The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement at the conclusion of the long-running investigation into the alleged apparitions that began in 1981 in the area of Bosnia Herzegovina. It does not comment on the supernatural character, but the Vatican recognizes the good that it has produced in the lives of many people. Card. Fernandez: “We welcome these messages not as private revelations, but as edifying texts that tell us: do not seek extraordinary things, but return to the Gospel.”
Vatican City () – The Church has acknowledged the “abundant and widespread” fruits that have grown around devotion to Our Lady, venerated as Queen of Peace in Medjugorje, the town in Bosnia and Herzegovina where alleged Marian apparitions have occurred since 1981 and which has since been the destination of mass pilgrimages. It officially states that there is “nihil osta” (no obstacle) to this spiritual experience and invites “the pastoral value of this experience to be appreciated and shared.” However, this “does not imply declaring the alleged supernatural events as authentic, but only showing that ‘in the midst’ of this spiritual phenomenon of Medjugorje the Holy Spirit acts effectively for the good of the faithful.”
These statements are contained in the long-awaited note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “The Queen of Peace”“on the “spiritual experience linked to Medjugorje”, which was presented today at a long press conference in the Vatican by the prefect, Card. Victor Manuel Fernandez, and the secretary, Monsignor Armando Mateo. “The time has come to conclude – say the first words of the document – a long and complex history surrounding the spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje. It is a history in which there have been divergent opinions from bishops, theologians, commissions and analysts.”
In accordance with the guidance set by the new “Rules for proceeding in the discernment of alleged supernatural phenomena” – which was promulgated last May – the document on Medjugorje – approved by Pope Francis on August 28 – does not pronounce on the supernatural character of the apparitions. “I specifically asked the Pope if it was necessary to do so and his answer was that the nihil osta was sufficient,” said Fernandez.
The note therefore focuses on the spiritual life that has flourished around the devotion to the Queen of Peace and on the messages that have been spread over the years, concluding that “many positive fruits have been verified and that no negative or dangerous effects have spread among the People of God.” However, it also clarifies “some possible confusions that can lead minority groups to distort the valuable proposal of this spiritual experience, especially if the messages are read in a partial way.” It also points out that the “nihil osta” does not imply “a judgment on the moral life of the alleged visionaries.” Because – commented Cardinal Fernandez – the investigation into Medjugorje is not “a judgment on their heroic virtues,” as some objections that were raised during the prolonged study of the alleged apparitions seemed to suggest.
Among the spiritual fruits of this experience, the document cites “the promotion of a healthy practice of the life of faith” according to the tradition of the Church; the “many conversions” of people who have discovered or rediscovered the faith; the “frequent return to sacramental practice (Eucharist and reconciliation)”, the numerous vocations, the “numerous reconciliations between spouses and the renewal of marital and family life.”
Regarding the messages attributed to Our Lady – which were examined by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith – Cardinal Fernandez commented that “most of them have a beautiful content that can stimulate the faithful to conversion, to grow in the encounter with Christ and to be builders of peace in the world. That is, they re-propose, in other words closer to the simple language of our people, the encouragements and exhortations found in the Gospel.” Some messages – he added – “may contain phrases that are not precise from an academic point of view, phrases that are not exactly from St. Thomas Aquinas. On the other hand, when the action of the Holy Spirit is recognized in the midst of a spiritual experience, it does not mean that everything that belongs to that experience is free from any imprecision, imperfection or possible confusion.”
“We now accept these messages not as private revelations, because we are not certain that they are messages from Our Lady,” Cardinal Fernandez commented, “but only as edifying texts that can encourage a beautiful and true spiritual experience.” These are messages “that must be accepted and evaluated as a whole,” starting from their core: the invitation to forgiveness as a path to peace, the call to conversion and not to underestimate the gravity of evil and sin. It is Our Lady herself – according to the alleged visionaries – who recommends: “Do not go in search of extraordinary things, but rather take the Gospel, read it and everything will become clear to you.”
The “clarifications” that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith considers necessary are oriented in the same direction: they are invitations to relativize those passages in which the Virgin seems to give “orders on dates, places and practical aspects or make decisions on ordinary matters that should be discerned in community.” “Some messages can only be explained on the basis of the personal desires of the supposed visionaries,” commented Cardinal Fernandez. “But it is reasonable that the faithful, making use of prudence and common sense, do not take these details seriously or do not pay attention to them.”
Regarding the figure of the special apostolic visitor for the parish of Medjugorje – a task that has been carried out by Msgr. Aldo Cavalli on behalf of Pope Francis since December 2021 – the note specifies that “he will continue to perform the functions entrusted to him. He himself will then act in the discernment of any future messages – or of past messages that have not yet been published – and he will have to authorize any publication, in light of the clarifications offered above. He will also take the measures he deems necessary and will guide pastoral discernment in the face of new situations that may arise.”
The Vatican document invites the bishops of all dioceses where devotion to the Queen of Peace venerated in Medjugorje is present to “appreciate the pastoral value and also to promote the spread of this spiritual proposal. While prudently evaluating what is happening in their own territory, it remains, however, the power of each diocesan bishop to decide on this matter.” Finally, it recommends that people who go to Medjugorje be clear that “pilgrimages are not made to meet supposed visionaries, but to have an encounter with Mary, Queen of Peace.”
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