THE VATICAN TODAY said it recognised the shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, without commenting on the Virgin Mary’s “alleged messages” to the faithful, who have gathered there in the millions for more than 40 years. In a 17-page document approved by Pope Francis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said it wanted to “conclude a long and complex history that has surrounded the spiritual phenomena of Medjugorje”, which have fuelled “a series of divergent opinions” within the Catholic community. The Vatican said it was giving “the official green light to devotion and spiritual experience” for the faithful in Medjugorje, a village of 2,300 inhabitants that has become a popular place of pilgrimage, after six young people reported seeing the Virgin there in 1981.
Since then, about a million people have visited each year, including people who have professed that the Virgin Mary has also addressed them. The Vatican concluded that its evaluation of “the abundant and widespread fruits” of spirituality seen at Medjugorje “does not imply that the alleged supernatural events are declared authentic”. Nor do the Vatican’s conclusions “imply a judgment on the moral life of the alleged visionaries”, with the document acknowledging that “moral perfection” was not necessarily required to receive a vision.
While citing “many positive elements” tied to the purported visions, it acknowledged that some believed that “certain messages contai.