Pope Benedict on
Medjugorje
2-28-2006
From the interview of Bishop Ratko
Perić, Bishop of Mostar-Duvno,
released to the “
Crkva Bulletin’s
questions, and Bishop Ratko Peric’s
answers regarding his visit with Pope Benedict.
Cnak bulletin:
What were your impressions after your first meeting
with the Pope?
Bishop Peric:
It was my first encounter with him as Pope but not
the first with Joseph Ratzinger who previously was the Cardinal Prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. There were many previous such
encounters, especially alongside Bishop Žanić
regarding the problems which are still burdening this diocese. One of the
Prelates of the Pontifical Anti-Chamber or Assistants for the Pope’s
private audiences is our priest Msgr. Petar Rajič, whose parents are originally from Doljani, the parish of Dračevo,
in the diocese of Trebinje-Mrkan. He guides visitors
through the entire protocol: entry, greeting, photographs, conclusion and
departure. Each bishop is given about 15 minutes for his personal encounter. I
personally handed over to the Holy Father a written “pro memoria” on a single page which contained 3 joyful
and 3 less joyful to sad events and occurrences. He read the original text and
referred to certain points by asking questions and making comments as well.
Cnak bulletin:
What did you mention amongst the joyful events?
Bishop Peric:
The joyful events are firstly the pastoral and
liturgical life in the dioceses of
Secondly, the number of those who participate in
catechism classes in schools and parishes. Catechism is taught in schools by 45
Diocesan priests, 53 Franciscan priests, 53 religious sisters and 58 lay
people, which results in an impressive number of over 200 catechism teachers
for about 30,000 pupils.
Thirdly, diocesan and both male and female
religious vocations. There are 105 Diocesan priests in our
dioceses, of which 30 are in service outside
Fourthly, restructuring and construction of new church
buildings. Assistance received from our benefactors both locally and abroad
creates true joy and gratitude. One could also see joy on the Pope’s face
for this flourishing Church.
Cnak bulletin:
And what did you mention amongst the less joyful
events?
Bishop Peric:
Here too, there were a few points to mention. Since
we are going through many tribulations, our crosses are flourishing as well.
First of all we still have the painful Herzegovinian affair, though diminished compared to the
past situation. I mentioned to the Holy Father, the Secretariat of State and
the Congregations (for Bishops, for the Clergy, for the Evangelization of
Peoples, for Catholic Education…) that we have three categories of
“Fratres minores”:
the first are those valid, legal, regular and cooperative religious who have
the full consent and canonical faculties in order to serve pastorally in the
territory of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno. Thank
God, over 90 fall into this category.
The second category is that group which refused to
sign the “Declaration of obedience” which was written up by the
General Curia of the Franciscan OFM (Ordo Fratrum Minorum) in
The
third category corresponds to 9 members who are not only disobedient, but who
have also been expelled from the Franciscan Order and suspended from all
liturgical activities, through their own fault and responsibility.
They behave though, as if nothing has happened and have usurped five parishes
and continue to create havoc and ecclesiastical chaos in some other parishes as
well. Along with the adherents they have gathered for themselves, they have
created a schism, a division, which is not so much a schism of intellectual as
it is of an affective nature. These faithful for instance, do not accept
“Don (father) Luke” but only “Fra
Luke”, no matter how much the General of the Franciscan Order declares
that this Fra Luke is no longer a Catholic Franciscan
and despite the fact that he has been expelled from the Order due to his
obstinate disobedience and schismatic attitude towards the Pope, the General
Curia of the Order and the local Church. Whatever these 9 do is done
illegally or against the Church, and therefore the sacraments of confession,
confirmation and marriage they administer are invalid. All the Church documents
they issue are illegal and invalid, since they are not authorized to do so.
They have even established their own association, through which they aim to
pressure those responsible in the Church to act according to their disobedience
and schism.
Cnak bulletin:
How did they respond in the
Bishop Peric:
We believe that this anomaly will not last forever.
A very big step towards resolving this has been the decisiveness of both the
General and Provincial OFM Curias to publicly and
declaratively “separate” themselves from these priests, who have
been expelled from the Order, who they do not consider their members any more,
nor belonging to the Order in any way, despite the fact that they wear a
Franciscan habit and proclaim their adherence to the Franciscan movement, while
taking advantage of usurped parish churches and church registers. The Law on
liberty of religion and the juridical status of the Church and religious
communities, as well as the future Accord with the Holy See, will certainly
help in this matter, since nobody wants the living organism of the Church to be
eaten away by a virus that should be healed and eliminated.
Cnak bulletin:
Some newspapers have written that this Pope visited
Medjugorje incognito while he was a Cardinal and that he is preparing to
recognize Medjugorje as a shrine, etc. Did you touch upon this topic?
Bishop Peric:
We did and I wrote to and spoke with the Holy Father
on it. He only laughed surprisingly. Regarding the events of
Medjugorje our position is well known: not a single proof exists that these
events concern supernatural apparitions and revelations. Therefore from the
Church’s perspective no pilgrimages are allowed which would attribute any
authenticity to these alleged apparitions.
The Holy Father told me:
We
at the Congregation always asked ourselves how can any believer accept as
authentic, apparitions that occur every day and for so many years? Are they still occurring every day?
I responded:
Every day, Holy Father, to one of them in
The Pope then continued:
The
previous Bishops’ Conference of the former Yugoslavia issued a statement
of “non constat de supernaturalitate”
(though the BCY did not use this specific formula, still the phrase
“According to investigations made thus far, it cannot be affirmed that
these events concern supernatural apparitions or revelations”,
corresponds to the traditional formula in these matters). Has the current
Bishops’ Conference of Bosnia-Herzegovina or the Croatian Bishops’
Conference reconfirmed the previous declaration?”
I replied:
There has been no joint reconfirmation, but each
individual bishop when speaking on this issue refers to the Declaration.”
I added that I was sent to Mostar in 1992 and that I
have been following the events from the beginning and that from the last
declaration of the Bishops in 1991 up till now, nothing significant has
changed, nothing new has happened, nor have any new elements occurred which
would change the meaning of the events. In my opinion, from the numerous local
facts, it is evident that these events can be defined not only by “non constat de supernaturalitate”
ie: it is not certain that these events concern
supernatural apparitions, but also by “constat
de non supernaturalitate” ie:
it is certain that these events do not concern supernatural apparitions.
The numerous absurd messages, insincerities, falsehoods and disobedience
associated with the events and “apparitions” of Medjugorje from the
very outset, all disprove any claims of authenticity. Much pressure through
appeals has been made to force the recognition of the authenticity of private
revelations, yet not through convincing arguments based upon the truth, but
through the self-praise of personal conversions and by statements such as one
“feels good”. How can this ever be taken as proof of the
authenticity of apparitions?
Finally the Holy Father said:
We
at the Congregation felt that priests should be of service to those faithful
who seek Confession and Holy Communion, “leaving out the question of the
authenticity of the apparitions”.
At
the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, they are particularly concerned
about the schism in our local Church. A local group of ex-Franciscans are
presenting themselves as true Franciscans, misleading the faithful, instructing
them in an un-ecclesiastical spirit, invalidly offering them the sacraments,
and destroying the unity of teaching, sacraments and governance. And all of
this serves towards a struggle for their own rights
against the generally acclaimed rights of the Church. It was suggested at the
Congregation that the local bishop follow the events in Medjugorje and send in
reports on occasion as has been done thus far. From my encounter, I had the
impression that these “private apparitions” are considered a truly
private matter and private business to merit greater consideration on the part
of the Holy See, as desired by the persistent petitioners and sensational
journalists.”
Taken from a letter to Mark Waterinckx
by Bishop Peric as follows:
Dear Mark,
I send you an excerptum, in English, from my interview to the
Diocesan bulletin,
With best Easter wishes and divine blessing of our Father in
Heaven and his Son, martyred, dead and risen.
Mostar, 9 April 2006.
Ratko Peric, bishop.