God Bless Bishops with Courage
Richard Salbato
2-4-2008
Because of the sex scandals in the Church, and
because of some very liberal interpretations of Catholic laws on faith and
morals, bishops as a group are not well liked today. My biggest complaint with bishops is not what
they do, but what they don’t do. In
fact, my biggest complaint with the last few Popes is not what they have done
but what they have failed to do.
Of course, scandals get more press than what is done well by bishops, but
even that can be a valid complaint against bishops. Often very good things are done by bishops,
but (with a false idea of humility) they keep a low profile and seem to not
want people to know what they are doing.
Sometimes both Popes and Bishops say the right things, but then fail to
enforce the good that they say.
I know well that it takes a lot of courage to speak out about things when
you know that most Catholics will disagree with you. This courage also disappears
when someone does not even recognize or believe in the authority he has. My belief is that this was the case with Pope
Paul VI. He simply did not think his
power was any different than the power of other leaders; and therefore, failed
to use his authority.
I also think the average Catholic does not understand the authority a
local bishop has, and what restrictions are placed on that authority. I don’t want to get into all the nuances of
his authority because that can get very complicated. To be brief and simplistic, the bishop has
unlimited jurisdictional authority in everything Catholic in his geographical district,
except for those matters reserved to
A local bishop cannot change the teachings on faith or morals at
all. A local bishop has no authority to
change anything in the sacraments except for that leeway that
My biggest complaint is when local bishops allow things in their diocese
that are not according to Catholic teachings and just do not want to take
action or cause conflict. They want to
be known as “nice” and tolerant. What always suffers at the hands of “nice” and
tolerant people is truth.
In fact, as we know by the many sex scandals in the Church, many bishops
will hide the truth to avoid any exposure of scandals. The biggest complaint of good Catholic people
is not what is said about faith and morals but what is not said. Today priests and bishops do not have the
courage to speak out against contraception and for reverence in Church.
There are bishops, however, who went against Catholic public opinion in
their dioceses to speak out the truth and keep shouting it until public opinion
corresponded to the truth. One such
example was the bishop of
The same thing happened in
The full and official statement of Bishop Misago can be found on that web site at http://www.kibeho.org/pdf/marie-en.pdf
Regarding the three true seers, one was killed in the Genocide in 1994
and another is a Poor Clare Nun, cloistered in the
Both of the survivors are extremely Poor and not
looking for attention, nor will they take money from anyone. Everything they
said in 1981 came to pass in 1994-1995.
Julia Kim Excommunicated
Another case of a good and courageous bishop, is the South Korean Archbishop Chang-mon, who excommunicated Julia Kim. Just in case some think this was a drastic
step of some liberal Archbishop, look at the history of disobedience of the
people who promoted Julia Kim.
On January 9, 1998, Archbishop Vicorinus Young Kong-hi declared that Julia Kim’s claims
were not supernatural and thus not from God.
This did not stop Julia Kim.
In 1996 the Kwangju
Archdiocese warned against the claims of French Father Rene Lauranin
and Belgian Father Raymnd Spies regarding the
apparitions in
On January 9, 1998 again the Archbishop said
that the miracles and messages in
On April 1, 1998 the Catholic Bishops
Conference of Korea confirmed that the claims of Julia Kim were false. They also added again that the claims of
Theresa Hwang were false. They banned the religious institutes of Hwang and
banned private liturgy and dissemination of materials for Julia Kim. This did not stop Julia Kim.
On June 5, 2001, the Archbishop warned
Catholic clergy, religious and laity against helping or joining any group whose
claims of miracles and apparitions have been rejected by the Church. Agan this did not
stop Julia Kim and her followers.
On May 13, 2005, Archbishop Choi issued an ultimatum to Julia Kim to stop propagating
her claims of private revelations. This also
included Catholic priest and laity from outside
On July 17, 2007 Bishop Boniface Choi Ki-san forbad Catholics from
joining in Naju devotions and condemned a Korean
priest from the
Julia
Kim and followers excommunicated.
Unlike the bishops most of you read about who make pronouncements and then do nothing after people
fail to obey them, these bishops in
Archbishop
Andreas Choi Chang-mou of
Archbishop Choi said he met with Julia Youn, 60, and her husband in Naju
in 2003 to warn them against promoting the alleged apparitions and later gave
her a final warning in 2005, but they did not modify their actions. The
excommunication was not imposed by judgment but automatically results from an
action that places one outside the community of faith, Archbishop Choi said.
"Rather, they speak as if the Holy Father approves them," the
archbishop said. "They libel me, the Korean bishops and the Korean church
through their publications and the Internet." These actions prove "Julia Youn and her followers have no will to reconcile with the
Catholic Church," he said.
"Therefore those clergy, religious
and laity who preside at or participate in sacraments and liturgical ceremonies
in their ... chapel and Marian shrine in Naju, which
I have banned, incur automatic excommunication," he said.
Miracle Healing Priest
I have
been following the so-called “healing priest” in the
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said he will stop Fr. Fernando
Suarez, known in the country as the “healing priest,” the next time he visits Pangasinan and tries to conduct healing masses in his
archdiocese.
Cruz,
whose archdiocese covers 26 parishes in central Pangasinan,
said too many questions hound Suarez’s “miraculous healing.”
Suarez
was at the St. Therese Parish on December 28 for a “very special day of prayer
and healing.” Cruz said that healing
mass was held without his permission.
The Catholic Church’s
Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith requires a local bishop’s permission
for Church-related activities conducted by those who do not belong to the
diocese.
The
bishop said that his healing masses are “open to abuses, like superstition,
hysteria, fanaticism, and money.”
“There
is already a question of hysteria, not to mention credulity [among the
people],” Cruz said. “It is too much to say that Father Suarez resurrects the
dead.”
“But
the biggest question is the money. He is selling rosaries and other religious
articles that have healing powers kuno (supposedly),”
he said.
Cruz
said even in
He
said solicitation letters have been also circulating for the construction of
Suarez’s healing center in Batangas.
According
to reports, the Mary Mother of the Poor Foundation, which Suarez heads, is
building the Montemaria shrine in
Let me
add here that it is against Catholic law to sell anything with claims of the
Power of God like a relic. This is the
same reason that the Church cannot charge for sacraments, like the Mass,
Marriage, Confirmation, Confession, Holy Orders, etc. We cannot sell what
belongs to God.
Christina
Gallagher
The persistence of
the bishops of
Today, however,
because of the great investigative work of an Irish Newspaper, The Sunday World, the bishops will be forced to
take action. Take away the comfort zone
and bring the scandal out in the open, and the bishops will take action. From information I am getting I expect action
to come soon, and it should be automatic-excommunication of Gallagher for her
refusal to obey the Church.
These same investigative reporters are now investigating the money trail of Anne the Lay Apostle with a view to exposing her as a fraud, and in the business for money.
Medjugorje
Bishop
Of
course, the greatest courage I can think of is a bishop who for many years has
gone against the majority of Catholics throughout the world to speak the truth
of things going on in his diocese.
Bishop Peric’s courage reminds me of the Saints who fought the Arians.
MEĐUGORJE: SECRETS,
MESSAGES, VOCATIONS, PRAYERS, CONFESSIONS, COMMISSIONS by Ratko Perić,
bishop of Mostar-Duvno
Medjugorje is a parish in the
diocese of Mostar-Duvno in Bosnia-Herzegovina, with a
population of about 4,000 persons, which has been entrusted to the pastoral
care of the Franciscan fathers OFM. From 24 June 1981 onwards, some events have
been occurring which many people, some Franciscans included, have attributed to
so-called apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who has seemingly presented
herself as the "Queen of Peace".
I. How many so-called
visionaries and visions are there?
1. Vicka Ivanković, born on 3 September 1964, in the parish of Medjugorje,
has been receiving "apparitions" from 24 June 1981. Every day. There have been pauses, but there have also been
days with up to ten "visions". Vicka married Mario Mijatović in 2002 and now has one child and lives in
the neighbouring parish of Gradina.
How many "visions" has
she had till now? - According to a simple
calculation of the days, it would be 8,270 including yesterday's. These
"apparitions" were with the other "seers" during the first
years, yet for many years now she has been having them alone, separately, in
the evening, regardless of her location. As if they were programmed.
2. Marija
Pavlović,
born on 1 April 1965 in the parish of Medjugorje, has been a "seer"
from the second day of the "apparitions", 25 June 1981, every day up
till now. In 1993 she married an Italian, Paolo Lunetti.
She has three children and is now living in
How many "visions" has
she had till now? Around 8,270 including
yesterday's, together with the other "privileged" few or separately.
The "apparitions" are not tied so much to the locality of Medjugorje
as to persons: wherever these persons travel in the world, the
"apparitions" travel with them.
3. Ivan Dragićević, born in Mostar on 25 May 1965,
has had daily "apparitions" from 24 June 1981 to this day. He married
the former Miss
How many "visions" has
Ivan had till now? About
8,270 with last night's, together with the other "seers" or
separately.
4. Mirjana Dragićević, born in
How many "visions" has
Mirjana had till now? All totalled: about 770.
5. Ivanka
Ivanković
was born in the parish of Medjugorje on 21 June 1966. The phenomenon appeared
to her from 25 June 1981 to 7 May 1985. She now has a "vision" once a
year, on 25 June 1981, on the anniversary of the "apparitions". She
married Rajko Elez and has
three children. She is currently living in Medjugorje.
How many "visions" has
Ivanka had till now? About 1,450 all together.
6. Jakov
Čolo was
born on 6 March 1971 in the parish of Medjugorje. From 25 June 1981 he received
daily "apparitions" till 12 September 1998. From this date onward, he
has only had one a year - on Christmas day. In
1993, he married Anna-Lisa Barozzi from
How many "visions" has
he had till now? Together
with the others and separately, around 6,290.
The Madonna has been presumably
"appearing" on a regular basis and at one and the same time, even if
one of the "seers" is in
Let us now compare
Medjugorje to two recognized Marian shrines:
At
At
Three of the Medjugorje
"seers", who say they have daily "apparitions", live most
of the time outside of Medjugorje, while the remaining three that live in
Medjugorje supposedly have only one "apparition" a year.
II. HOW MANY SECRETS HAS THE
ALLEGED MADONNA GIVEN TO THE SO-CALLED SEERS?
Those who have daily
"visions" have received nine secrets, while those who have
"apparitions" once a year, have ten secrets. It is not clear if nine
or ten secrets have been given and are known to each of the "seers",
or if each of the "seers" has his/her own number of secrets which
differ from the rest.
If we compare this to the authentic
apparitions, then one can see that at
In the first years there was
apocalyptic talk about a "great sign" to happen, yet to this day this
"great sign" has not occurred, and the expectation of a sign has
diminished.
III. HOW MANY PRESUMED MESSAGES
HAVE THERE BEEN?
All the "messages" of
Medjugorje can be summed up into five basic ones, as is usually the case, yet
these "five" are actually the following "fourteen": peace,
conversion, prayer, fasting, vigilance, penance, adoration, witnessing, faith,
call to holiness, Eucharist, Word of God, monthly confession, rosary…
Many authors greatly differ which
five should be taken from these fourteen. Italian, French and Croat
authors… all have their own interpretations. It's important to mention here
that besides the daily "messages", there are also special monthly
"messages" on the 25th of each month, which are given to Marija in
All these "messages" of
the various interpreters of Medjugorje, are heard every Sunday in churches. For
us, the novelty of Medjugorje would be that the "Queen of Peace" on
the 25th of each month sends out a special communication with the message:
"Thank you children, for responding to my invitation". The Madonna
thanks the "seers" for having the time, for wanting to, and deigning
themselves to meet and talk with her. According to these words the
"Madonna" is amazed and grateful to the "seers" who have
responded to her invitation! This is somewhat like parents thanking their
children for being born, or physicians thanking the infirm for seeking their
health back! (Ogledalo Pravde=Mirror of Justice, Mostar,
2001, pp. 249-250).
IV. HOW MANY VOCATIONS HAVE
RESULTED FROM THE "APPARITIONS"?
Of the six "seers" of
Medjugorje, none of them have achieved a religious vocation. Three of them
mentioned that they were going to enter and two even went on to follow this
inexplicable voice, yet with time everything vanished.
Ivan Dragićević, became a
candidate for the Franciscan Province of Herzegovina. In 1981 he went to the
minor seminary of Visoko where he continued with the
"apparitions". Due to the fact that he failed to pass his repeat
examination, it was decided that he could possibly do better if he went to the
minor seminary of
Having said farewell to the
seminary, Ivan continued not only with daily "apparitions" to this
day, but at a certain point began imposing the harsh demands of this phenomenon
of his upon the local bishop Pavao Žanić, that he accept the "messages" of
Medjugorje. In 1994 he married an American woman in
Vicka Ivanković from the outset demonstrated enthusiasm for the religious
life. In September 1981 she confided this to an Italian weekly: I would like
to enter a convent and become a nun.
Even though she was an
"enrolled nun", Vicka never entered a convent. Twenty years later,
she found a young man from the neighbouring parish of
Gradina and the two of them were married in
Medjugorje. Over two thousand invited and curious guests attended their wedding
party. During the wedding festivities, the "seer" went to her new
house a few kilometres away from the noise of the
wedding party with husband alongside her and had a "vision". Everything according to routine and regular programming.
Afterwards they went back to the wedding party.
The "visionary" in the
beginning announced Urbi et
Orbi - "to
Regarding her religious vocation -
she's free, yet as regards "spreading the messages of the Madonna" -
she's obligated?!
Marija Pavlović. In response to an Italian journalist's question Why haven't any one of you decided to become a
priest or nun? Marija in 2001 gave the following
explanation: For many years I thought that I would become a nun. I began
visiting a convent and my desire to go there was very strong. But the sister
superior once told me: "Marija, if you want to
enter, you are very welcome; but if the bishop decides that you must not speak
about Medjugorje, you will have to obey". At that moment I began thinking
that my vocation might possibly be to witness to that which I saw and heard,
and that I will be able to find the road to holiness outside the convent (O.
P., p. 28).
Marija therefore came to terms with the demands of religious life
in which she couldn't obey the bishop if he were to decide that she shouldn't
spread the "apparitions" which the Church even to this day has not
declared authentic. And hence, she decided to find the road to holiness
"outside the convent".
No God's work. Yet things weren't exactly that way. Marija
did eventually attempt entering a mixed spiritual community, where she remained
for several months. She then left the community with a written explanation that
provoked not little public astonishment. First of all, it was written that the
Madonna, through Marija, had said on 8 March 1987
that that community was God's plan, God's work. Later on, when she
left the community with her boyfriend Paolo Lunetti,
who helped her leave and write the letter, she denied everything in her own
handwriting on 11 July 1988: before God, the Madonna, and the Church of Jesus
Christ, she categorically denied that there were ever any "messages"
through her for this community and for this work of God, in which she
had lived for several months (O. P., pp. 30-31).
At that time, in 1983, Fr. Tomislav Vlašić OFM, who was
the spiritual director of the "seers" of Medjugorje, wrote to the
Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar:
The children have decided to enter the religious life, but they are waiting
for the right moment which only they know (O. P., p. 55). Today the
whole world knows that these were only simple stories or children's fairytales.
Not all the "privileged" children of Medjugorje entered the religious
life, while those that tried - quickly left. Only the mature won't allow
themselves to be misled by irrational "messages" and children's
stories! Is this some kind of "sign", "secret" or
"message" of Medjugorje?
Though I believe that it's
improper, I will nevertheless compare these "vocations" with
the two best-known modern Marian shrines.
At
Secondly, at
There's something strange in all of
this: three "seers" who tried to "enrol"
themselves into religious life, who later on dismissed
themselves and were happily married, still have regular daily
"apparitions". The other "seers" though,
who didn't enter the religious life, receive an "apparition" only
once a year. Can this be considered a reward for those who didn't enter
the religious life?
A grace of God. Keeping in mind the fact that many young boys from
Herzegovina who entered the seminary and who later became priests and the
numerous young girls who became nuns (from the parish of Medjugorje alone there
are over 30 living priests and sisters) who from what I know, never had any
apparition, message or encounter with any supernatural phenomenon; it's indeed
odd that not one of the "seers" in these 23 years, who have had
between 770 and 8,270 "apparitions" realized a religious vocation.
And this same phenomenon, in a threatening way, demands that bishop Žanić recognize the "messages" of Medjugorje
as authentic without questioning them. Every true religious vocation is a grace
of God and a serious matter. The manner in which religious vocations were
handled by the "visionaries" has been shown to be irresponsible. Is
this possibly a question of games without borders, regarding numbers,
"visions", "messages", "revelations", "secrets"
and "signs"?
V. WHAT DO PRAYERS AND
CONFESSIONS PROVE?
1. Prayer as a context. Prayer is an important factor in the
"apparitions" of Medjugorje. It's in the context of praying the Our
Father that in most cases the "apparitions" begin
for the "seers". They even cease praying so that the
"apparition" can be followed for a few minutes.
2. A Message not to pray. On 16 September 1981: "She also told them that they
need not pray for themselves, because she has rewarded them in the best
fashion. They should pray for others instead" (O. P.,
p. 111).
- The Biblical Madonna will never
say that people need not pray for themselves and that the "reward of
apparitions" replaces personal prayer. This is false teaching. Even Jesus
prayed firstly for himself, then for his apostles and then for the entire world
"that all may be one" (Jn 17).
3. A Message to pray for bishop Žanić. Concerning
a prayer-group of Medjugorje "the Madonna has asked that they fast on
bread and water twice a week. Three months later we are fasting on bread and
water three times a week. The group is offering the majority of their prayers
for him (bishop Žanić). We often offer our
adoration, rosaries and visits to the place of the apparitions where we pray
long into the night for him. God shall look upon our prayers
and fasting" (O. P., p. 126). So wrote Fr. Tomislav Vlašić OFM on 8
January 1984.
The phenomenon established a
prayer-group around Fr. Tomislav Vlašić
OFM, who in a letter in 1984 presented himself to the Pope as the one "who
through Divine providence guides the seers of Medjugorje" (O. P., p. 56).
This group has been praying and fasting just so that the bishop would give in
to their hallucinations. They also built a convent in Medjugorje with close to
100 beds and didn't even think of asking the bishop for permission to do this.
Then the "mystifier" Fr. Vlašić was recently removed from his guiding role in
the prayer-group, after having mixed the spiritual with spiritism
in Medjugorje during a retreat!
4. He could have but didn't want
to? In an interview in 1993, during the
height of the war, the "seer" Jakov said:
"The Madonna has asked me today, as every day during these last twelve years, that I pray for peace in the former
- If this weren't so naďve, a normal believer would ask himself: if the
"seer" was capable of stopping the war in ex-Yugoslavia, then why
didn't he go pray and bring to an end? Yet during the war over 2 million people
were displaced, over 200,000 were killed, thousands of religious sites and tens
of thousands of homes were destroyed, and then the unjust
5. Can prayer be considered
proof? There are people within the Church
who say: If the people are praying to God, let them then go to Medjugorje, let
them make their pilgrimages and pray. It's better for them to pray than not to
pray, better to venerate "the Madonna of Medjugorje" than not to
venerate any Madonna at all!
For 2000 years now the Church has
been teaching and suggesting to the faithful that they pray, fast, do penance, go to confession and convert. She doesn't prohibit anyone
from praying to God where they please. But she doesn't allow "pilgrimages
to the place of the apparitions" to be endorsed in churches from the
altar, that have not been accepted as authentic. She does this so that the
truth may be separated from falsehood, and true doctrine separated from false
doctrine.
As if it were really necessary for
someone to travel thousands of kilometres from Corea or
Do those who say that they have travelled to Medjugorje over thirty times,
really prove by saying this that they have "converted"? This could be
a real sign that they haven't converted (O. P., pp. 229-230). A truly
converted person would never boast about this but would rather demonstrate it
by his life!
If the faithful of the parish of
St. James's in Medjugorje sincerely confess their sins and pray, regardless of
all the nursery rhyme "apparitions", they thereby certainly receive
the same Divine graces that other believers receive who pray and validly
receive the sacraments in Catholic churches throughout the world. The local
Church has always held this belief (O. P., pp. 268-269).
VI. HOW MANY CHURCH COMMISSIONS
AND INTERVENTIONS HAVE THERE BEEN?
Towards the end of June 1981, the
sensational news of the "Madonna's apparitions" to children in
Medjugorje started to spread in the mass-media. In mid-August of the same year,
after having spoken with the so-called seers in Medjugorje on 21 July, in his
first Statement, the bishop of Mostar-Duvno,
Msgr. Pavao Žanić,
emphasized that the most difficult question is whether or not this is a
"subjective experience of the children or something supernatural?" (O. P., p. 192). Even though he had informed the Pope
and the Holy See on many occasions regarding the diverse opinions regarding
Medjugorje, the bishop felt it was necessary to establish a diocesan commission
in order to study the events.
A - The Chancery of the Diocese
of Mostar The
Bishop Žanić
established the first Commission on 11 January 1982, which worked until 1984 (O.
P., p. 43). It was comprised of four theologians, 2 diocesan priests and 2
religious.
The bishop's
new discoveries. The Commission hadn't even gathered yet when on 14 January
1982 something happened that marked the bishop's position once and for all.
That day, three of the "seers" came to Mostar
with the "Madonna's" message that the bishop, regarding the famous Herzegovinian Affair acted too hastily, because he sought
the removal of two Franciscan associate pastors who were causing problems in Mostar. The bishop, who during his lifetime venerated the
Madonna with numerous devotions and pilgrimages, upon hearing that the
phenomenon in Medjugorje was accusing him of irreligious disorder in reference
to the parishes; that it didn't recognize in him a faithful son of the Church
and the Madonna, the Mother of the Church, to whom a year earlier in September
1980, the Cathedral church of Mostar was consecrated;
that the phenomenon was defending disobedient religious friars who were
obstructing the normal functioning of the Cathedral, began to look with
suspicion upon the "messages" and the "apparitions" in
Medjugorje. Despite this, the Commission began its work.
Great sign. The Commission held three conversations with the
"seers". In 1982, the third meeting brought some results. On the
bishop's request, the Commission asked the "seers" to write down in
double copy, what kind of "great sign" shall appear and when it would
happen. They were then to put their responses into two envelopes and then seal
them. One of the envelopes was to kept by them while
the other at the Chancery office. When the "great sign" occurs, then
the envelopes would be opened and the truth verified. However, five of the
"seers" refused to answer the questions, because the Madonna did not
permit them to. Yet the seminarian Ivan did respond in writing to the
questions. He even said that the Madonna did not forbid him from responding to
the questions. His response was more than inappropriate. A good number of lies
and tricks are tied to this "great sign" which to this day hasn't
occurred (O. P., pp. 102-108).
The Response
to the Holy See. In November 1983, the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith asked the bishop if the Commission has come to some conclusions.
Bishop Žanić wrote a study on Medjugorje and the
Herzegovinian Affair, which he sent to Cardinal Josef
Ratzinger. In the conclusion the bishop puts forth the question of the
"apparitions":
Are they from God? - The
"Madonna" of Medjugorje has brought more disorder and disarray here
than there was earlier! Hence he doesn't see how he can accept this as coming
from God.
Is it from the devil? - He has
difficulty accepting this hypothesis as well, even though the thought has
crossed his mind.
Is it all a hoax? - From the outset
one can notice that the children have sometimes lied. At times it's clear that
what they say is what they have heard from the Franciscans, especially
regarding the "Herzegovinian Affair". The
bishop goes on to say that he awaits the judgment of the Commission and the
cessation of the "apparitions". The bishop waited 17 years and he saw
the Madonna in heaven on 11 January 2000 (the day of his death) before seeing
the "visions" of Medjugorje cease.
The Second extended Commission (1984 - 1986)
In 1984 bishop Žanić
decided to extend the first Commission. He wrote to all the theological
faculties in
There were 15 members in the Second
Commission: 12 priests and 3 medical experts. They held seven meetings in all.
The first was in Mostar in March 1984, and the
seventh in the same city in May 1986, during which the Commission completed its
work. The members of the Commission voted on the following conclusion: Non constat de supernaturalitate
(11 voted 'for', 2 'against', 1 accepted 'in nucleo',
and 1 abstained). The Commission prepared a draft "Declaration" in
which were listed the "unacceptable assertions" and "bizarre
declarations", attributed to the curious phenomenon. The Commission also
stated that further investigations were not necessary nor the delaying of the
official judgement of the Church. The bishop duly
informed the Bishops' Conference and the Holy See, and he then informed the
public during his homily in Medjugorje in 1987 (O. P., pp. 47-50).
The well-known negative position of
the bishop which he summarized in 28 points in 1990,
is significant since it speaks of the inauthentic nature of these supernatural
apparitions (O. P., p. 196).
In August of 1993, bishop Žanić handed over the administration of the diocese to
his successor who continued his work at a swift pace.
B - The Bishops' Conference of
The Bishops of Yugoslavia
intervened twice, in 1984 and 1985, and asked both priests and faithful to
await the judgment of the Church regarding the events of Medjugorje, which
shall be given after intense investigations. Hence, no pilgrimages are to be
organized as if "the Church has already given a positive judgment" (O.
P., p. 193).
The Third Commission (1987 - 1990)
In January 1987, upon the
suggestion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, president of
the Bishops' Conference, and bishop Žanić made a
joint communiqué in which they announced the formation of the third Commission
and in which they asked the faithful not to organize pilgrimages motivated
"from above" which would ascribe to the events of Medjugorje (O.
P., p. 196). The Commission was comprised of 11 priests (6 religious, 5
diocesan), 4 physicians and psychologists and one religious sister as
secretary.
The Commission held 23 meetings in
A characteristic of the third
Commission was to work on the findings and results of the previous Commissions
and ex novo. Everything was done under oath and no statements for the
public were made. The results of their four-year long efforts were presented to
the members of the Bishops' Conference in
The Declaration states: "During the regular session of the Bishops'
Conference of Yugoslavia, held in Zadar from April
9-11, 1991, the following was accepted:
DECLARATION
From the very beginning, the
Bishops have been following the events of Medjugorje through the local Bishop,
the Bishops' Commission and the Commission of the Bishops' Conference of
Yugoslavia for Medjugorje.
On the base of studies made so far,
it cannot be affirmed that these matters concern supernatural apparitions or
revelations.
Yet the gathering of the faithful
from various parts of the world to Medjugorje, inspired by reasons of faith or
other motives, require the pastoral attention and care, first of all, of the
local Bishop and then of the other bishops with him, so that in Medjugorje and
all connected with it, a healthy devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary
according to the teachings of the Church may be promoted. The Bishops will also
provide special liturgical and pastoral directives corresponding to this aim.
At the same time, they will continue to study all the events of Medjugorje
through the commissions.
Zadar, 10 April 1991 The Bishops
of
The Aggression. In the years that
followed,
If our Bishops' Conference, despite
numerous curious visitors to Medjugorje, notwithstanding massive publicity
accompanied by charismatic inspirations, had the courage to declare on the base
of serious, solid and expert investigations, that there is no proof in
Medjugorje of any supernatural apparitions, this then is a sign that the Church
even in the 20th century is still "the pillar and bulwark of the
truth" (1 Tim 3, 15) - (O. P., p. 151).
C - The Interventions of the
Holy See
The Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, has intervened four times through two of
its Secretaries, while the Prefect, Cardinal Ratzinger, also made an important
intervention.
In 1985, Msgr. Alberto Bovone notified the Secretary of the Bishops' Conference of
Italy not to organize official pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
In 1995, Msgr. Tarcisio
Bertone wrote to the bishop of Langres,
Msgr. Leon Taverdet, and repeated the same to Msgr.
Lucien Daloz of
Finally, in 1998, the same
Secretary wrote to Msgr. Gilbert Aubry, bishop of
Ratzinger's frei erfunden. In 1998, when a certain German gathered various statements
which were supposedly made by the Holy Father and the Cardinal Prefect, and
forwarded them to the Vatican in the form of a memorandum, the Cardinal
responded in writing on 22 July 1998: "The only thing I can say regarding
statements on Medjugorje ascribed to the Holy Father and myself is that they
are complete invention" - frei erfunden - (O. P., p. 283).
Conclusion. Not only are
these statements ascribed to the Holy Father and Cardinal Ratzinger
"complete invention", but the numerous messages of Medjugorje,
ascribed to the Madonna are also complete invention. If our faith is considered
obsequium rationabile
- rational service to God, true and healthy spiritual worship, as it rightfully
is (Rm 12:1), then it cannot be any person's
private fantasy or illusion (O. P., p. 84). The Church is competent to
say this. In her name, 30 chosen priests and physicians, working together in
three Commissions for 10 years, in more than 30 meetings, dutifully and
expertly investigated the events of Medjugorje and brought forth their results
of study. And not one, but twenty bishops responsibly declared that there
exists no proof that the events in Medjugorje concern supernatural apparitions or
revelations. The believer who respects both principles: ratio et fides, adheres to this criterion, convinced that the
Church does not deceive.
Regarding Medjugorje, there's a
real danger that the Madonna and the Church could be privatized. People
could start contriving a Madonna and a Church according to their own taste,
perception and deception: by not submitting their reason as believers to the
official Magisterium of the Church, but rather forcing the Church to follow and
recognize their fantasy.
Naďve believers could easily then leave the living fountains of
grace in their own parishes to mosey on down to Medjugorje or follow the
"seers" around the world, who by the way, thanks to the
"apparitions" have good homes and a comfortable existence - at least
that's what the mass-media say.
There are at least 6 or 7 religious
or quasi-religious communities, just initiating or already established, some of
diocesan right, some not, which have arbitrarily been installed in
Medjugorje without the permission of the local Diocesan authorities. These
communities are more a sign of disobedience than a real charisma of obedience
in this Church!
There exists a problem in this
diocese of Mostar-Duvno which in recent years has
practically precipitated into a schism. At least eight Franciscan priests, who
have rebelled against the decision of the Holy See to transfer a certain number
of parishes administered by the Franciscans to the diocesan priests, have been
expelled from the Franciscan Order and suspended 'a divinis'.
In spite of this, they have occupied at least five parishes through
force, and continue to exercise sacred functions. They invalidly assist at
marriages, hear confessions without canonical faculties and invalidly confer
the sacrament of confirmation. Three years ago they even invited a deacon of
the
Two of these expelled priests
sought after episcopal consecration from Swiss bishop
of the
So many invalid sacraments, so much
disobedience, violence, sacrilege, disorder, irregularities, and not a single
"message" from tens of thousands of "apparitions" has been
directed towards eliminating these scandals. A very strange thing indeed!
The Church, from the local to
supreme level, from the beginning to this very day, has clearly and constantly
repeated: Non constat
de supernaturalitate! No to pilgrimages that
would ascribe a supernatural nature to the apparitions, no
shrine of the Madonna, no authentic messages nor revelations, no true visions!
This is the state of things today.
How will things be tomorrow? We'll leave them in God's hands and under Our
Lady's protection!