ envoy,” Aletia, December 7, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, https://aleteia.org/2017/12/07/official-pilgrimages-to-medjugorje-are-being-authorized-confirms-pope-francis-envoy/.

[3] Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference, April 5th, 2017, streamed live through MaryTV.tv and available for viewing at http://marytv.tv/daily-rosary-3-3/. MaryTV.tv. is a Medjugorje Internet TV channel that broadcasts 24/7 to help people stay connected to important ongoing events.  Free apps are available for smart phones and Apple TV.

Transcription of the press conference in Polish: “Konferencija za medije posebnog izaslanika mons. Henryka Hosera,” Medjugorje: Mjesto Molitve I Pomirenja, April 4, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, http://medjugorje.hr/hr/novosti/obavijesti/konferencija-za-medije-posebnog-izaslanika-mons.-henryka-hosera,8795.html.

[4] “Breaking News—Historic Moment in Catholic Church History…Vatican Special Envoy to Medjugorje: ‘Everything indicates that the apparitions will be recognized, perhaps even this year.’” Published at Deon.pl (Catholic News Site in Poland—8.18.2017), August 18, 2017, accessed April 29, 2018, https://mysticpost.com/2017/08/breaking-news-historic-moment-catholic-church-history-making-vatican-special-envoy-medjugorje-everything-indicates-apparitions-will-recognized-perhaps-even-year/.

[5] Ibid., Papal envoy, Archbishop Henryk Hoser Press Conference

[6] “Breaking News: The Vatican places Special Apostolic Visitor in Medjugorje—Archbishop Henryk Hoser,” www.medjugorjemiracles, accessed May 31, 2018, https://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/2018/05/breaking-news-the-vatican-places-official-representative-in-medjugorje-archbishop-henryk-hoser/.