Vatican On Father Tomislav
Vlasic
By Bishop Ratko Perić
The
Canonical status of Rev. Father Tomislav Vlašić, OFM
The
Bishop, August 31, 2008
The CONGREGATION
FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH with its letter prot. 144/1985-27164 of 30 May 2008,
has authorized me as the local Bishop of the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno
to inform the diocesan community of the canonical status of Fr. Tomislav Vlašić, the founder
of the association “Kraljice mira
potpuno Tvoji – po Mariji k Isusu”
– (Queen of Peace, totally Yours – Through Mary to Jesus).
The letter signed by the Secretary of the Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Angelo Amato, states the following:
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“Within the context of the phenomenon Medjugorje, this Dicastery is studying the case of Father Tomislav VLASIC OFM, originally from that region and the
founder of the association ‘Kraljice mira potpuno Tvoji
– po Mariji k Isusu’.
On 25 January 2008, through a properly issued Decree, this
Dicastery imposed severe cautionary and disciplinary
measures on Fr. Vlasic.
The non-groundless news that reached this Congregation
reveals that the religious priest in question did not respond, even partially,
to the demands of ecclesiastical obedience required by the very delicate
situation he finds himself in, justifying himself by citing his zealous
activity in the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno and
surrounding territories, in initiating religious activities, buildings, etc.
Since Fr. Vlasic has fallen into a censure of interdict latae sententiae reserved to this
Dicastery, I kindly ask Your Excellency, for the good
of the faithful, to inform the community of the canonical status of Fr. Vlasic
and at the same time to report on the situation in question…”.
This regards the fact that the same Congregation of the
Holy See applied ecclesiastical sanctions against Rev. Father Tomislav Vlašić, through a
Decree of the Congregation (prot. 144/1985) of 25
January 2008, signed by Cardinal William Levada,
Prefect, and by Archbishop Angelo Amato, Secretary of the Congregation along
with the “Concordat cum originali” of 30 January
2008, verified by Msgr. John Kennedy, Official of the Congregation.
The Decree was handed over to Rev. Fr. Tomislav
Vlašić in the General Curia of the OFM in
The Decree of the Congregation mentions that Rev. Fr. Tomislav Vlašić, a cleric of
the Franciscan Minor Order – the founder of the association ‘Kraljice mira potpuno
Tvoji – po Mariji k Isusu’ and who is
involved in the “phenomenon Medjugorje” – has been reported to the Congregation
“for the diffusion of dubious doctrine, manipulation of consciences, suspected
mysticism, disobedience towards legitimately issued orders and charges contra sextum.”
Having studied the case, the
Congregation during its special Congress decreed the following sanctions
against Rev. Fr. Tomislav Vlasic:
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“1. Mandatory residence in one of the
houses of the Order in the region of Lombardy (Italy) to be determined by the
Minister General of the Order and to be realized within thirty days from the
time of the legitimate notification of this decree;
2. All contacts with the “Kraljice
Mira…” community and with its members are prohibited;
3. Any actions involving juridical contracts and
administrative organizations, whether canonical or civil, effected without the
written permission ad actum of the Minister General
of the Order and under his responsibility are prohibited;
4. A mandatory course of
theological-spiritual formation, with a final evaluation along with a prior recognitio of this Congregation, and a solemn professio fidei;
5. The following are also prohibited: activities involving the ‘care of souls’, preaching, public
appearances, while the faculty to hear confessions is also revoked up until the
conclusion of the terms described in the previous number, barring an evaluation
of the case.
An additional sanction of a latae sententiae interdict (can.
1332) reserved to the Apostolic See is adjoined in the case of the violation of
the mandatory residence (n. 1) and the other prohibited acts mentioned in n. 3
and n. 5.
Fr. Vlasic is forewarned that in the case of stubbornness
a juridical penal process will begin with the aim of still harsher sanctions, not excluding dismissal, having in mind the
suspicion of heresy and schism, as well as scandalous acts contra sextum, aggravated by mystical motivations.
Fr. Vlasic remains under the direct jurisdiction of the
Minister General of the Order of Minor Franciscans, who shall see to his
vigilance through the local
All the priests, religious and faithful in the Dioceses of
Mostar-Duvno and Trebnje-Mrkan,
as well as all those concerned “in the pertinent territories”, are hereby
informed on the current canonical status of Rev. Father Tomislav
Vlašić.
With the sentiments of
my highest consideration,
+ Ratko Perić,
Bishop
Fr. Ante Luburić,
Chancellor
source Diocese
of Mostar / http://www.cbismo.com/index.php?mod=vijest&vijest=228
Letter to Priests and Bishops
Chancellor, 2008-08-31
Due to the fact that the case of Rev. Father Tomislav Vlašić, OFM, according to the letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, n.144/1985-27164, dated 30 May 2008, and published in the Bishop's circular letter prot. 930/2008 on 8 July 2008, mentions "within the context of the Medjugorje phenomenon", we wish to inform the priests, religious men and women as well as the faithful of the Dioceses of Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje-Mrkan on the involvement of Fr. Vlašić in the case of Medjugorje, keeping in mind all that was earlier published in the book „Ogledalo Pravde"[1] – Mirror of Justice.
Tomislav Vlašić
was born in Sovići, in the parish of Gorica (
May 1981. In May of 1981, "Fr. Tomislav Vlašić went to
- This would imply that one should seek the origins and foundation of the Medjugorje phenomenon within the context of the transferring of exponents of the Charismatic movement!
September 1981. Fr. Vlašić left Čapljina for Medjugorje without the Bishops' prior knowledge nor permission in September of 1981, just two months after the beginning of the so-called "apparitions" which can be seen from the entries in the baptismal register. He began to compile the "Parish Chronicle" on the so-called "apparitions" on 11 August 1981, yet the actual writing of the Chronicle "did not begin before the end of October 1981".[3] On 19 July 1982, the OFM Provincial recommended that Fr. Vlašić be assigned as the "spiritual assistant in Medjugorje". Bishop Žanić, whilst not knowing the moral situation of Fr. Vlašić, issued a decree on 27 July of the same year transferring him to Medjugorje. Fr. Vlašić followed the "seers" from the very beginning and when he was officially assigned as associate pastor in Medjugorje, he became their "spiritual leader".
December 1983 – The Oath. Bishop Žanić visited Medjugorje on 16 October 1983 and inquired about the Diary of the "seer" Vicka Ivanković and on the Parish Chronicle so that he could better judge the phenomenon. Fr. Tomislav handed over the Chronicle yet he denied the existence of the "seer's" Diary, saying he could swear an oath on the cross. He then came to the Diocesan Chancery Office in Mostar on 14 December 1983 and before the Bishop gave an oath on the cross that he had never held Vicka's diary in his hands nor that he had any knowledge that such a diary existed. However, the Diary did exist as was proven from Fr. Tomislav's own Parish Chronicle and from his letter to the Bishop of 21 December 1983.
In a conversation held in 1983, Fr. Vlašić
informed the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar that "The children have decided to enter the
convent, but they are awaiting the right moment which only they know".[4]
Yet the only one to enter the convent was Ivan Dragićević,
who after not even two full years in the minor seminaries of Visoko and
In a letter dated 13 April 1984, Fr. Vlašić
presented himself to the Holy Father as the one "who
through Divine providence leads the seers of Medjugorje". He informed the
Pope that the "Madonna continues to convey her biography to the
seers" and informed the Holy Father that "I am in
- It remains unknown if the Pope received him in a private audience.
A second letter, six pages long, sent to the Pope two weeks later, contained "messages": "The time is close at hand. We are approaching the end".
On 22 August 1984, Fr. Vlašić wrote to Bishop Žanić informing him that the Madonna's 2000th birthday was to be held that same year on 5 August! No important ecclesiastic person took this news seriously and neither did Bishop Žanić nor the Holy See. However, during 1984, on 4 and 5 August, a large group of people gathered in Medjugorje to "celebrate" the Madonna's "birthday".
- The "Mladifest" (Youth festival) that is usually held at the beginning of August, is probably attached to this Medjugorje invention of Rev. Fr. Tomislav Vlašić.
On 30 October 1984, Bishop Žanić published his Position in which he mentioned some of the above-mentioned facts on Fr. Tomislav Vlašić, referring to him as a "mystifier and charismatic magician".
In 1984, Fr. Tomislav had to leave Medjugorje and was assigned to the parish of Vitina as associate pastor.
Archbishop Frane Franić in his interview given to Fr. Slavko Barbarić, on 18 December 1984, said that he had a "deep impression" of Fr. Tomislav Vlašić and that "he is on the path of serious sanctity evident in his sense of detachment and inner strength".[5]
On 5 January 1985, Fr. Tomislav Vlašić
wrote to one of his "dearest brothers" in the
Unfortunately the same Fr. Vlašić – according to
the authentic documentation from his association – conjured evil spirits up in
Medjugorje, for which his actions are under pain of mystified motivations.
In 1987 he left Vitina for Parma, Italy,
together with the German citizen Agnes Heupel (like
"Claire and Francis", as literally written by T. Vlašić[6]),
where he established the male and female association called "Kraljice mira, potpuno smo tvoji.
Po Mariji k Isusu"
(Queen of Peace, totally yours. Through Mary to
Jesus). From that time onward, the name of Fr. Tomislav
Vlašić is no longer on the list of the members
of the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina. However, his name is attached to
that of Marija Pavlović
who in February 1988 went to join Vlašić's
association. This is where Fr. Tomislav got his
"charismatic" hands involved, for in his brochure "Jedan poziv" (A single call)
he wrote: "Amongst other things I asked the Madonna a question through Marija Pavlović. Marija then gave me the Madonna's answer on 8 March 1987: 'This
is God's plan'"[7].
And at the end of this brochure Marija writes: "As you can see, the Madonna has given
the community its programme: 'Kraljice
mira, potpuno smo tvoji.
Yet on 11 July 1988, Marija
radically and in written form denied the declaration of Fr. Tomislav
and even her own "testimony": "before God, before the Madonna and the
- We know that no lies can correspond to the truth, yet one can see from this how the notorious lies of Medjugorje have also been attributed to the Madonna, which Bishop Žanić painstakingly struggled against in order to defend the honour and dignity of the Blessed Virgin Mary!
Through his letter dated 5 December 1997, the local Ordinary, Msgr. Ratko Perić, on the basis of can. 975 of the Code of Canon Law, declared that Fr. Tomislav Vlašić has no faculties to hear confessions in the territory of the Dioceses of Mostar-Duvno and Trebinje-Mrkan.
Don Ante Luburić, Chancellor