Medjugorje: Vatican approves spiritual experience

The Vatican approves the spiritual experience linked to Medjugorje and issues a positive judgment on the messages, although it indicates some clarifications and does not comment on the supernaturality of the events.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, presented this September 19 in Rome the document “The Queen of Peace”, — approved by Pope Francis on August 28 —, with which he confirms the nothing stands in the way and authorizes the faithful to adhere to this devotion.

“The time has come to conclude this long story”

After more than four decades of investigation into the alleged apparitions of the Virgin Mary in the parish-sanctuary of the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Vatican declares that “the time has come” to conclude this “long and complex history.”

In accordance with the new norms for the study of the alleged apparitions of the Catholic Church, the Vatican Dicastery emphasizes that “many positive fruits have been produced and no negative or risk effects have spread among the People of God”, although it avoids issuing a judgment about its supernatural nature.

Likewise, it specifies that, although in the messages as a whole there are many positive elements “that help to welcome the call of the Gospel”, some of them present theological errors, contradictions, or “they would be related to the desires or interests of the alleged visionaries or of other people.”

The spiritual fruits

The Vatican authority uses the expression “the Medjugorje phenomenon” to refer to its abundant spiritual fruits, which are produced mainly “in the context of pilgrimages to the places of the original events, rather than during encounters with the ‘seers’.”

It also highlights the growing number of devotees around the world and the large number of pilgrims who come to renew their faith, as well as “the abundant conversions, the frequent return to sacramental practice, and the numerous vocations to priestly, religious and marital life.” ”.

Likewise, it highlights the “deepening of the life of faith, a more intense practice of prayer; numerous reconciliations between spouses and the renewal of marital and family life.”

He also claims that there have been cures and that charities have emerged to care for orphans, drug addicts and the disabled. He specifies that there are also groups of Orthodox Christians and Muslims and highlights the large presence, especially of young people.

Central aspects of the messages

The document highlights “peace” as a central element of the messages allegedly transmitted by the Virgin and affirms that this must spring from charity and also implies “love towards those who are not Catholic.”

According to the cardinal, this does not mean “proposing syncretism or saying that all religions are equal before God,” although he clarifies that “all people are loved.”

Likewise, he points out that in the messages “the Virgin does not place herself in the center”, and that “the intercession and work of Mary appear clearly submitted to Jesus Christ as the author of grace and salvation in each person.”

He also adds that many messages invite conversion, to recognize the importance of asking for the help of the Holy Spirit and to abandon “a worldly lifestyle.”

The prefect of Doctrine for the Faith highlights that the messages attributed to the Virgin in Medjugorje exhort not to underestimate “the seriousness of evil and of sin” and to take “very seriously the call of God to fight against evil and against the influence of Satan.”

It also highlights the fundamental role of prayer and fasting, as well as the centrality of the Mass, the importance of fraternal communion, the search for the ultimate meaning of existence in eternal life and an invitation to live the joy of following Christ. in communion with the entire Church.

Clarification on some messages to avoid confusion

The second part of the document clarifies that there are some alleged messages that “deviate” from what has been explained so far and that therefore it is necessary to “clarify some possible confusion that may lead minority groups to distort the precious proposal of this spiritual experience.”

First of all, he points out that some of them may seem “linked to confusing human experiences, to imprecise expressions from theological point of view or to interests that are not entirely legitimate,” although he clarifies that these errors are not due to bad intentions, “but to the subjective perception of the phenomenon.”

He specifies that, in some cases, “the Virgin seems to show a certain irritation because some of her instructions have not been followed; Thus, she warns of threatening signs and the possibility that they may stop appearing.

But in reality, explains Cardinal Fernández, other messages, such as those in which the Virgin stated that “punishment will come if the world is not converted” and that “everything depends on your conversion,” offer a correct interpretation.

Another example is the messages for the parish, “in which the Virgin seems to want to control the details of the spiritual and pastoral path, thus giving the impression of wanting to replace the ordinary bodies of participation with Her.”

Likewise, he points out that “the insistence becomes more problematic” when the messages “refer to requests of improbable supernatural origin, such as when the Virgin gives orders about dates, places, practical matters and makes decisions on ordinary matters.”

The Vatican also defines as problematic those messages that attribute to the Virgin the expressions “my plan”, “my project” and other expressions that “could confuse.”

“In reality, everything that Mary does is always at the service of the Lord’s plan and his divine plan of salvation,” the cardinal clarifies.

In this sense, he emphasizes that “when an action of the Holy Spirit is recognized in the midst of a spiritual experience, that does not mean that everything that belongs to that experience is exempt from all inaccuracy, imperfection or possible confusion.”

An encounter with Mary and not “with the supposed visionaries”

At the end of the document, Cardinal Víctor Fernández recalls that, although “this does not imply a declaration of supernatural character” and that “no one is obliged to believe in them,” the Holy See establishes that the faithful “can receive a positive stimulus for their Christian life through this spiritual proposal and authorizes public worship.”

He thus insists on “the positive evaluation of most of the Medjugorje messages as edifying texts,” although this “does not imply declaring that they have a direct supernatural origin.”

In this way, they invite the ecclesiastical authorities of the places where it is present “to appreciate the pastoral value and also to promote the dissemination of this spiritual proposal.”

All of this without prejudice to the power of each diocesan bishop to make prudential decisions in the event that there are people or groups that “make inappropriate use of this spiritual phenomenon and act in a wrong way.”

Finally, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith invites those who go to Medjugorje “to accept that pilgrimages are not made to meet supposed visionaries, but to have an encounter with Mary, Queen of Peace.”

What happens in Medjugorje?

The alleged Marian apparitions in Medjugorje (Bosnia – Herzegovina) began on June 24, 1981. Six children would have been the recipients of the Virgin’s messages, of which three say they continue receiving messages daily.

In January 2014, the then Congregation – today the Dicastery – for the Doctrine of the Faith concluded a report requested by Pope Francis who, in November 2013, stated that the Virgin “is not a head of the post office, to send messages every day,” without specifically mentioning Medjugorje.

In 2017, summarizing the content of the report, Pope Francis assured that the initial apparitions are something that “must continue to be investigated,” while regarding the current ones “the report has its doubts.”

On the other hand, he acknowledged that there is a “spiritual” and “pastoral fact” in the place that “cannot be denied,” and that many experience conversions, but he expressed that “there is no magic wand for this.”

A few months earlier, the Pontiff appointed Bishop Henryk Hoser as “special envoy” to Medjugorje. When he died in 2021 he was replaced by Bishop Aldo Cavalli.

Since May 2019, Pope Francis has officially authorized the organization of pilgrimages, indicating that such pilgrimages must be “prevented from creating confusion or ambiguity regarding the doctrinal aspect.”

In the years 2020, 2021 and 2023, Pope Francis has sent messages on the occasion of the Youth Festival held there.