Latest Declaration
of Bishop Peric on Medugorje, 2-17-2004
MEĐUGORJE:
SECRETS, MESSAGES, VOCATIONS, PRAYERS, CONFESSIONS, COMMISSIONS
Ratko Perić, bishop of Mostar-Duvno
Msgr. Ratko
Perić
bishop of Mostar-Duvno, BiH
MEĐUGORJE:
SECRETS,
MESSAGES, VOCATIONS, PRAYERS, CONFESSIONS, COMMISSIONS
Maynooth/Dublin,
February 17, 2004
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 Monza, near Milano, Italy.
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 Massachusetts, Loreen Murphy in 1994 and has four children. He lives with
his family part of the time in Boston and the rest of the time in
Medjugorje.
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
Sarajevo on 18 March 1965, has had "visions" from 24 June 1981. Her
last regular encounter was on Christmas day 1982. From that day onward, she has
received an "apparition" once a year - on her birthday - 18 March.
Along with this, from 2 August 1987, on each 2nd day of the month, she hears
the Madonna's voice and sometimes sees her. That would make it 17 years times
12 months, she either hears or sees the Madonna. Mirjana married Marko Soldo in
1989 and has two children. She is now living in Medjugorje.
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 Italy. They have three children and now live in Medjugorje.
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 America, another "visionary" in
Herzegovina, a third in Italy or a fourth in Maynooth. Adding all this up
together makes for 33,320 "apparitions" up till now. Please don't ask
me about the accuracy of these statistics, because a thousand
"apparitions" more or less, have no role to play here! The
hierarchical Church at various levels, diocesan, national and Holy See, hasn't
accepted a single apparition as authentic.
Let us now compare Medjugorje to
two recognized Marian shrines:
At Lourdes in 1858, the Madonna
appeared as the "Immaculate Conception", 18 times to Bernadette. The
Church accepted these apparitions and four years afterwards declared them
authentic, in 1862.
At Fatima in 1917, the Madonna
appeared as "Our Lady of the Rosary" 6 times to the ten year old shepherd
children Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. 13 years later, in 1930, the Church
accepted these apparitions as authentic.
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 Lourdes there were no secrets for the world, while at
Fatima one secret was divided into three parts. Yet at Medjugorje till now
there have been 9 or 10, or even 57 possible secrets, which have been divided
by three "seers" who have received 10 and another three who have
received 9. To this day not a single secret has been revealed.
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
Italy, which she then sends to the parish rectory of Medjugorje for
verification and are then sent out into the world.
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 Dubrovnik.
While in Dubrovnik, he managed to pass his repeat examination and enter into
the second year, but he didn't show an aptitude for school as he did for the
"apparitions", and hence he returned home in January 1983.
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 Boston and thereby
irrevocably transformed his religious vocation into a marriage (O. P.,
p. 34).
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 Rome and the world" -
that she is an "enrolled nun", but twenty years later she traveled to
Rome to buy her wedding dress. The "visionary" explained this to a
journalist: the Madonna gave each of us our freedom to choose. Everyone
can respond to the vocation they desire. Regardless of the fact that I'm now
married, I shall continue to spread the messages of the Madonna, because
Christian faith can be witnessed in marriage as well.
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".
Not 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 Lourdes the 14 year old Bernadette
once said: I must become a nun, but I don't know in which Order. The Holy
Virgin told me this and I'm waiting. She received her religious robes
in July 1866. Though infirm, she held on to her death on 16 April 1879. Pope
Pius XI canonized her on the Immaculate Conception in 1933.
Secondly, at Fatima, the seer
Lucia became a nun in 1921 and a discalced carmelite in 1948. Little Francisco
and Jacinta died as children and were both beatified by Pope John Paul II at
Fatima in the year 2000.
There's something strange in all of
this: three "seers" who tried to "enroll" 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 Yugoslavia. The Virgin convinced me
that I could stop the war with my prayers…" (O. P., p. 37).
If this weren't so naive, 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 Dayton accord was imposed upon us!
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 Korea or Ireland to Medjugorje
just to pray a rosary or to make a confession. Yet Jesus teaches us to go
into your room and pray to your Father in heaven! (Mt 6:6).
Do those who say that they have traveled
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 First Church Commission (1982 - 1984)
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 Yugoslavia
and sought the permission of certain religious superiors to allow their experts
to join the Commission.
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 judgment
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
Yugoslavia
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
Zagreb at the Secretariat of the Bishops' Conference. The first meeting was in
April 1987 and the twenty-third in September 1990.
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 Zagreb in 1990. Discussions at the Bishops' Conference
on the "apparitions" were held on four occasions: 25 April, 9 October
and 27 November 1990, and the Declaration on Medjugorje was accepted
through a vote held in Zadar on 10 April 1991: 19 bishops voted for the
Declaration while 1 abstained.
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 Yugoslavia"
The Aggression. In the years
that followed, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina found themselves victims of a
terrible aggression. With the formation of new states, new Bishops' Conferences
were established. Despite the Declaration of the Bishops' Conference: Non
constat de supernaturalitate, that is, that it cannot be affirmed that
these matters concern supernatural apparitions or revelations in Medjugorje,
the adherents of this phenomenon consistently claim that the "Madonna is
appearing".
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 Besançon, France, who were interested in knowing the position
of the Holy See on Medjugorje.
Finally, in 1998, the same Secretary
wrote to Msgr. Gilbert Aubry, bishop of Reunion. All these letters emphasized
that pilgrimages, whether private or public, are not allowed if they presuppose
the authenticity of the apparitions, since this would be in contradiction to
the declaration of the Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia.
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.
Naive 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 Old-Catholic Church who falsely
presented himself as a bishop, to preside at a confirmation and he
"confirmed" about 800 young people in three parishes.
Two of these expelled priests sought after
episcopal consecration from Swiss bishop of the Old-Catholic Church, Hans
Gerny, yet without any result.
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!