The Vatican does not proclaim that the Virgin appeared in Medjugorje (Bosnia). It also criticizes the “supposed mediums” and certain messages attributed to the apparitions, of “improbable supernatural origin”. It does, however, admit “abundant spiritual fruits” in pilgrimages (conversions, reconciled marriages, vocations to the priesthood or religious life, etc.), and so, despite doubts, it formulates a “generally positive judgment” and authorizes public worship in only one country. of the most famous and controversial Marian shrines in the world.
The document, signed by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by the Pope, puts an end to a controversy that has for three decades opposed the “phenomenon of Medjugorje”, the alleged apparitions of the Virgin and the no less controversial messages launched by some seers from whom Rome distances itself. The document itself acknowledges “the long and complex history” of this place, where the Virgin is said to have begun to appear in 1981, with “divergent opinions of bishops, theologians, commissions and analysts”. Nevertheless, and specifying that “this does not imply a declaration of the supernatural character” of the apparitions, and recalling that no one is obliged to believe that the Virgin appeared in Medjugorje, the Holy See “authorizes public worship” and pilgrimages to the sanctuary.
Rome recognizes the “abundant spiritual fruits” linked to the alleged Marian apparitions in the shrine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even if it continues without pronouncing on the veracity or otherwise of the said apparitions. Furthermore: the text, entitled “Queen of Peace”, warns against possible distortions of the Virgin’s message and against certain assessments of the “alleged visionaries” who “refer to requests of improbable supernatural origin, as when the Virgin gives orders concerning dates, places, practical questions and makes decisions on ordinary matters.
“Many positive fruits have been produced and no negative or risky effects have spread among the People of God,” states the Doctrine of the Faith, which nevertheless provides some clarifications on certain expressions and specifies that “the conclusions of this Note are not they imply a judgment on the moral life of the alleged seers” and that, in any case, spiritual gifts “do not necessarily require the moral perfection of the persons concerned in order to act.” “Pilgrimages are not made to meet alleged visionaries, but to meet Mary, Queen of Peace,” recalls the document.
The sanctuary’s “successes”
Among the “positive fruits” of the “Medjugorje phenomenon”, Rome highlights the success of the pilgrimages, with “abundant conversions” and “the promotion of a healthy practice of the life of faith”. Thus, after visiting Medjugorje, many pilgrims have “discovered or rediscovered the faith” and have begun to receive the sacraments again, especially confession and the Eucharist.
At the same time, the note underlines, there have been numerous vocations, unexplained healings and “numerous reconciliations between spouses.” “It is worth mentioning that these experiences occur mainly in the context of pilgrimages to the places of the original events, rather than in meetings with ‘seers’ to witness the alleged apparitions,” the Vatican emphasizes, which expressly seeks to separate the phenomenon from the always controversial action of the supposed clairvoyants.
The Dicastery fundamentally values the “message of peace” collected in Medjugorje, an aspect that is particularly relevant “in the ecumenical and interreligious context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, marked by a terrible war with strong religious components.” However, the Vatican warns that “some” messages attributed to the Virgin “deviate” from what is appropriate and generate “a certain possible confusion that can lead minority groups to distort the precious proposal of this spiritual experience.”
In fact, some messages may seem “linked to confused human experiences, to theologically imprecise expressions or to interests that are not entirely legitimate. What is it? For example, moments when “the Virgin seems to show some irritation because some of her instructions have not been followed; Thus, she warns of threatening signs and the possibility that they will cease to appear.” To this, Rome points out that other paragraphs attributed to the Virgin contradict this vision, warning that “those who make catastrophic predictions are false prophets.”
For Doctrine of the Faith, the messages addressed to the parish of Medjugorje are particularly worrying, where “they give the impression of wanting to replace with Her (with the Virgin) the ordinary organizations of participation” and in an “insistence on listening and the acceptance of the messages”, which Rome attributes to “supposed seers”, and which can pose a problem when they refer to “requests of improbable supernatural origin, as when the Virgin gives orders on dates, places, practical questions and makes decisions on ordinary matters”. account”, and which Rome does not recognize.
“The positive evaluation of most of the messages of Medjugorje as edifying texts does not imply declaring that they have a direct supernatural origin,” the document states, adding that each bishop must make “prudent decisions” in case there are people or groups who “make inappropriate use of this spiritual phenomenon and act in a bad way.” Despite this risk, Medjugorje now has free access to the Vatican.
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