Medjugorje: Thirty years on and the faithful are still desperate to know the Church's mind concerning these supposed apparitions

It will be thirty years ago this Friday, the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist, that the Virgin Mary supposedly began appearing to six young people in a small Bosnian and Herzegovinian village called Medjugorje. Since then, 24 June 1981, millions of people from around the world have become devotees of the alleged Marian apparitions, whilst some of the young people involved have become very famous and wealthy. Despite active discouragement from the local Bishop of Mostar, Medjugorje has become a beacon of charismatic Catholicism and a place of pilgrimage for those seeking "signs and wonders." The Medjugorje phenomenon has also become one of the most controversial movements within the modern Catholic Church.

It is therefore a shame that Rome is yet to give a definitive pronouncement on the events surrounding the movement dedicated to Our Lady of Medjugorje. Successive local Bishops have warned against the visions, even pointing to the blatant heresy contained in some of the revelations in which "Our Lady" claims that all religions are equally valid. The pronouncements from the Bishops of Mostar should have put an end to the matter, for it is the local Ordinary who has canonical jurisdiction to investigate such events. But, it seems that the local Franciscans, who run the parish of Medjugorje, encouraged their followers to ignore the Bishop of Mostar. The visionaries even claimed that Our Lady wanted people to reject the Church's legitimate authority. Because of these frictions caused by lack of obedience and open dissent on the local level, the Vatican was obliged to step in. It was only in March last year, though, that Pope Benedict XVI convened a commission led by Cardinal Camillo Ruini to definitively investigate the Medjugorje apparitions.

To add to the doubts concerning Medjugorje, Tomislav Vlašić, the Franciscan priest who acted as spiritual director to the seers and who was amongst the first to lead the campaign to have Medjugorje approved by the Church, was laicised a few years ago after having been investigated for "dubious doctrine, the manipulation of consciences, suspect mysticism and disobedience towards legitimately issued orders". He was also accused of sexual immorality with a nun, allegations which he had apparently covered up. As far as I'm concerned, these facts alone are enough to make me disbelieve in the heavenly aspect of the Medjugorje apparitions. As Donal A Foley (whom I once met on retreat at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey) seems to suggest in his Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusions, there might even be something quite demonic behind the whole thing.

Another concerning aspect of the Medjugorje events is that, unlike most of the approved Marian apparitions, the Herzegovinian seers have received in excess of 40,000 so-called visions, with a few claiming that they continue to see Our Lady every day, even though they are well into their forties! Apparently, the visionaries also claim to have received over 50 "secrets", all of which seem to be apocalyptic - possibly designed to attract those addicted to curiosities and conspiracies. Also, unlike St Bernadette Soubirous (Lourdes), or Lúcia de Jesus dos Santos and Bl Jacinta and

Bl Francisco Marto (Fatima), the six visionaries of Medjugorje aren't really known for their humility or for choosing to live a life of heroic virtue. I don't think that any of the six have entered religious life or the priesthood and I believe that many travel the world to engage in lucrative speaking engagements. Also, I read a few years ago that one of the male seers apparently married a super-model and now lives quite a comfortable life in the US. Not the kind of thing St Bernadette would have done!

Of course, many argue that some good has come from the supposed visions at Medjugorje, and I would agree with them. There have been dramatic conversions of life and a few possible miracles of healing. But, God, of course, can bring good from any evil. As we know, other such charismatic and / or bizarre ecclesiastical groups, such as the Legionaries of Christ, have managed to bring Christ to some, despite the fact that the founders of these movements were evil or deranged - the founder of the Legionaries was one of the worst sexual abusers in the history of the Church! Needless to say, though, many Legionaries had their faith destroyed after it was revealed that their leader, Marcial Maciel, was a dangerous, sadistic and evil cultist. Satan often works through those who, like him, are vain and proud - the egotistical and the charismatic. He likes to tempt some so-called Christians with power and status, building them up only so that those who follow them will be confounded when their deceits are revealed.

As much as I admired Bl Pope John Paul II, I think it's right to conclude that his own charismatic qualities sometimes meant that he was taken in by others who were also very extrovert and mesmeric. It led him to support some bizarre movements, too, some of which have caused division within the Church - sects like the Legionaries or Miles Jesu, which seem to claim to be super-Catholic or appear to be mini-Churches within the Church. I believe that because of his devotion to Our Lady and his reliance on charismatics and the post-Vatican II charismatic movement, Pope John Paul II failed to act decisively concerning the Medjugorje "cult." He should have nipped the whole thing in the bud. But, just as good Pope Benedict XVI is now having to sort out the child abuse crisis left to him by his predecessor, he is also going to have to deal with the fallout that might result from any future Medjugorje-led rebellion.

Fratres, sobrii estote, et vigilate: quia adversarius vester diabolus tamquam leo rugiens circuit, quaerens quem devoret: cui resistite fortes in fide (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Ss Thomas More and John Fisher, pray for us

[Image: St James's Church, Medjugorje; this photo has been released into the public domain by it's author, Mariusz Musiał; source: Wikimedia Commons]